Todd Gilchrist

It’s funny and not altogether inappropriate that most audiences associate Kid 'N' Play with their movies rather than their music, but their cuts on their own soundtracks, in particular 'House Party 2' evidenced that they were as gifted on the mike as on screen...

A spoof of inner-city teen dramas that predated the incessant “Movie” movies that now pass for parodies, this Jon Lovitz vehicle was a mixed bag at best as an original or imitation comedy. But its soundtrack feels like the greatest compilation of b-sides hip-hop fans never heard, from RZA’s 'Wu-Wear: The Garment Renaissance' to De La Soul’s 'I Can’t Call It' to A Tribe Called Quest’s 'Peace, Prosp

'Keep Their Heads Ringin’' is indisputably the standout track on the soundtrack to the biggest hood comedy of all time, 'Friday.' But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a number of great songs, including Cube’s title track, a standard for West Coast radio stations anticipating the weekend, Cypress Hill’s 'Roll It Up, Light It Up, Smoke It Up,' featuring vintage DJ Muggs production, and Funkdoobiest’s

This is another instance of a movie being much more easily ignored or forgotten than its soundtrack. Admittedly, this one had a gimmick – combining rap and rock – but in retrospect it feels like the gateway for a whole generation of rock fans to discover the pleasures of hip-hop...

Writer-director Boaz Yakin’s debut offers an incredibly powerful portrait of a child being forced to grow up before he’s ready, but the film’s soundtrack captures an important moment between the past and what would become the future of hip-hop...

The 'Deep Cover' compilation is eclectic in nuanced ways that distinguish it from other soundtracks while creating a surprisingly cohesive group of songs. Shabba Ranks's 'Mr. Loverman' was and is a great dancehall track, but Po’ Broke & Lonely’s 'The Sex Is On' feels like a time capsule for the moment when soft-pedaled romance transformed into hardcore seduction. Bu...

'Bad Boys II' may be Michael Bay’s most polarizing film, thanks to its convoluted story and unrelenting action. But as the first release under Bad Boy Entertainment’s then-new partnership with Universal, the label’s impresario pulled out all of the stops to create an indisputably great record loaded with killer tracks...

Another movie woefully (if maybe deservedly) obscured by the greatness of its soundtrack, 'New Jersey Drive' unfolds like a who’s who of hip-hop in 1995 that is indispensable to any fan of the genre. Ill Al Skratch, Redman, Lords of the Underground, Outkast, Heavy D & The Boyz, Queen Latifah, Keith Murray and Notorious B.I.G...

Dance movies often attract high-profile talent, and if we were awarding film series as a whole for their soundtracks, then 'Step Up' would certainly make this list. But 'Stomp The Yard' collects a really weird bunch of artists and pits them against each other in a weirdly irresistible combination...

Even in the earliest days of Will Smith playing around on 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,' it was obvious that the former Fresh Prince was a gifted actor, finding real and resonant moments of drama amidst the goofiest scenarios. But he’s since become one of the world’s most reliable stars, and also one of its most consistent actors, not just finding great, interesting roles that audiences want to wa