The upcoming Shaka King film Judas and The Black Messiah is set to feature a number of prominent artists on its soundtrack, including Nas, Black Thought, Rakim and a collaboration between Jay-Z and the late Nipsey Hussle. H.E.R. released a single from the upcoming soundtrack last week called “Fight For You.”
Judas and The Black Messiah discusses the life and assassination of Fred Hampton, the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, who was killed in a joint raid between the Chicago Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Toward the end of his life, Hampton built the Rainbow Coalition, a multi-racial and cultural organization that brought together the Black Panthers, the Young Patriots (who were mostly working-class White Southerners) and the Young Lords (a Latino civil rights organization) under one umbrella.
Hampton will be played by Daniel Kaluuya, who had a starring role in Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out. His co-star will be Lakeith Stanfield, who is best known for his starring role in Boots Riley’s directorial debut Sorry to Bother You and his supporting roles in Uncut Gems and Get Out.
“I feel that the villainization of the Black Panther Party had nothing to do with the truth,” Kaluuya said in an interview with E! Online. “It was to do with how they’re perceived, not how they feel about themselves and how they feel about people around them is how I felt about it. For me, the dignity of the man, the elegance of the man, this is who he was. This is the truth.”
Judas and the Black Messiah tracklist
1. COINTELPRO/DEC 4 (Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.)
2. Fight For You (H.E.R.)
3. EPMD (Nas)
4. Welcome to America
5. What It Feels Like (Nipsey Hussle and Jay-Z)
6. Broad Day (Hit Boy)
7. Something Ain’t Right (Masego ft. J.I.D., Rapsody)
8. Plead The .45th (Smino and Saba)
9. On Your Mind (Lil Durk)
10. Appraise (White Dave)
11. All Black (G Herbo)
12. I Declare War (Nardo Wick)
13. No Profanity (Pooh Shiesty)
14. Last Man Standing (Polo G)
15. Respect My Mind (Dom Kennedy)
16. Revolutionary (G Herbo ft. Bump J)
17. Teach Me (SiR)
18. Contagious (Safe ft Kiana Lede)
19. Rich Nigga Problems Outro (A$AP Rocky)
20. Bonus: Black Messiah (Rakim)
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna