If I’m gon’ die for you
If I’m gon’ kill for you
Then I’ll spill this blood for you
These kinds of “inspired by” soundtracks for hit films are more often than not basically just cash grabs. In a way, this album has the same journey as the Black Panther film in the way that uses a very familiar pop vehicle (the “soundtrack” album in this case, the blockbuster comic book film in the other) in order to create a surprisingly thoughtful and emotional masterpiece. I guess the question is whether we view this as a “various artists” compilation or just a Kendrick album with a lot of guests. I, for one, definitely view it as a Kendrick album; I’ll talk about a couple of reasons here shortly, but it is worth noting that, though he isn’t credited on every track, he does in fact appear on every track. The connections to the film itself are . . . minimal. Most of the explicit references to the film are in the form of someone intoning dramatically “I am T’Challa” or “I am Killmonger” at either the beginning or ending of a track, which leads to a couple of unfortunately hilarious moments. At the start of Paramedic, a really great track, by the way, someone menacingly growls, “I am Killmonger,” and immediately after that Zacari quietly croons, “Nobody’s perfect.” Well, I’ll take that to heart in a couple of ways and forgive the album some of its clunky moments. And I suppose I’ll also forgive Blood in the Water, which is an absolutely dreadful track, the only song here that isn’t great in my opinion. But anyway, I certainly call this a Kendrick album first and foremost.
This isn’t at all to denigrate the stellar ensemble he’s assembled here, some of whom, in my opinion, actually do their best work here. The Ways, for instance, is a slow, mumbled ballad with Khalid and Swae Lee and honestly, I think I’d take this over Khalid’s big hit, Location. Jorja Smith does a lovely neo-soul ballad called I Am. The crushing bass of Opps, with Vince Staples & Yugen Blaklok, just barrels out of the speakers at you like a mack truck and Paramedic, previously mentioned, is a unflinching, menacing “I dare you to start something” song from SOB X RBE, a group I’d never heard before. Everybody is on top of their game here really; even James Blake doesn’t ruin King’s Dead, a ferocious triple-threat rap battle with Future, Jay Rock & Kendrick.
But viewing it as a Kendrick album gives this record a lot of weight that I think it deserves. I’m on record as far as Lamar’s last album, the stark, terrifying, nihilistic Damn. I think it’s one of the greatest rap albums ever and if this one doesn’t get anywhere near that high, it’s still a very obvious outgrowth of Damn. On that record, Lamar was dealing with a kind of spiritual desolation and the damnation of the title was both literal and figurative. On Black Panther, Lamar is working toward spiritual healing. As I’ve said, there are dark tracks here and they’re great, but the album also features some really lovely music that seems dedicated to locating beauty. The Kendrick/SZA track, All the Stars, is a beautiful anthem of hope and resilience and the aforementioned I Am is confident and determined. And there are, not one, but two tracks that have the word Redemption right there in the title. Mozzy & Reason contribute an ode to the stages of life we all move through that features a gorgeous vocal line and some wonderful vocals in South African from Sjava; it’s a melancholy, but ultimately uplifting track. And the album has one of the best closing tracks I’ve encountered in a very long time. On Damn, Kendrick returned again and again to the refrain of “Nobody pray for me.” It was both a declaration of fact and a bitter demand, an acknowledgement that no one cares and a hopeless sentiment that they’d be wasting their breath if they did. Black Panther ends on a track titled Pray for Me and it’s a strong contender for best track on the record. The Weeknd gives what I honestly think is one of his very finest, if not his very finest, vocal performance; he gets the notes right and the melody is soaring, but it’s also one of his most emotional performances and as the album moves to its close, we’re left with these wordless ululations that are really raw and beautiful. Ultimately, Black Panther ranges far and wide; the artists come from all over and the songs run the emotional gamut. This isn’t just the best song-based soundtrack of the year; it’s one of the best of all time. 4 stars.
tl;dr – the driving creative force of Kendrick Lamar marshals an impressive array of artists to create a stirring, near-perfect collaborative album; runs the emotional gamut & hits a home run too. 4 stars.