The film “Black Panther” has exploded onto the scene, becoming the third-highest-selling solo superhero movie of all-time. It has broken multiple records, raking in an astounding $700,000,000 in its first two weeks. The film has inspired millions of people young and old, and has broken many of the stereotypes surrounding the market for movies with a predominantly black cast.

Much like the accompanying film, “Black Panther the Album: Music From And Inspired By” attempts to push the culture forward with cutting-edge lyrics, great production and an international presence geared to match the empowering theme of the movie.

The album, curated by Kendrick Lamar and TDE CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, includes 14 songs and features artists like 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Jorja Smith and The Weeknd. The music blends sounds from California, Atlanta, South Africa and London to create a soundtrack with many unique styles, sounds and flows.

In honor of the $700 million made by the movie thus far, here’s a review of my seven favorite songs on the album:

“King’s Dead”

“King’s Dead” is the best and most popular song on album. Each rapper on the track contributed something: Kendrick with the catchy hook, Jay Rock with the cocky lyrics and Future with the highlight line “La di da di da, slob on me knob.”

While lyrically, this song doesn’t really touch on social issues or any deeper meaning, it certainly sounds good. Out of all the songs on this album, this is the most likely to be played five years from now and for that reason, I put it at number one.

Lyric of the song: “La di da di da,” – Future

Rating: 8/10

“Seasons”

Three lesser-known rappers hold their own on this song. It begins with a verse from South African singer-songwriter Sjava, who flows perfectly on the beat while spitting in Zulu. Rising California rapper Mozzy follows with another great verse rapping about oppression, injustice and the challenges he faced growing up. A second South African rapper, Reason, closes the song with a verse reflecting on his past and thanking God for his present.

Touching on issues like poverty, jealousy and handling negativity, this song combines meaning with flow to become one of the highlights of the album.

Lyric of the song: “Whole lotta crime, lil’ n***** beefin’; We gotta keep it or end up a victim,”- Mozzy

Rating: 8/10

“Opps”

The first time I heard this song I swore it was an unreleased song off “Yeezus.” Its funky electronic beat carries the rhythm of the song and adds to its appeal.

Like most songs on this album, Kendrick has a good intro verse. Vince Staples also has a short and solid verse, rapping about those rooting against his success. Adding to the already different vibe, Yugen Blakrok, a rapper from South Africa contributes an up tempo, punchline-laced verse where she declares: “Spit slick, attack is subliminal. Flowers on my mind, but the rhyme style sinister.”

With its slick bars, electronic beat and piercing sound effects, this is one of the most memorable songs on the soundtrack.

Lyric of the song : “Crushing any system, that belittles us; Antidote to every poison they administer,”- Yugen Blakrok

Rating: 7/10

“All the Stars”

This is one of the more popular songs on the album, featuring rising star SZA with Kendrick in his peak radio-single mode. It’s a song about love that you’ll be able to catch onto after a few listens.

The duo exhibits great chemistry in this song which contributes a lot to its overall vibe. This track plays a role in the actual movie, so it has tremendous potential to become a hit. As the temperature gets warmer, be ready to hear this song played on repeat by radio stations.

Lyric of the song: “Love, let’s talk about love; Is it anything and everything you hoped for? Or do the feeling haunt you?” – Kendrick Lamar

Rating: 7/10

“X”

“X” is hard. It features Kendrick, 2 Chainz, Saudi and ScHoolboy Q, with a bumping beat produced by !llmind and Sounwave. With a memorable hook — “are you on ten yet?” — some beat transitions and a dope verse from 2 Chainz, this track makes you want to dance, run and lift all at the same time. With a similar vibe as Kendrick’s latest hit “Humble,” look for this song to break into the mainstream in the near future.

Lyric of the song: “I don’t plan for luck, I keep working hard, Who keep blessin’ us?”- ScHoolboy Q

Rating: 7/10

“Paramedic!”

Beginning with some smooth vocals, the beat of this song will catch you by surprise — in a good way. Kung Fu Kenny makes an appearance on the hook, with bars from rising Bay Area group SOB x RBE, whose members include DaBoii, Lul G, Slimmy B and Yhung T.O.

This song brags about street cred and being “heavy with the heat.” While it may not fit the empowering theme of the soundtrack, it’s a banger nonetheless.

Lyric of the song: “One fist in the air, I ain’t finna put my hands up,”- Slimmy B

Rating: 6/10

“Black Panther”

This song introduces us to the “Black Panther” soundtrack. Its melodic sway and distorted piano provide a perfect background for Kendrick’s purposeful flow. He lets us know that he is king through his lyrics: king of his homeland, king of the wisdom, king of the culture.

Mixed with a few smooth transitions, this song serves as a solid introduction to the album and encapsulates the theme of the movie well.

Lyric of the song: “King of the past, present, future, my ancestors watchin’,”- Kendrick Lamar

Rating: 6/10

Overall, this is a pretty solid project. What it lacks in lyricism and annunciation, it makes up for with hypnotic beats and samples.

This music in this soundtrack does a great job of relating to the film with several references and symbolic transitions. The presence of international acts reinforces the themes of the movie and contributes to the project’s non-traditional sound. With the success of the film, this soundtrack will continue to reach people not only in the U.S., but all over the world.

Jalen Nash is a sophomore political science major. His music column appears biweekly in Pulp. You can email him at janash@syr.edu or follow him on Twitter @ja_nash3.

Published on February 28, 2018 at 11:01 pm