Amazon Prime Video tapped Common to pen the theme music for NBA on Prime, the company announced Thursday morning.
Common made the theme, titled “Victory,” alongside musicians James Poyser and Karriem Riggins, recording the track at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville with a 70-piece orchestra. Prime says “victory” will serve as the lead-in track to all of the service’s NBA programming.
“Our NBA coverage will be a true celebration of the game for fans around the world, and in thinking about what we want our viewers to experience when turning on NBA on Prime, we understood that our sonic identity would play a key role in that experience for years to come,” Amina Hussein, executive Producer of NBA on Prime, said in a statement. “Our theme needed to be timeless, modern, and fun —and that’s exactly what Common, James, and Karriem brought us. They’ve composed something that we believe will last a generation, becoming synonymous with the excitement and energy of NBA basketball on Prime Video.”
Common, Joyner and Riggins made three different version of the song: The main orchestral version as well as a hip-hop version and a rock interpretation. Engineer Manny Marroquin Is mixing the theme’s final score, which will debut during Prime Sports’ first games on NBA opening night on October 24.
“Basketball and music are two of my greatest loves,” Common said in a statement. “James, Karriem, and I wanted to create a piece of music that expresses the togetherness, soul, fun, creativity, and spirit of the NBA and what the game represents. As Black artists coming from where we come from, creating the theme song for the NBA on Prime is one of the greatest moments of my career.”