You can’t think of the most memorable scene in the “Rocky” movie franchise — Sylvester Stallone running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the 1976 original — without remembering the triumphant horns of Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now.” Other “Rocky” music — from Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” (in 1982’s “Rocky III”) to James Brown’s “Living in America” (in 1985’s “Rocky IV”) — also packed a major wallop.
So the “Creed II” soundtrack curated by Mike WiLL Made-It — the producer behind such hits as Beyoncé’s “Formation” and Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” — has a heavyweight legacy to live up to. Here are some of the contenders on the all-star album, rated by the power of their punch.
“F.I.G.H.T.”
There are no less than six rappers — Eearz, Gucci Mane, YG, Trouble, Juicy J and Migos’ Quavo — featured on this posse cut. But the chanted chorus and lumbering groove wear thin over six-plus minutes. By the end of it, you’d rather forfeit than fight. ★★
“Midnight”
Tessa Thompson, who co-stars as Michael B. Jordan’s singer girlfriend in the film, makes a pretty good Jhene Aiko wannabe on this duet with rapper Gunna. But this song loses the slow-jam showdown here to Ella Mai’s sultry “Love Me Like That.” ★★¹/₂
“The Mantra”
After Mike WiLL Made-It produced the No. 1 hit “Humble” for Kendrick Lamar, the two teamed up again — this time with Pharrell Williams. It’s not the outright knockout that “Humble” was, but it casts a hypnotic spell. ★★★
“Amen (Pre Fight Prayer)”/“Do You Need Power? (Walk Out Music)”
Although they’re two separate tracks, they flow seamlessly into each other, making for some evocative mood-setting at the beginning of the album. The contrast between Lil Wayne on “Amen” and Bon Iver on “Do You Need Power?” is not as jarring as you might expect. ★★★¹/₂
“Runnin”
An A$AP combo — Rocky and Ferg — pair up with Nicki Minaj, who out-dukes the dudes on this banger, which pays homage to Conti’s brilliant original “Rocky” score. Guaranteed to make you go looking for the nearest steps to run, it’s a fist-pumping rush. ★★★★
”Check”
“This some country-western s–t right here … Like Quentin Tarantino,” announces Rick Ross at the beginning of this spitfest with Nas. And there indeed are some Tarantino-esque cinematics to this track, which plays like its own gritty, gripping street drama. ★★★★
