Men In Black - Motion Picture Soundtrack (Columbia) Considering Men in Black is a science-fiction comedic thriller, a hip-hop and rhythm and blues soundtrack is initially surprising. Then again the film stars rapper-turned actor super stud Will Smith.
Although Smith in recent years has not pursued his rapping career, it is his title track Men in Black that is the soundtrack's best. A play on Patrice Rushen's Forget Me Nots and produced by Trackmasters geniuses Poke and Tone, the track is funny, upbeat and memorable enough to leave the words 'Here come the Men in Black, Galaxy Defenders' permanently singed on to your brain.
So So Def's Jermaine Dupri joins forces with Snoop Doggy Dogg on We Just Wanna Party With You. The track is a funky hip-hop dance jam, sampling from Kool and the Gang's classic Get Down On It. Another highlight is cutting-edge urban group The Roots with sexy and smooth D'Angelo on The 'Notic and a beautiful Killing Time by Destiny's Child.
Tracks by Ginuwine and Smith's Just Cruisin are weak and dull, as is Nas' overplayed Escobar 97. Nevertheless, the compilation is a great sampling of the scope of hip-hop. It is rare to see Gangsta rapper Snoop and flower power hip-hoppers De La Soul on the same album. Just hope that you will get 'Here come the Men in Black' out of your head.
