We celebrate quality music at Slick Motive. The film everyone around the world has been talking about, Black Panther, not only became the top grossing superhero film in US history but the soundtrack of the film, created by Kendrick Lamar and record label TDE, has charted at number 1 and smashed records that very few soundtracks have done in the past.

TDE had a mad 2017 with the likes of Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN and SZA’s Ctrl blowing up throughout the year. They made sure to hit the ground running in 2018, by collaborating with Marvel and Movie Director, Ryan Coogler on this project.

So we conducted a ‘must-listen’ review of this album and picked out the absolute ? Five Star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating bangers for your listening pleasure. Especially useful if you don’t have time right now to go through the entire album on your first play. Whilst listening to the album, we also jotted down a few bullet points for each track considering everything from instrumental style, flow, lyricism, emotion, and whatever else came to mind. 

So press play, take this journey with us and let us know what the hottest soundtrack of 2018 from Kendrick Lamar / TDE / Marvel – Black Panther The Album did for you.

1. “Black Panther,” ft. Kendrick Lamar (2:11)

• King Kenny dominating the intro
• “King” flow switch up
• “What do you stand for” references Kendrick Lamar and Rhianna’s, ‘Loyalty’
• Chilled vibe. Plotting the next move with the squad music
  

  2. “All The Stars,” ft. Kendrick Lamar, SZA (3:52)

• More of an upbeat vibe
• SZA collab! Always works with these two
• Mad orchestral arrangement. Sounds like they are underwater
• This really is film music!
• Well produced – big shout out to Sounwave & Al Shux!
• ? Five Star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
  

  3. “X” ft. ScHoolboy Q, 2  Chainz, Saudi (4:27)

• HEAVY! “Go up… GO UP… my crown in rotation YAAAH!!”
• Kendrick’s “Are you on ten yet?” ringing throughout the chorus kills this track!
• Bouncy beat, bass drum really follows the rhythm
• Saudi, playing around with that Zulu. Educating man out here!
• Schoolboy Q’s flow – “Not even Kendrick can humble me”. Smart
• ? Five Star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  

  4. “The Ways,” ft. Khalid, Swae Lee (3:59)

• Good swing, especially since Khalid usually does slower music
• Nice happy vibe. Flirt music!
• Swae Lee adds a different dimension to this track
• A love song but definitely g’d up for a blast in the whip!
  

  5. “Opps,” ft. Vince Staples, Yugen Blakrok (3:01)

• That classic warping sound
• “Tune dem” – Shout out to all our Caribbean peeps 
• Heavy hitting beat – constant ‘on the beat’ bass drum
• Teaming up with Vince Staples and Yugen Blakrok on that lyrical battle
• Gym music
  

  6. “I Am,” ft. Jorja Smith (3:29)

  

• Damn Jorja. Mad love for Jorja and she’s repping the UK
• Jorja makes everything butter on this track
• Just remembered she met Drake in a shop while buying sweets and tampons
• “Sometimes we ain’t meant to be free”. Deep
  

  7. “Paramedic!” ft. SOB X RBE (3:39)

• “No one’s perfect, but no one’s worthless”
• The acapella intro is a crazy contrast to the actual track
• “That’s something that I can’t do” – reminiscent of “that’s that shit I don’t like”
• The 4 members of SOB X RBE are taking this beat for ransom!
  

  8. “Bloody Waters,” ft. Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak, James Blake (4:32)

• Sounds like water right now
• James Blake and Anderson. That vocal reverb intro is trippy!
• Ab-soul bounces his flow on this water beat
• Drums hitting harder than a Zulu warrior tribal tune out here
• Those classic Wakanda synths, vocals and percussion make this track
  

  9. “King’s Dead,” ft. Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future, James Blake (3:45)

  

• K dot on that hype! “I made a 100,000 then I freaked it”
• This flow is rapid, brings me back to those ‘pass the mic’ cipher days
• “I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it, I gotta go get it!” Jay Rock’s on a next one
• Future’s infamous “la di da di da” is jokes though
• Kendrick with the beat and flow switch is fire!
• ? Five Star⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  

  10. “Redemption Interlude” (1:25)

• Slower tempo but keeps the soundtrack cruising
• Beat switch up was unexpected but rides the beat out into the next track
  

  11. “Redemption,” ft. Zacari, Babes Wodumo (3:42)

• This is very Drake-esque, vibing on the Caribbean instrumental vibes and drums
• Zacari making himself known on this album
• Can’t understand the language (Zulu) but the energy is straight lit!
• Big plead to the girl he is feeling throughout this track
• Kendrick loves adding his soundbites throughout this album
  

  12. “Seasons,” ft. Mozzy, Sjava, Reason (4:02)

• The intro is so soulful
• That beat drop is clean. The vibe is pure South Africa.  Dubplate mashup!
• Forgot this had American artists on it until they dropped some fire bars
  

  13. “Big Shot,” ft. Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott (3:42)

• The flute is a wave in 2018 – Thanks to Future
• “Big Shots!” Kendrick and Travis collab is pure fire!
• Kendrick included those gunshot adlibs he used throughout section 80
  

  14. “Pray For Me,” The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar (3:31)

• Ringtone music. It’s just a sick dark night style beat!
• The Weeknd vocals over this beat fit perfect
• Kung Fu Kenny’s bars just light up the track
• Dope fact – Kendrick’s Kung Fu rap style was inspired by Don Cheadle’s character in Rush Hour 2

This album not only accompanied one of the best films to stir up and promote African culture to the masses, but in its own right, the album completely smashed music records. It went Platinum which is a very rare feat for film soundtracks, especially when you consider the immense competition within the music scene in 2018. Kendrick Lamar took on this project with the TDE label and many amazing artists to not only create a piece of history but silence critic that thought an all-black cast and soundtrack can’t go global. The best way to describe this soundtrack is to use the famous words of Big Shaq, “It’s big, check the Sta-Tis-Stacks”!