Live from the Samsung SMART Studio at CES 2013, rap artist Xzibit discusses using technology to interact directly with fans and reveals details about his new international tour.

Representing the Monster Products family at his third CES — and being the face of Monster Game — Xzibit is excited to announce that they'll be releasing their first standalone gaming headphones in conjunction with EA Sports.

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"They're very innovative and they bring a lot of 'wow' factor with it," he says of Monster. "And I'm part of that, man. It's good to be a part of the Monster family."

The audio gear has 36,000 points of sound in it, which Xzibit notes is beyond surround sound. "You need this to get ahead in the game," he says of Monster's "pure Monster sound." "They've taken their intensity and passion for music and put it into the gaming headphones," he continues. Sounds perfect for any hardcore gamer — like Xzibit himself!

When he announces that he's first-person shooter, this elicits a delighted squee from our previous guest and gaming queen, iJustine (check out her CES interview here!) They can bond over Call of Duty, Halo, Black Ops 2 and all of that good stuff.

But deep down, we all know Xzibit is really a music man, and he has his own insights into how the industry is changing at lightning speed. "Music is free," he throws out there, unable to deny the digital trend. So, as an artist, "How can you bring your fans in and make them feel as though they are having an exclusive experience with you?" Since social media cut out the middle man, he believes the artist is responsible for leading more directly engaging forms of marketing and merchandising.

Source: WhatsTrending