Hack the World: Azazus reveals what inspired his Overwatch 2 Sombra rap

Nerdcore rapper Azazus has teamed up with Sombra's voice actress, Carolina Ravassa, to create a Sombra rap called "Hack the World." This collaboration not only celebrates Sombra’s birthday, but also showcases her in-game kit and overall Overwatch 2 lore. We sat down with Azazus for an exclusive interview about what it takes to create the Hack the World music video!

In his interview with esports.gg, Azazus shared that in addition to collaborating with Ravassa on Hack the World's chorus, he worked with Nevada Beats to perfectly capture Sombra's vibe. He mentioned that finding the right sound took time, but once he heard what Nevada Beats had to offer, everything simply fell into place.

"It took a long time to find something that traditionally fits who Sombra was, and when I heard the melodies of Nevada Beats, I was like, 'This is the one.' And next came the chorus that I freestyled in the booth. Carolina and I bounced ideas from there after she heard the beat and chorus. She was immediately locked in with me from there," he said.

Azazus also talked about how the goal of Hack the World was to highlight Sombra as an iconic character within the Overwatch 2 universe and beyond.

"She's a Mexican character," Azazus said. "And to me, being here in America, there's some iconic Mexican people throughout history. But you don't really see a lot of it represented. And it's kind of funny considering who Sombra is in the universe. She wants to be a shadow, she doesn't want to really be known, but she's kind of there."

He continued, "And so I was like, 'Okay. How can I bring out this side of her [and] how cool she is to the forefront?' I wanted to mainly emphasize her hacking abilities — even though she has a whole bunch of other stuff she does. I wanted to emphasize [that] this girl literally has the world at her fingertips."

Hack the World features clips from several Overwatch 2 videos, including Infiltration and Sombra’s own origin story. As noted, the rap also references Sombra's abilities — especially her proficiency as a hacker. Additionally, as a dedicated Overwatch 2 player and fan, Azazus is an expert on Sombra's relationships with various characters who are a part of Talon. For example, there's a nod to Widowmaker at the end of the first verse.

"I'm really proud of how I wrapped up verse two with the whole mainframe punch line," Azazus added, referring to the lyrics at the 2:18 mark. "It just came out of nowhere because I didn't know how to wrap up the verse of the song. And I was just like, 'I haven't really used a lot of computer references, so I gotta say something that's computer-related.'"

To Azazus, the Sombra rap is a way to turn his everyday life into music. He also hopes that Hack the World inspires folks who may be uncertain about Overwatch 2 to give the game a try. He wants the song to evoke the same excitement players felt when they first discovered either the Overwatch franchise as a whole or Sombra herself.

"One thing that I had said during the rollout of the Sombra song was, 'I hope that people receive this the same way that they felt when they first played Overwatch for the first time or when they first played Sombra for the first time — and now they get to experience Sombra in a song for the first time,'" he said. "I hope it just resparks that love for Overwatch."

As for parting words, Azazus encouraged fans to visit his website, which features sections for his merchandise, upcoming events, and more. The nerdcore rapper also teased upcoming collaborations for fans of Overwatch 2.

"Everyone should join my fandom, my universe, and become my new stars. I have a goal of reaching 10,000 YouTube subs and Spotify monthly listeners this year," he continued. "I welcome everyone who loves music and nerd culture to be a part of the journey."

That's all for now. Stick around on esports.gg for more Overwatch 2 interviews, news, and updates!