According to a statement made late last week, superstar rapper Kendrick Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith will curate and produce Black Panther: The Album, the soundtrack from the highly-awaited silver screen version of Marvel‘s Black Panther comic. The comic and its lead character were both landmark events when they came out in the mid-to-late ’60, marking the first time a superhero of African descent was featured in an American comic book.
Kendrick was chosen for the project by director Ryan Coogler, who said in a press release, “I am honored to be working with such an incredible artist whose work has been so inspirational, and whose artistic themes align with those we explore in the film. I can’t wait for the world to hear what Kendrick and TDE have in store.” As Kendrick explains, “The magnitude of this film showcases a great marriage of art and culture. I’m truly honored to contribute my knowledge of producing sound and writing music alongside Ryan and Marvel’s vision.”
Listen to “All The Stars”, the new Kendrick Lamar/SZA cut off the Lamar-curated soundtrack for upcoming Marvel Studios film Black Panther below via KendrickLamarVEVO:
Kendrick Lamar is an apt choice to head up the musical end of this culturally significant film. In addition to his generally enormous profile in the modern music landscape, he has never been shy about making bold social and cultural statements with his work. Through both his art and his actions, Lamar has been extremely vocal about societal issues facing black Americans today. Each of his albums–particularly 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly–challenges entrenched beliefs, channels bubbling institutionalized violence, and proposes an alternative narrative:
Watch the video for “Alright” from Kendrick’s 2015 album To Pimp A Butterfly below via KendrickLamarVEVO:
You can pre-order Black Panter: The Album here. Black Panther hits theaters on February 16th, 2018.
[h/t – Consequence of Sound]