Top 7 Hip-Hop Movie Soundtracks – Bangin’ Background Music

 •  Bloggers  •  by XXL Staff  •  76 Comments

Believe it or not, The Cosby Show was revolutionary and A Different World was even more so. Before the culture vultures swooped in and gave any nigga with a decent pitch a reality show it was a REALLY big deal to see your culture represented on the big screen. Sure, Black people had movies all day; but young Black people with movies to cater to them? Shit was type amazing. The trickle down effect of these movies was that you’d always get soundtracks to go along with them, and these compilations housed some amazing moments in music. So with no further adieu I present to you my Top 7 OST’s from hip-hop related films.

ABOVE THE RIM

This is an interesting one to me because I find it intriguing that an album that is so West Coast is tied to a movie that is so East Coast. Maybe it had something to do with Tupac’s leading role in the film but we can’t blame Death Row’s involvement on him because, well, he wasn’t signed to the Row yet. *shrug* Either way, Suge and Dre put together one of the better compilations of music for a hip-hop film ever. While a few random cats like Rhythm & Knowledge popped up with jams (“U Bring Da Dog Out”), this album housed both the Wu-Tang-less version of SWV’s “Anything (Remix)” and Warren G’s “Regulate.”

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  • KSA1001

    For a more current Classic I’d nominate 8 Mile, but great list. Juice and Above the Rim still get killed to this day!

  • http://Pierzy11@gmail.com Pierzy

    ^^^^^^^^
    Good call on 8 Mile.

    I would also recommend that Sunset Park be added to the list…

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        • that nigga

          HAHAHA!!! Thats some funny shit Jamal..

          Juice, Menace and Above the Rim. Its a 3 way tie.

  • nicholasdelorejo

    I have to nominate the “Bad Boys 2″ soundtrack. It didn’t contain any critical content but it was so well constructed that it almost sounded like a major release instead of a simple compilation album. Cosign on the “8-Mile” soundtrack.

  • Nino Cartagena

    Who ever did this list I git some words for you. How can you mention “Menace II Society” soundtrack & not mention the song that should get an Academy Award for Best Original Song from a Soundtrack=MC Eiht’s “Streiht Up Menace.” That song was like listening to Caine’s obituary because they played it right at the end when he died! I think you need to go back & watch this movie again, then maybe it will click in.

  • Mexistan

    Where the fuck is Judgement Night? That Onyx/Biohazard collaboration was fucking nails. Or Wild Style, Do The Right Thing, or even Belly?

  • http://www.jamal7mile.blogspot.com Jamal7Mile

    Had to vote for Menace II Society. That soundtrack was too killer with only a few fillers! THIS is what Eiht was born to do. I don’t even have my copy anymore and I still remember those bangers from Too $hort, Spice 1, KRS-One, Quik and UGK’S I gotta pocket fulla stooones (damn that was dope!!). This soundtrack introduced me to UGK.

  • Chris S

    8 Mile???

  • katt

    i gotta say, XXL got it right.. no complaints here

  • DV8

    High School High, The Show, Nutty Proffessor (both), Rhyme and Reason, The Great White Hype, SOul in the Hole, Dont Be A Menace, Belly,Nothing TO Lose, The curruptor, Rush Hour, How To Be A Player, Gang Related, Gridlockd, Crooklyn, Brolic

    The mid 90′s produced some great hiphop movie soundtracks. Wonder why they stopped making dope soundtracks for the movies? They definetaly got me to go some movies that I wish i didnt waste my time but the soundtrack was dope.

  • The Decatur Dictator

    Man…”Boys is the Hood” was a beast!, all the cuts were the bomb, I used to listen to that CD (tape) all day. BUT, “Regulate” made that above the rim soundtrack legendary just on the strength of that song, that was Warren G’s introduction to the public.

  • The Decatur Dictator

    Man…”Boys is the Hood” was a beast!, all the cuts were the bomb, I used to listen to that CD (tape) all day. BUT, “Regulate” made that above the rim soundtrack legendary just on the strength of that song, that was Warren G’s introduction to the public….

  • The Decatur Dictator

    Man…”Boys is the Hood” was a beast!, all the cuts were the bomb, I used to listen to that CD (tape) all day. BUT, “Regulate” made that above the rim soundtrack legendary just on the strength of that song, that was Warren G’s introduction to the public…..

  • Anonymous

    8 Mile and He Got Game are missing !

  • ILLWILL

    WHERE THE FUCK IS BELLY?

  • yesyes

    SPACE JAM!

    I hit’em high!

  • BossGame

    Jason’s lyric had a nice soundtrack

  • norcal

    wheres the FRIDAY sound track

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  • Mike T

    Get Rich or Die Tryin anyone???

  • M. Baby!

    Above The Rim Soundtrack was crazy. The others were tough too, but Above The Rim had one the Hip-Hops greatest songs on it….Regulate. That was classic. Not to mention Tha Dogg Pound – Pump Pump, Big Pimpin, & Dogg Pound 4 Life. Sweet Sable – Old Time’s Sake, 2Pac – Pain, H-Town – Part Time Lover, and another all time favorite SWV – Anything.

  • M. Baby!

    Movie Soundtracks aren’t the same anymore…the artist seem like they’re too good to give you a decent track for a movie soundtrack but give a million songs for free on most of the wack mixtapes and then ur album is wacker than ur mixtapes. What about Bad Boys II Soundtrack, Diddy did his thing executive producing that.

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  • Vinylsaurus Wrecks

    I’m surprised nobody has mentioned Colors nor New Jack City. Both seem to be always left out of any top hip hop movie soundtrack discussion.

    • capcobra

      lyrics to the rhythm.

  • e double

    I can not hate on this list because I remember coping most of those joints. Straight up Menace perfect song for the soundtrack.

    One soundtrack I heard nobody mention was I Got the Hook-Up from Master P. I remember riding hard on TRU at this time but it had some joints from Jay-z(what the game made me),Ice Cube(ghetto vet),ODB,Snoop, Eightball &MJG, and UGK.
    Not great but had some heat.

    • capcobra

      the bout it sdtrk.

      • Worley

        You beat me to the punch. That Bout It soundtrack is sick. How Ya Do Dat, Situation on Dirty, Murder Murder, Don’t F*ck Around, Ride 4 U, Pushin’ Inside You. You can’t listen to that album without thinking about the movie, exactly how an OST is supposed to work.

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  • Roaster

    where’s friday?and 8 mile and get rich or die tryin were also hot soundtracks

  • Anonymous

    aaawww donwill how could you leave out high shool high and belly awww those were dope

  • Apollo 13

    House party ?

    or is that just me ?

  • capcobra

    that’s a helluva list…i feel like i made a mistake voting for boyz n the hood…spirit reeled me in tho’.

  • hannibal cannibal

    HIGH SCHOOL HIGH

  • SOUTHSIDE A-TOWN

    iono if anyone has said this yet but, i like Hustle & Flow soundtrack.

  • http://pimpinpens.blogspot.com enzo

    Tales from the Hood

  • http://pimpinpens.blogspot.com enzo

    DV8

    High School High, The Show, Nutty Proffessor (both), Rhyme and Reason, The Great White Hype, SOul in the Hole, Dont Be A Menace, Belly,Nothing TO Lose, The curruptor, Rush Hour, How To Be A Player, Gang Related, Gridlockd, Crooklyn, Brolic

    The mid 90’s produced some great hiphop movie soundtracks. Wonder why they stopped making dope soundtracks for the movies? They definetaly got me to go some movies that I wish i didnt waste my time but the soundtrack was dope.

    DV8 is spot on with his assessment.

  • TicNitty1

    Tales From The Hood and 8 Mile are the two true soundtrks missing from this list. But Menace II Society is my fav so it wins.

  • http://www.emcdl.com EmCDL

    Damn this list got me feeling nostalgic! Boys In The Hood, Above The Rim, and Juice were that ish!

  • Adamsville Mafia

    Yes someone said it “The Corruptor” awesome soundtrack. Get Rich or Die Trying Soundtrack had some hits to but nothing is better then the old school soundtracks. Any 90′s Explotation Movie = Great Soundtrack

  • greyskull

    Ghost Dog

    • http://pimpinpens.blogspot.com enzo

      oh yeah good call on Ghost Dog, I can’t believe I forgot that one. Its in my cd deck and I’ve been bumpin it for like the last month every other day. the japanese version soundtrack is better, mad expensive too.

  • swype-matic

    I’m gonna say The Corruptor soundtrack, had a lot of good stuff w/ UGK, Mobb Deep, and Jay-Z.

  • Brooklyn

    “belly” was the shit! “new jersey drive” was nice too, the first time niggas got introduced to total. i know this wasn’t a hip-hop soundtrack, but “dead presidents” had a fire ass soundtrack, with all those classic old school joints. “blue streak” also had a decent soundtrack.

  • http://danjlovesthe90s.wordpress.com DANJ!

    Above The Rim all day… that’s always been crazy to me too, how a movie that was so New York was so Cali when it came to the soundtrack. But either way, I STILL run that whole shit strong. I even like some of the random joints like Rhythm & Knowledge, and the DJ Rogers “Doggie Style” joint, lol. Only one I don’t rock with on that soundtrack was the Al B. Sure ‘Still In love With You’. But the rest? All day.

    ‘Pain’
    ‘Dogg Pound 4 Life’
    ‘Regulate’
    ‘Afro Puffs’
    ‘Big Pimpin’
    ‘Pour Out A Little Liquor’
    ‘Anything’
    ‘Part Time Lover’
    ‘Old Times’ Sake’

    I mean, got-damn…

    -D!

  • http://yahoo YellowMan

    1994 MURDER WAS THE CASE BEST SOUNDTRACK

  • http://XXLmag.com Leroy Love

    Shit, I liked the “Higher Learning” cd for that mellow music.

  • http://www.justice.gov.za Chiliz

    Juice, Menace and Above the Rim. Its a 3 way tie.
    Gangrelated was also a dope soundtrack..still banging it 2 this day.

  • trizzle

    Where’s Training Day?

  • smitty

    get rich soundtrack

  • Big WIll

    I personally think “Murder Was the Case” should have been on there for the title track alone!

  • J

    cant forget I’m Bout It Soundtrack & Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ soundtrack….

  • styles is a ghost

    GOTTA LOVE THE MENACE TO SOCIETY SOUNDTRACK STRAIGHT UP MENACE IS ONE THE GREATEST TRACKS EVER PURE CLASSIC SHIT

    BUT WHERE THE FUCK IS BELLY AND 8 MILE SOUNDTRACKS

  • ILLWILL

    ALL OF THEM YALL NAMED IS GOOD, EVEN THE DUDE WHO SAID DEAD PRESIDENTS, BUT BELLY IS THE BEST HANDS DOWN!

  • gift

    i’ve looked at the comments and have to reinterrate. WHERE THE FUCK IS THE “FRIDAY” SOUNDTRACK? THAT WAS MY SHIT. iT HAD THAT “THROW YA NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE AIR”, “FREAK OF THE WEEK” (THAT WAS MY SMOKE SONG) “KEEP YA HEADS RINGIN”, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHERS. wHAT ABOUT THE “IM BOUT IT” SOUNDTRACK. tHE MOVIE AND QUALITY WERE A LIL SUSPECT, BUT THE SOUNDTRACK WAS FUCKIN BANANAS!!!

  • gift

    MATTER FACT WHILE IM TRAVELING DOWN MEMORY LANE, THE FUCKIN SOUNDTRACK FOR “IN TOO DEEP” WENT HARD. iT HAD THAT “TEAR DA ROOF OFF FROM RED AND METH, AND IF I’M NOT MISTAKEN, MOBB DEEP WAS ON THAT SHIT AND A BUNCHA OF OTHER CATS.

  • j

    i’m bout it soundtrack

    Tales from the hood soundtrack

    sunset park soundtrack

    don’t be a menance soundtrack

    thin line between love and hate soundtrack

    bad boys soundtrack

    gang related soundtrack

  • Anonymous

    oh yea nothing to lose soundtrack

  • j

    got the hook up soundtrack

    nothing to lose soundtrack

  • Tyler

    Wow! No Dangerous Minds soundtrack? Kinda weak list Bro.

  • j

    i forgot dangerous minds

  • TimTim

    Needs more Judgment Night. The movie sucked yeah, but the soundtrack was fuckin incredible.

  • TimTim

    Needs Judgment Night. Yeah the movie sucked, but the soundtrack was fuckin insane.

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  • Anonymous

    TRESSPASS

    How did everybody sleep on Tresspass?

    The Ice T Ice Cube joint? Blacksheep? Gangstarr? WC and the Madd Circle? Best rap soundtrack ever.

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  • kedordu

    its a toss up between murder was the case and above the rim . the other soundtrack that matters is paid in full soundtrack . thats it .honourable mention to the menace to society sountrack .

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  • RP

    you should have a look at the wackness soundtrack

  • KB

    May catch flack for this but fuck it – the soundtrack that was produced for “Wild Wild West” (single aside and even that shit wasn’t that bad) is a GREAT hip-hop influenced soundtrack.