ACTIVISION, MUTINY, AND KILLER MIKE PARTNER ON MUSIC VIDEO FOR NEW TRACK AND TO PROMOTE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED CALL OF DUTY®: BLACK OPS 6
Call of Duty, one of the world’s most successful first-person action franchises, is back with the newest installment of their fan-favorite Black Ops series with Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6. To celebrate and promote the game’s launch, Activision and creative agency partner Mutiny (a Trailer Park Group Company) have partnered with 2024 Grammy-Award-winning artist for Rap Album of the Year, Killer Mike, to develop a full-length companion music video for Killer Mike’s original song inspired by Black Ops 6.
The track debuts today following yesterday’s video cold-open for Call of Duty’s annual fan event, Call of Duty: NEXT, in Washington, DC – reaching a live audience and fans watching via live stream. It will be released widely alongside the music video today, August 29.
The track, titled ‘Detonator,’ is produced by Killer Mike’s long-time creative partner of Run the Jewels, EL-P, marking the first long-awaited collaboration between the duo since 2020. “When Activision told me the theme of the game and what they were looking for I knew exactly who to call, plus I’ve been itching to rap on some El-P beats,” explains Killer Mike.
Showcasing Killer Mike’s iconic blistering flow, the track is a rousing rallying cry for those living under the thumb of leaders who lie and manipulate the masses. The lyrics speak to the themes of political unrest and make specific nods and references to deeper in-game lore; often using double or even triple entendre to create a layered story fans can delve deeper into on repeat listens.
The video, which stars Killer Mike and features Rock D the Legend, is set in the shadowy underbelly of 90s Washington DC, and shot in monochrome black and white to reflect the gritty darkness of the Black Ops 6 story. Full of provocative, quick-cut visuals, the video portrays Killer Mike speaking truth to power and rallying the masses as his message spreads like a virus across the streets, screens, and iconic monuments of the US capital. Much like the game, the music video is packed with secrets, easter eggs, and hidden truths waiting to be discovered.
“Call of Duty has become far more than a video game, influencing many aspects of broader culture, especially music and hip-hop. With Black Ops 6 we knew we needed to work with an artist who had a strong voice given the political backdrop of the game and Killer Mike was the perfect artist to bring this project to life as he layered complex themes of control, power, corruption, and greed into the lyrics of the song,” said Tyler Bahl, SVP and head of Activision marketing.”
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CREDITS
ACTIVISION
Tyler Bahl, Senior Vice President & Head of Marketing, Activision
Matt Gilhooley, Vice President, Consumer Marketing, Call of Duty, Activision
Victor Acosta, Associate Director, Digital Marketing, Call of Duty, Activision
MUTINY
Geordie Larratt-Smith – President, Mutiny
Noah Eichen – Executive Creative Director, Mutiny
Brad Meyers – Group Creative Director, Mutiny
Fern Espinoza – Group Creative Director, Mutiny
Amy Greenleaf – Executive Producer, Mutiny
Antonio Burnett – Producer
Johan Kharabi – Group Account Director, Mutiny
Jonathan Palmer – Account Supervisor, Mutiny
Ian Tornay – Director of Strategy, Mutiny
Sam Lessani – Senior Creative Strategist, Mutiny
Vincent Morrone – Associate Creative Director, Mutiny
Kory Brocious – Associate Creative Director, Mutiny
ABOUT CALL OF DUTY: NEXT
For Call of Duty fans, the annual NEXT event is a must-see world preview of gameplay, new trailers, exclusive first looks, and other big announcements. Each year, hundreds of content creators come together to play the game live.
ABOUT MUTINY
Mutiny is a specialty game marketing studio serving the world’s top gaming brands, publishers, platforms, studios, and services with ultra-engaging marketing content and experiences. Mutiny’s team of seasoned marketers and gamers are inspired to create work that speaks directly to the Gaming community.
ABOUT TRAILER PARK GROUP
Trailer Park Group is the industry leader in entertainment marketing and content production spanning N. America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Specializing in Streaming, Film, Gaming, Music, and Sports, Trailer Park Group delivers best-in-class creative, strategy, and production capabilities across its specialty studios—Trailer Park, Art Machine, Mirada, MXW, White Turtle Studios, Mutiny, and Dark Burn Creative.
