A very powerful movie in “Judas And The Black Messiah” gets a very powerful soundtrack to accompany it.
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TOP 5
5. SOMETHIN’ AIN’T RIGHT
“Somethin’ Ain’t Right” sums up 2020 masterfully.
JID, Rapsody, and Masego are three musicians that are grossly underrated. Matter of fact, I haven’t heard a bad verse that any one of them has put up yet. On “Somethin’ Ain’t Right,” the three rappers unite.
“Somethin’ Ain’t Right” is a smooth, extremely lyrical, confrontational, and pro-black banger. While Masego is responsible for the curative hook that you hear, JID and Rapsody are responsible for the rebellious, revolutionary, and powerful bars.
4. EPMD
Nas spits so f**king hard on “EPMD.” Matter of fact, I’m convinced that he had someone in a headlock when he made the track.
When Nas and Hit-Boy link up, they are more unstoppable than a James Harden stepback shot. On “EPMD,” they join forces once again, and what we end up with is a hard-hitting banger that features a stimulating beat, a catchy hook, aggressive deliveries, and black mafioso-inspired lyrics.
3. FIGHT FOR YOU
Every single soundtrack should feature an H.E.R. song (That should be a rule in the constitution).
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: H.E.R. will one day go down as one of the best singers of all-time. Yes, her voice is amazing, but I think it’s the words in her music that moves me the most. With that being said, H.E.R. shines on “Fight For You,” a song that boasts 60s/70s-style production, beautiful vocals, and lyrics that should make every enslaved soul feel a blast of power.
2. REVOLUTIONARY
G-Herbo and Bump J sound like young, motivated, and highly-doubted hustlers on “Revolutionary.”
Just as much as any song on this soundtrack, “Revolutionary” struck a chord with me. For starters, the soulful beat that Hit-Boy hooks the song up with damn there made me want to shed a tear. As for G-Herbo’s raps on the song, they are way too f**king real, honest, soul-clenching, and inspirational to ignore. The song’s icing on the cake is Bump J’s deep-ass lyrics about all of his wins and losses.
I swear, when G-Herbo raps how he does on “Revolutionary,” he’s a top 10 rapper (Go ahead and hashtag me).
1. WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
“What It Feels Like” features two of hip-hop’s biggest hustlers of all-time in Jay-Z and Nipsey Hussle.
“What It Feels Like” oozes all-kinds of greatness. Not only does the song feature a soulful beat that would fit nicely on a Rick Ross album, but you also get raps by both Jay-Z and Nipsey Hussle that should make hustlers hustle harder, make kings feel holier, make black history month feel grander, and make the Capital rioters want to upchuck.
I absolutely love the hostility that Jay-Z raps with n this song. I also find it depressing listening to Nip talk about moving the right way in the streets. All in all, this song is one that you should keep very close to your heart.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. COINTELPRO/DEC 4 (N/A)
2. FIGHT FOR YOU (5/5)
3. EPMD (5/5)
4. WELCOME TO AMERICA (5/5)
5. WHAT IT FEELS LIKE (5/5)
6. BROAD DAY (4/5)
7. PLEAD THE .45TH (4/5)
8. SOMETHIN’ AIN’T RIGHT (5/5)
9. LETTER 2 U (4/5)
10. ON YOUR MIND (4/5)
11. APPRAISE (4/5)
12. ALL BLACK (4/5)
13. I DECLARE WAR (3/5)
14. NO PROFANITY (3/5)
15. LAST MAN STANDING (4/5)
16. RESPECT MY MIND (4/5)
17. REVOLUTIONARY (5/5)
18. TEACH ME (5/5)
19. CONTAGIOUS (4/5)
20. RICH NIGGA PROBLEMS (5/5)
21. OUTRO (N/A)
22. BLACK MESSIAH (4/5)
OVERALL RATING
(B)
Every single person on this Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack lets that chip on their shoulder get some salt off its chest.
Do you know what I love about this soundtrack? You get a chance to hear so many different types of black musicians (And White Dave) talk about everything from black oppression to racial injustice to black empowerment. Think about it? There are young rappers, old rappers, trap rappers, drill rappers, back-pack rappers, and soulful singers on this soundtrack. I also love how every single beat attempts to provoke deep emotions out of anyone that listens to them (Kudos to Hit-Boy and the other producers on this album). While I can go deeper with this soundtrack summary, at the end of the day, I think it should simply be enjoyed, soaked up, and fully understood.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
