Black Panther (performed by Kendrick Lamar): Kendrick introduces us to the album with a verse from the perspective of T’Challa, the Black Panther himself. Kendrick raps smoothly over a largely piano-driven melody, and his flow, as always, is very impressive. Lyrically, I feel like the song captures the essence not only of the character, but of Kendrick himself, and I feel like, with this track, Kendrick really becomes T’Challa in and of himself. A very strong start to the album.
All The Stars (performed by Kendrick Lamar and SZA): Here, we have Kendrick and SZA in a song that’s actually different on the album than it is as a single. I’m not sure how, but either way, the two of them talk about love on a pretty R&B-leading track that features some very beautiful vocals from SZA and a really interesting, punchy electronic instrumental. I also love Kendrick’s flow on his verse, and while his vocals on the pre-chorus are very filtered, they still sound very cool. I’m interested in seeing how this song plays out in the context of the film, but either way, it’s a really fun, enjoyable R&B track.
X (performed by ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz and Saudi): Kendrick is joined on this track by ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, and Saudi, and they rap over a very bright, trap-inspired beat. Saudi’s verse is really strong, as his vocals are smooth and his Zulu lyrics are really great additions to the song. ScHoolboy Q’s verse is also a lot of fun, and Kendrick’s hook has all the potential to become ear-wormy. And of course, I can’t go without mentioning 2 Chainz’s verse, which features the same great, rapid-fire flow we’ve come to expect from him. Again, I’m not sure how this will play in the context of the film, but even without the film, it’s a really good track.
The Ways (performed by Khalid and Swae Lee): 2017 breakout star Khalid and Rae Sremmurd’s own Swae Lee (who was also a 2017 breakout star, to an extent) croon over a pretty laid-back trap beat (and Kendrick sneaks in for a quick cameo) about a “power girl,” supposedly referring to Lupita Nyong’o’s character Nakia. As always, Swae Lee’s very bright sounding vocals are really great, and Khalid’s chorus is damn-near ear-wormy. And, again, I like the laid-back, bright, kind of beach-esque instrumental on this one. Good song.
Opps (performed by Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok): Kendrick is joined here by Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok as the trio rap about gangs on an opposite side over a very thumping, bass-drum heavy instrumental. I’m not all that crazy about the hook on this one, and the song does sound a bit overly-commercial, but I do think Kendrick, Vince, and especially Yugen, provide some really great flow on their verses (even though I’m not sure how Yugen mentioning Gotham City got past Disney on this one). Not one of my favorites on the album, but still a solid track.
I Am (performed by Jorja Smith): Jorja Smith, who you may remember had a few appearances on Drake’s “More Life” playlist, appears on this track and sings over a lighter, laid-back, but snare-drum heavy beat (and again, Kendrick sneaks on for the outro). Again, I couldn’t really catch any obvious references to the film, and I’m not sure how this will connect to the film in that regard, but I do love Jorja’s smooth, pretty vocals on this one, and I think they mesh well with the instrumentals on this one. Definitely think I’ll be coming back to this one in the future.
Paramedic! (performed by SOB X RXE): Kendrick and Zacari, who previously collaborated on “LOVE.” are joined on this track by an up-and-coming hip-hop group known as SOB X RXE. I like Zacari’s very smooth, pretty vocals in the intro, and I like the kind of old-school feel of the song. Lul G, DuhBoii, and Yhung T.O. all provide some great, passionate performances and great flow on their verses, though I could do without the hook on this thing. It’s kind of boring and I kind of wonder how a hook with the language on this one got past Disney and Marvel. Either way, it’s a decent track, even if it’s not one of my favorites on the record.
Bloody Waters (performed by Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak and James Blake): For this track, Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak and James Blake perform over a very beach-esque track with some really interesting percussion. I love Anderson .Paak’s kind of soulful vocals on the hook, Ab-Soul’s clever lyricism and humorous performance/flow on his verses, and James Blake’s kind of sad-sounding vocals in the song, which mesh surprisingly well with the bright production on the song. Definitely an enjoyable track.
King’s Dead (performed by Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future and James Blake): Another very star-studded track, this one has Kendrick joined by Jay Rock, Future, and James Blake, and they perform over a very uptempo, fast-paced trap beat. Kendrick’s hook is ear-wormy, Jay Rock’s performance is charismatic and his flow is really solid, and Future’s vocals throughout the hook actually sound decent (outside of the damn "la-di-da-di-dah," broken autotuned nonsense). Kendrick’s second verse features a really passionate performance with some of his best flow on the album, and James Blake’s cameo, while not huge, is pretty solid. Great track!
Redemption Interlude: Zacari handles this piano-driven interlude, and it’s got a really beautiful instrumental and some smooth, if a bit too spacey, vocals from Zacari. Hykeem Carter and Kendrick also come in for the outro, and they do a serviceable job, but nothing too crazy overall. A standard interlude, not one of the most memorable things on the album, but nothing too bad either.
Redemption (performed by Zacari and Babes Wodumo): Zacari also handles this track alongside Babes Wodumo, and the afro-beat on this is much more uptempo and piano-driven than before. Kendrick also cameos here and provides some typically nice vocals in scattered portions. Babes Wodumo provides some very strong Zulu lyrics, and Zacari slips into his higher register on this one to pretty good results (shoutout to Mampintsha’s cameo on this track, as well). The song succeeds as a whole to me because it’s an extremely danceable and energetic banger that never lets up. Great track.
Seasons (performed by Mozzy, Sjava and Reason): This track features Mozzy, Sjava, and Reason. I know you guys have probably never heard of them, but that doesn’t matter because they make something really great here. I love Sjava’s Zulu lyricism on his first verse, and the song itself has a very slow, kind of interestingly creepy feel to it. Mozzy’s verse has a very sad feel, but it features some really strong flow and solid lyricism, and Reason has some really solid, somewhat rapid-fire flow on this one. It’s a kind of sad-sounding track, but it’s definitely a good track.
Big Shot (performed by Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott): Kendrick is joined on this track by Travis Scott as they discuss the joys of being rich and famous musicians (pretty sure this works in context with the film because it’s supposed to be discussing Wakanda) over a melody-driven by what kind of sounds like a pipe flute. Kendrick’s vocals on the hook are kind of scream-y, which could be a bit annoying to some, but said hook is still fun, as is the instrumental, and Kendrick’s flow on his verse is as strong as always. Shoutout also to Travis Scott’s very nice, pretty vocals for adding an extra layer of excitement to the track. Definitely enjoyed this one quite a bit!
Pray For Me (performed by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar): Ending things off, we have a track from two of my favorite artists, Kendrick and The Weeknd. Hearing they’d be collaborating for another track had me through the roof, and sure enough, this song is awesome! Really sweet, ethereal electronic instrumentals on this one, I love The Weeknd’s vocals throughout this song, the hook is hypnotizing and Kendrick’s verse is rock solid, as he continues to explore themes he explored on “DAMN.,” themes that were coincidentally fitting enough for the film. A great end to the record, I love this track.
Overall, I’m still waiting to see how a number of these tracks play out in the context of the film since it won’t be out for another week, but I have to say, I nonetheless really enjoyed this album. Kendrick and TDE clearly proved that the star-studded cast of musicians wasn’t brought in just to sell records, they all work together to make a record that is unapologetically African, and all the better for it. And while I’m not sure how many references there were to the film in the lyrics, I think that’s not really all that bad, because it allows the album to have a life on its own, and it allows the songs to feel like more than just “tracks that were in ‘Black Panther.’” There are some legitimately well-produced, well-written, well-performed tracks here, and the album only works to get me even more excited for the film to release next week.
I’m ready to visit Wakanda, are you?
Favorite tracks: Black Panther, All The Stars, X, The Ways, I Am, Bloody Waters, King’s Dead, Redemption, Seasons, Big Shot, Pray For Me
Least favorite tracks: Paramedic! (if I had to pick one)
Rating: Excellent
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