On the companion soundtrack to the animated flick
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
, the music follows suit with the movie, injecting much needed energy and youthfulness to the beloved superhero franchise with an edgier tone than most big-budget compilations. Like its protagonist Miles Morales, the
Spider-Verse
soundtrack showcases the next generation, recruiting rising rappers on standout tracks such as
Jaden Smith
's "Way Up";
Duckwrth
and
Shaboozey
's "Start a Riot"; the rousing group collaboration "Elevate"; and
Post Malone
Swae Lee
's hit single "Sunflower." And like the movie's inclusion of a middle-aged Peter Parker, the hip-hop old guard are represented by
Nicki Minaj
,
Lil Wayne
, and
Ty Dolla $ign
. In between these generational extremes, a wealth of critically regarded acts such as
Amine
Denzel Curry
Vince Staples
join upstarts
Ski Mask the Slump God
and a surprise appearance by the late
XXXTentacion
. Empowering and inspirational,
is a wild mix of chill atmospherics and propulsive beats that captures the state of hip-hop in 2018, which, like the movie, respects its forebears while keeping its sights firmly set on the future. ~ Neil Z. Yeung