Followers of the viral video scene over the past couple of weeks will have no doubt stumbled across rapper Bow-Wow challenging musical rival The Game to a friendly match of Madden 09 with the loser donating $100,000 to the charity of the winners’ choice.

The contest has captured the attention of both online and hip-hop audiences as both contenders have sparred back and forth across you tube. The final event is being hosted is being held at an undisclosed location by videogame and hip-hop crossover site konsolekings.com and has inspired other sites to host their own coverage with vibe.com dedicating a page to the event.

Throughout the videos on youtube and konsolekings.com the two stars freely brandish copies of Madden 09 with The Game throwing in the brand’s slogan, “It’s in the game” at the end of one for good measure. Furthermore $100,000 for charity puts the proceedings in a noble light and transcends the in-fighting, bickering and male posturing that characterises so much of modern hip-hop.

Though on the surface this may look like a clever orchestrated viral soap opera on the part of EA, it turns out this event came to happen by chance and from the two star's genuine love of the game. King Soul, editor of KonsoleKings commented, "This event happened organically and Konsole Kingz made sure it happened. EA had nothing to do with. The Game and Bow Wow both love playing Madden. When The Game held up that Madden game, he did so with pride because he simply loves the game and so does Bow Wow."

Marketing ruse or not, the whole event is great PR for EA. The presence of Bow-Wow and The Game means that the promotional value of this event is far more targeted than is usually possible for virals, going beyond simple product endorsement and using these personalities to wear the Madden brand as an accessory to the hip hop lifestyle similar to any other other fashion such as clothing or jewellery. Hosting the event on konsolekings.com and the attention it has captured further cements this lifestyle association.

There is the risk that if some suspect it to be a promotion (as many have) it may lose some credibility, though that doesn’t seem likely. Fans of the Bow-Wow and The Game will be less interested in the fact that EA is bankrolling their game of Madden as they will in the contest itself, especially so when it is all in the name of a good cause.