REVIEW: Black Panther: The Album

A week before the blockbuster, record-breaking release of the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther, the film was supported by the release of a companion album. Headlined by Kendrick Lamar and featuring a supporting cast of Top Dawg Entertainment artists, Black Panther: The Album (Music from and inspired by) took the hip-hop world by storm in early February.

ALBUM REVIEW

Black Panther: The Album (Music from and inspired by)
by Various Artists, headlined by Kendrick Lamar
Reviewed by Billy Sakmann

March 13th, 2018

This album features Kendrick Lamar as the focal point and for good reason. Besides the songs he raps and/or sings choruses on, he's featured as a writer and provides uncredited background vocals throughout the album. Whether or not Lamar himself is rapping, it also feels like the music has some of his touches on it.

Lamar wrote most of the album last August after an early preview screening of the 2018 film. Director Ryan Coogler chose him to create songs for the film because "his artistic themes align with those [explored] in the film." While Kendrick was initially only tagged for a few songs (three of them appear in the film itself,) he decided to go all-in on a full-length project.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Black Panther: The Album is that it stacks up well against other more traditional hip-hop releases. Over it's 14 songs, there are some rap gems like "Paramedic!" "X" and "Big Shot." But other genres are explored and work quite well, like the R&B duo of Kahlid and Swae Lee on "The Ways," or Jorja Smith's beautiful performance on "I Am." 

There's no shortage of variety on the tracklist, with Kendrick Lamar being the only reccuring artist. Guest verses are offered by the like of Vince Staples, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Schoolboy Q, and Future while also highlighting some smaller artists such as Yugen Blakrok and SOB x RBE.

SZA and The Weeknd offer choruses on "All the Stars" and "Pray For Me," instantly creating the most mainstream-ready songs on the album. "All the Stars" led marketing for the Black Panther film and was played during the credits of the movie. On the track, Kendrick delivers a signature verse, rapping about content very familiar to him while still having a connection to the film itself: aligining values just as Coogler said. 

He also does this on "Black Panther" with lyrics like:

"What do you stand for? / Are you a activist? What are your city plans for? / Are you a accident? Are you just in the way? / Your native tongue contradictin' what your body language say"

In the song he also raps "I know several responsibilities put me here." Lamar's life meaning and mission has been a topic of lyrical content for his whole career, and it also relates to how T'Challa might feel as King of Wakanda: several forces in his life have ultimately led to this point in his journey.

Ultimately, Lamar delivers album-worthy lyrics and vocal performances when he's featured in the spotlight. This isn't something to take lightly: Lamar's album releases are considered some of the best ever in his genre, so creating music of similar quality for this album makes it more than just a movie soundtrack.

Just as important as the vocals and lyrics is the music and instrumentals featured in the album. While lyrics drew content from the film, the music was even more inspired and reflective of the movie. Throughout the tracklist, chants, African drums, wildlife noises, and other sounds create a unique, engaging atmosphere. Some drum patterns are taken directly from Black Panther.

My favorite songs on this album include "Black Panther" "X" "Paramedic!" and "I Am. Yes, these songs mostly feature Lamar and while the other artists were still impressive, Lamar demanded attention every time he took the mic.

Even with that being said, Kendrick wasn't overused. He often delivers one verse, just the hook, or just background vocals. While his fingerprints are everywhere, he steps back to allow the artists their proper time to shine.

"I Am" opens with a simple three-chord progression on a guitar. But with just that chord, the song uses it and other noises to create one of the best atmospheres on the album. It's eerie and gritty as Jorja Smith beautifully sings "And I know that we had asked for change." T'Challa, Kendrick, you and I... we often ask for change but then become scared when it actually comes.

"Paramedic!" has a little bit of a 90's vibe to me with it's instrumental. The chorus is repetitive but catchy. Lamar starts going in with some great delivery before backing off to give SOB x RBE the spotlight. There's some great lyricism throughout the track (She want a dog / I'm a great dane).

Two songs caught my attention in their instrumentals, as I drew comparisons to Kanye West's Yeezus. "Opps" and "Pray for Me" both feature experimental drum sounds that reminded me of Yeezus.

Overall, I expected to enjoy Black Panther: The Album but the end result was better than I could have imagined. The 14 songs fit different moods and situations, and while I'll come back to Kendrick's tracks most often, I'll still have a place on my playlists for the other songs as well. This album was on shuffle for me most of February, and is my favorite full-length release of 2018 so far.

Positives: 

-Kendrick Lamar on top of his game

-Instrumentals are interesting, unique, and atmospheric
-Draws inspiration from film
-Standout tracks like "I Am," "Paramedic!" and "All the Stars"
-SZA, Jay Rock, Khalid, SOB x RBE, Ab-Soul with good performances

Negatives:

-Some weak or repetitive hooks
-Some songs while not bad, aren't an easy listen ("Seasons")
-And of course...

Rating: 8.4/10

Header photo courtesy of Apple Music

Photo #1 courtesy of Marvel Studios

Photo #2 courtesy of Consequence of Sound

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