Both Creed III and its complementary soundtrack by the same name signals a new standard of excellence that, arguably, has been far and few in between lately in the concomitant worlds of cinema and music. A stellar directorial debut of longtime actor Michael B. Jordan, Creed III is an exceptional interpretation of the sport of boxing and the cellular makeup that motivates its contenders.
Aligning with that creative expression is the Dreamville executive produced 18-track soundtrack, containing a surplus of awe-inspiring artists to match the high-octane energy, as well as the subtle fragility of Creed III. Beginning with the Dreamville roster, which consists of Ari Lennox, Bas, Cozz, EARTHGANG, JID, Lute, Omen, and the man himself, J. Cole, the five-day rap camp based in Santa Monica, CA included a total of 31 artists.
There’s collaborations involving 8AE, Arin Ray, Ayra Starr, Baby Rose, Big Sean, BJ The Chicago Kid, Black Sherif, Blxst, Buddy, EST Gee, Kehlani, Kel-P, Kevin Ross, Mereba, MEZ, Morray, OG DAVY, REASON, SiR, Syd, Symba, Tierra Whack, and WESTSIDE BOOGIE.
Dreamville gave listeners a taste of what was to come in February with the release of the JID and Lute collaboration, “Ma Boy,” a straight-edged mid-tempo track that bends the cadences of the two artists into a nearly trance-like chant. The well-received single was accompanied with the release of “Blood, Sweat, & Tears,” combining the talents of Bas, Black Sherif, and Kel-P on the Afro-beat infused battlefield anthem.
Listen To JID and Lute’s “Ma Boy”
Then, listeners were introduced to a reimagining of Dr. Dre’s “The Watcher” as the hypnotic west coast production was utilized for J. Cole’s “Adonis Interlude (The Montage).” The hard-hitting single, recorded at a minute and half, is played throughout a memorable segment of the film.
Listen To J. Cole’s “Adonis Interlude (The Montage)”
Besides the label releases, Creed III: The Soundtrack is riddled with back-to-back selections that scream replay value. The scope of track offerings range from hip hop to, surprisingly, a good amount of R&B.
There’s the head bobbing tracks like “Culture” with Mez, REASON, Symba, and 8AE, and “Headhunters” with WESTSIDE BOOGIE, Cozz, and Kevin Ross. Then, there’s the more sonically seductive “Hate Me Now,” a standout track featuring Arin Ray, Mereba, and Omen.
Listen To “Hate Me Now,” Featuring Arin Ray, Mereba, & Omen
Baby Rose delivers the “emerging from the ashes” themed song “Heavy Is The Head” with such an intensity that it deserves an Oscar stage performance. Kehlani also comes through with the sultry R&B track “Shadows,” a song that is the focal point of a scene within the film.
The Dreamville/Interscope and MGM project is a masterpiece from beginning to end thanks to music supervisor and co-executive producer Frank Brim, and creative heads J. Cole of Dreamville, Michael B. Jordan of Outlier Society, Proximity Media’s Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, and Archie Davis.
Dreamville definitely deserves all the accolades for creating a cohesive palette of musical excellence that coincides perfectly with the outstanding feature film. With that said, the label’s recent announcement of Dreamville Festival 2023 appears to promise the same enthusiasm for music range.
The two-day festival presents a lineup that consists of Usher headlining day one, accompanied by Lil Durk, City Girls, Sean Paul, Jessie Reyez, Key Glock, and SiR, to name a few. The second day will be headlined by Drake and J. Cole, with sets by Summer Walker, JID, GloRilla, Waka Flocka Flame, Baby Tate, and Burna Boy. The festival kickss off April 1 in Raleigh, NC. For a complete list of performers and ticket prices, visit DreamvilleFest.com.
Creed III is in theaters now.
