Moodymann appears as in-game character in GTA Online, debuts new music

Moodymann now appears as an in-game character in GTA Online, and is debuting new music within the playable environment. 

The Detroit house music and techno aficionado previously held a residency in the game’s club, The Music Locker, but has now returned as a full character in the most recent update, GTA Online: Los Santos Tuners.

In a case of art imitating life, Moodymann, real name Kenny Dixon Jr., plays ‘Kenny’, a contact within the world of underground motor racing. Moodymann himself is a known car lover. The character also dons a Born x Raised jacket, the LA streetwear label that real-world Dixon Jr is known to wear. 

In addition to offering players guidance through the illicit community, ‘Kenny’ is also a huge music fan, hence ‘Kenny’s Backyard Boogie Mix’. The selections span house, soul, hip hop, and funk, with exclusive tracks including collaborations between Moodymann and Channel Tres, Nez and Gangsa Boo, and Jessie Johnson, guitarist from Prince’s band, The Time. The set is found on a media stick and can be plugged in to the in-game radio dial. 

In December, we wrote on how Grand Theft Auto is continuing to push the boundaries of gaming and dance music. Meanwhile, another major video game franchise, ‘Hitman’, recently unveiled its own club within its rendered world, Club Hölle, partly inspired by Berlin nightlife landmark, Berghain.