The Black Panther Soundtrack was finally released in full the previous weekend, and I am loving it!
The soundtrack already had a few tracks released beforehand, “All The Stars” featuring SZA,“King’s Dead” featuring Future and James Blake, and “Pray For Me” featuring The Weeknd, but on February 9, the remining tracks were revealed.
The three tracks mentioned were merely teasers to a whole soundtrack that exceeded my expectations.
Before I gush over this gift, I’ll run down some facts about the album itself. Kendrick Lamar appears on all 14 tracks as a writer and feature. Top Dawg Entertainment and Lamar produced each track with a wide array of artists.
Along with SZA, Future, James Blake, and The Weeknd, other collaborations include Khalid and Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd; Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok; Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak, and Blake (his second appearance on the album), and many others who help create the sound of Wakanda.
There are also solos featuring SOB X RBE, and my personal favorite, the Jorja Smith track “I Am.”
While the vibe-laced track “X,” a collaboration featuring ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, and Saudi, has been in rotation the most compared to others of its kind, there is no denying that this album, as a whole, has my undivided attention.
How can I not find comfort in “Seasons” or “Redemption?” How can I not want to vibe out to “Big Shot?”
The sound of Wakanda found on this project is vibrant and hopeful because it reminds me of the impact this film has already made. Yet, I think there is also another view one can take on as to why there is dynamic, not just a soundtrack with features and solos.
The LA Times points out that “…Lamar on ‘Black Panther’ frequently adopts the voices of T'Challa and the king's rival, Erik Killmonger.”
I find it the most intriguing that Lamar not only gave a voice to the hero, but his arch nemesis as well. For me, it is about giving a musical narrative to all sides, not just the side of the good guy.
The soundtrack is one of the most impressive I have encountered in quite some time, and I hope it attains the recognition it so deserves.
It can be purchased online through many sites like Amazon, streamed through services like Spotify, or purchased at any local retailer.
“Black Panther,” in its entirety, was the gift presented to me during Black History Month, and I couldn’t have asked for it to play out any better.
Wakanda Forever!
