Forget the East Coast-West Coast rap war. These days hip-hop artists are going into the video game console rank and Microsoft earned their first big signing when they convinced Sean "P Diddy" Combs to join their XBox brand.

"I love playing Xbox games and believe that the system's cultural influence as a social entertainment brand has only just begun," Combs says in promotional materials. "The XBox system is the official gaming system of Bad Boy Entertainment. Take that take that take that."

Combs is planning a remix of that message in the fall of 2004.

Microsoft is looking to break into the hip hop ranks that Sony's Playstation 2 has a hold of. Most hip hop artists keep a Sony game console in their "whips" or "pimped up ride". One of Sony's main endorsers is popular hip hop socialite Snoop Dogg.

"Well you know when a nizzle needs to get his vizzle on the tizzle there's nothing I fizzle more than Sony's PStizzle. Fo' shizzle. Know what I'm saying."