We all knew the Black Panther soundtrack was going to be good. An all-star cast of appearances, curation by Kendrick Lamar and TDE, and the full backing of Marvel Studios confirmed that much. But we didn't know it would be this good. What could have easily been a bloated, safe, parade of big names is instead one of the most daring, exciting releases of the year.
By calling on trusted veterans (Schoolboy Q, Anderson .Paak, The Weeknd, SZA), hungry rising artists (SOB X RBE, Mozzy, Khalid), and international stars (Yugen Blakrok, Sjava) all for the same album, Kendrick and TDE made sure the soundtrack would be as unforgettable as the movie—a rare feat that they pulled off in style. This is what we learned from the Black Panther soundtrack.
It's a TDE family affair.
While we love everyone on TDE's roster, a TDE album doesn't necessarily mean you're getting TDE collabs. There were exactly zero TDE features on Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. and both Schoolboy Q's Blank Face and SZA's Ctrl. only had two. It's not a problem—the choice allows each TDE member to shine on their own albums. But it does leave us in short supply when it comes to TDE posse cuts.
Thankfully, the Black Panther soundtrack is a family affair—aside from the Kendrick/SZA single "All The Stars," Schoolboy Q has a gnarly verse on "X," Ab-Soul bounces off Sounwave and Kendrick production on "Bloody Waters," and Jay Rock has the best verse on "King's Dead." All that's missing are the new faces (Isaiah Rashad, SiR, and Lance Skiiiwalker). Still, we'll take it—the album has the undeniable feel of a TDE release: gritty, aggressive, musically experimental, and addictive in a number of different levels.
SOB x RBE proved they belong.
This album features some of the biggest names in music right now, but buzzing young group SOB x RBE proved they can hang with the best of them. Sandwiched right in the middle of the tracklist, "Paramedic!" injects the project with a fresh burst of energy as the Bay Area rappers come through with swaggering ryhmes on one of Black Panther's hardest-hitting songs. Following an opening verse from Kendrick isn't an easy task for anyone—no less a group that hasn't even put out their debut album yet—but each member offered something different, keeping the song exciting all the way through Yhung T.O.'s excellent closing bars. If you liked this, keep an eye out for their debut, Gangin, on February 23.
James Blake and Anderson .Paak go well together.
The album version of "All the Stars" is different to the video version.
This is an interesting one. SZA and Kendrick Lamar's "All The Stars" was one of the pre-album singles, with a vivid, colorful video directed by Dave Meyers & the little homies. The song is a widescreen ballad with a sharp Kendrick Lamar verse, but eagle-eyed observers might have noticed a change in the album version of SZA's verse. Listen to both versions from 2.27 and you'll notice that the following lyrics from the video have been replaced:
"No control, no off switch
And the way that you bringin' me down
It's a turn on, get it away from me
Know you mean wrong, keep away from me
And it's all wrong, get it away from me, yeah"
Kendrick's uncredited appearances are the glue that holds the album together.
It's time to pay more attention to South African music.
Alongside the American stars that most people will already be familiar with, there are some surprises on the Black Panther soundtrack. Jorja Smith and James Blake both make welcome appearances, while Mozzy, Reason, and SOB x RBE shine, but the South African artists provide the most intriguing inclusion.
Each brings a unique flair to their respective tracks—Saudi an Auto-tuned rap croon on "X," Yugen Blakrok a tongue-twisting verse on "Opps," Babes Wodumo smooth singing on "Redemption," and Sjava a soulful turn on "Seasons." These four artists are certainly only scratching the surface of South African talent, but at least it's a start.
Zacari has become a go-to collaborator for Kendrick Lamar.
Zacari was one of only three collaborators listed on the tracklist of Kendrick Lamar's DAMN, with guest vocals on one of the album's prettiest songs, "LOVE." Understanding the significance of the moment, the 24-year-old artist told Billboard at the time, "To have a song with a guy like Kendrick in this generation, is like back in the days, having a song with Tupac, basically. It’s legendary." It looks like he made the most of the opportunity, because Kendrick called him up again when he was in search of a singer for Black Panther. On "Redemption Interlude" and "Redemption" Zacari came through with lush vocal performances that lived up to his appearance on DAMN and solidified himself as a go-to collaborator for Kendrick.
An all-star movie soundtrack can feel like a real album.
When the tracklist for the Black Panther soundtrack dropped, it was almost too good to believe. Vince Staples, James Blake, Anderson .Paak, Swae Lee, Jorja Smith, and The Weeknd as well as most of TDE? Was this really happening. As soon as the initial excitement had worn off, the thought that this might not live up to expectations started to creep in. Sure, all the featured artists are great, but maybe it would be a mess—too many different styles thrown together, an all-star team where none of the players have any chemistry.
But no, Kendrick Lamar and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith really killed it with their executive producer roles. Touches like Kendrick acting as a guide through the album with his uncredited vocals, references to the movie and its themes, and Sounwave producing 11 of the 14 tracks make this one of the most cohesive soundtrack projects ever. It truly feels like a meaningful album rather than a collection of disparate tracks. With Kendrick and TDE at the helm, we shouldn't have expected anything else.
Jorja Smith is a star now.
Jorja Smith has been on P&P's radar since the very beginning, but now the UK singer is everywhere. Jorja made multiple appearances on Drake's More Life playlist, has been featured in a Nike commercial, opened for Bruno Mars on tour, and kicked off a headlining tour of her own all in the past year.
Jorja started off 2018 with "Let Me Down," featuring fellow Britain and buzzing star Stormzy and accompanied the single with an impressive video that showcased her acting skills as well as her stellar vocals and songwriting. It was exciting to see the 20-year-old singer on the tracklist for the Black Panther soundtrack and she did not disappoint with "I Am." Jorja has come a long way from recording between shifts at Starbucks and between the incredible music and her unexplainable charm, it's hard to picture things slowing down anytime soon.
Kendrick repurposed lyrics from "New Freezer" for "Big Shot."
"New Freezer" is one of our favorite songs of this young year, thanks in no small part to Kendrick's excellent guest verse. It's so nice that he used it twice—the opening lines, at least. On the Travis Scott collab "Big Shot," Kendrick opens with the same lines: "Big shot, hol' up, wait, peanut butter insides / Outside, cocaine white, body look like Gentiles." Full disclosure: some listeners think the line ends with a reference to the Rush Hour villain Juntao, who also happens to be a gentile.
