Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 100 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time, representing a varied cross-section of films and musical genres. Click “Next Soundtrack” below to explore each soundtrack in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & soundtrack index here.
New Jack City
Giant/Reprise/Warner (1991)
Selected by Justin Chadwick
Though the film examines the crack epidemic that swept across many of New York City’s predominantly Black neighborhoods during the mid to late ‘80s at the hands of the fictional drug lord Nino Brown (expertly played by Wesley Snipes), the music is squarely rooted within the emergent new jack swing movement of the early ‘90s, with a few solid hip-hop tracks included for good measure. Highlights include the buoyant title track by the Teddy Riley orchestrated trio Guy and the uptempo ditty “I’m Dreamin’” by the film’s co-star Christopher Williams, as well as the signature smooth slow jams “I’m Still Waiting” and “(There You Go) Tellin’ Me No Again” by soul crooners extraordinaire Johnny Gill and Keith Sweat, respectively.
Admittedly, hip-hop is less prominent across the album, but quality trumps quantity here, as the small handful of songs included are top-notch. The propulsive anthem “New Jack Hustler (Nino’s Theme)” is pure adrenaline on wax and remains one of co-star Ice-T’s finest moments across his storied career. Arguably the greatest surprise is 2 Live Crew’s closing track “In the Dust,” which finds the typically salacious group notorious for their NSFW rhymes in rare socially conscious mode. With incisive lyrics throughout, the Crew explores how America’s history of racism and the marginalization of the black community have led to, as group leader Luke Campbell proclaims, “a Nino Brown in every city. Basically because we have no way out!”
Arguably the film’s theme song, the dynamic Troop, LeVert and Queen Latifah collaboration “For the Love of Money / Living for the City”—a stellar medley of the O’Jays and Stevie Wonder originals—represents one of the earliest examples of the convergence of R&B and hip-hop, a phenomenon that became increasingly commonplace as the 1990s progressed.
Also deserving of praise are the four fledgling acts that appear on the soundtrack, which include Essence (“Lyrics 2 My Rhythm”), F.S. Effect (the Al B. Sure! produced “Get It Together”), Danny Madden (“Facts of Life”), and most memorably, Color Me Badd (“I Wanna Sex You Up”). A multi-ethnic vocal quartet hailing from Oklahoma City, the latter scored a chart-topping hit with their brazen ballad, the accompanying video for which I can’t watch now without immediately conjuring images of Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake’s unforgettably clever “Dick in a Box” SNL sketch.
Nearly 30 years later, the soundtrack remains a thrilling artifact of early ‘90s urban music and reminds us—as does director Mario Van Peebles’ decision to include cameo performances by Guy, Keith Sweat, Troop and LeVert within the film itself—of just how integral music once was in the broader context of filmmaking.
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