REVIEW: Soundtrack, Love & Basketball (Overbrook/New Line)
- Joann D. Ball
New school, old school and a little something in between makes Music From the Motion Picture Love & Basketball the best urban music soundtrack in at least a decade. A quality soundtrack free of throwaway cuts and meaningless filler, the emphasis here is on smooth and sultry R&B slow jams and a few hip-hop party numbers. Like the film, which takes place in the middle class enclave of Black Los Angeles, the soundtrack focuses on the rarely exposed gangsta rap-free urban experience.
Released on Overbrook Music, the record division of Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment, Music From the Motion Picture Love & Basketball begins with the breezy "I'll Go" by Donell Jones. The back-in-the-day party classic "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock gets the energy pumping and rolls right into Lucy Pearl's new track "Dance Tonight," a sexy groove with strings and a pulsing beat that is the soundtrack's first single. An urban supergroup of sorts, neo-soul trio Lucy Pearl features Dawn Robinson formerly of En Vogue, Ali formerly of a Tribe Called Quest and Raphael Saadiq formerly of Tony, Toni, Tone.
The French tickled hip-hop soul of "Complete Beloved" by Black Eyed Peas featuring Les Nubians continues the love sexy flow and glides easily into the upbeat New Jack Swing dancefloor classic "I Like" by Guy. MC Lyte's "Lyte As A Rock" shakes up the tempo bit, but Angie Stone's cover of "Holding Back The Years" puts the love vibe back on track. Stone makes Simply Red's song her own with an amazing gospel infused smooth jazz delivery, and its sincerity is matched only by that which epitomizes Al Green's soul classic "Love and Happiness." Bilal's steamy "Soul Sista" recalls both D'Angelo and early Prince, and it segues perfectly into slow jam favorite "Sweet Thing" by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. Old school slow dance number "I Want To Be Your Man" by the late and much missed Roger winds down the soundtrack which ends with the honest and deeply moving "Fool For Me" by Me'Shell NdegeOcello.
Music From the Motion Picture Love & Basketball is a smooth flowing soundtrack that interweaves soul classics with dance-oriented hip-hop and new R&B cuts. All twelve of the selections on the release are prominently featured in the urban love story starring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan. Like the film, which opens with Al Green's signature song, Music From the Motion Picture Love & Basketball celebrates love, emotion and passion... "Love and Happiness" indeed.
