“Black Panther: The Album” Review

Kendrick Lamar is the best rapper alive. I loved both To Pimp a Butterfly and good kid, m.A.A.d city, both of which I’ve listened to for hours on end. When he was announced as the producer of Marvel’s “Black Panther” soundtrack, I was a bit skeptical. I hadn’t ever heard of people listening to movie soundtracks. Nevertheless, I hoped deep down Kendrick would pull out something special.

This album wasn’t just special, it was unprecedented. It covered racial inequality and discrimination, as well as tying in perfectly to the themes of kinghood present in Marvel’s “Black Panther.” It was a well-balanced, multi-genre album — something very few albums can claim.

I had very few complaints, such as shallow, synthetic beats on “Bloody Waters”, the underwhelming “Big Shot” featuring Travis Scott, and Future’s part in “King’s Dead”, which sounded like a strep-throat ridden child trying to sing opera.

These problems are completely outweighed by the incredible beats, captivating lyrics and the diverse range of singers and instruments featured in the album.

As the official soundtrack for Marvel’s new film “Black Panther,” which opened Feb. 16, its purpose was to complement sequences and scenes in the movie, such as Vince Staples’s “Opps” coupling itself with a car chase scene through intense horns and African drums blasting.  

The album didn’t have a single genre or style, but instead delivered a new sound for each track, which was very refreshing. It gave me a new admiration for slow-paced songs like “I Am” by Jorja Smith, and sparked my interest into LA native Ab-Soul through his powerful and fast bars in “Bloody Waters.”

Tracks ranged from complete bangers like “X” and “King’s Dead” that are sure to please modern rap fans, to a tribal song that included an entire rap verse in the South African language, Zulu, in “Seasons”.  I had three favorites, and a very hard time narrowing it down: “Opps”, “Redemption” and “Pray For Me”.

“Redemption” was a song that was made to be blasted on an empty backroad with all of the windows down. This was by far my biggest and most satisfying surprise on the entire album. Beautiful piano chords going down a scale with African tribal drums backed up a hazy Kendrick bringing Khalid-esque vocals. South African singer Babes Wodumo accompanies this with smooth and upbeat lyrics in Zulu, a South African language. The song blends in all facets to deliver a buttery, South African-spun EDM track.

“Opps”, by Vince Staples feat. Yugen Blakrok brought back a lot of what Staples displayed in his most recent album, Big Fish Theory. “Opps” had a steady synth drum and bass guitar beat, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Although not listed, Kendrick also appears on this track with Staples and Blakrok. They all blend to create a rage-ridden set of bars that prepare you to take the world by storm.

This was evident in the scared, concerned look a soccer mom gave me at a stoplight as I swayed back and forth listening to “Opps” for the first time. It tops my list of pre-game anthems, as well as takes my number one spot for this album.

My final favorite from this album was “Pray For Me”, a song you play after a win — whether it’s just a great day or if you’ve won a million dollars. With a bass-boosted, two-chord synth in the background, The Weeknd contributed a powerful vocal range, reminiscent of his most recent album, Starboy. He takes the first minute and a half before Kendrick hops on and delivers an angry and emotional set of bars. He discusses inner problems plaguing his life and his struggle with his religious beliefs. But most importantly, believing in yourself through these problems, and behind the bass riff it’ll push you to conquer all of your problems, no matter the difficulty.

I especially enjoyed when Kendrick and The Weeknd harmonized at the end of the track, paving the way for the same two-chord bass and new South African tribal singing. As the last song on the album, this combination of sounds delivers the best ending the album could’ve had.

Every track surprised me in its own way, like Yugen Blakrok’s incredible lyrics in “Opps” and Jorja Smith’s dominant voice in “I Am.” Almost all of them brought a completely new vibe, accompanied with a perfect beat.

This was a riveting and touching album, and that’s something scarcely said about movie soundtracks. It complements the themes of “Black Panther” the movie perfectly, doesn’t hesitate to touch upon racial inequality, and brings a range of diverse tracks — the likes of which I’ve never heard before.