“Men in Black” set a new standard for rap songs, but it quickly proved to be absurd: Sure, “Men in Black” is a much better song (at least with a better hook), but it accompanied a much bigger and better movie and was sung by the biggest star in the world at the time. The factors that contributed to its popularity are almost impossible to replicate.
Deep Blue SeaIt also seems like the producers of LL Cool J tried too hard to recreate the song, giving a famous rapper the lead role and having him literally write a rap song about the summer blockbuster movie he was in. The song veered too close to the trajectory of Men in Black and didn't achieve its original goal of adding a bit of fun silliness to an incredibly fun movie. Instead, the song fell victim to the very concept of the rap-up song, buried deep in the digital ocean and unavailable on LL Cool J's YouTube channel or official Spotify sources.
LL Cool J wasn't alone. Smith's Men in Black sequel, Wild Wild West, was a hit in its own right, but it was a hit tied to a historic flop. That was the best part of that flop (well, that and those awesome Burger King tie-in sunglasses), but the challenge of recreating that unique feel was one that wasn't met in the same way. Smith soon dropped the wrap-up part from his star-power package, and many movie studios, having apparently reached their limits, stopped looking for wrap-up artists altogether.
But Smith didn't kill the rap song, nor did LL Cool J. No, that killing can only be put down to changing times and the industry. Movie studios were less interested in music studios and no longer promoted films and artists in the same way they used to. This industry change also led to the relative decline of the tie-in single, once an unchallenged institution, which today is only used in a handful of films.
As for Rap-Up, it remains in our minds and on the fringes of the industry. Eminem's “Lose Yourself” 8 miles It could be considered the rap-up concept's greatest artistic achievement, but even that hasn't led to a widespread revival: when we hear rap-up songs today, it's usually as a parody or tribute to the golden age of the cinematic concept. Psycho GoremanIt still exists, but it carries with it an embarrassment that must be banished with irony.
But the truth is, I miss rap-up songs. Perhaps I miss them not so much because of the songs themselves, but because they embodied a time when movies were more than just content. Movies were capable of instigating dramatic cultural shifts that affected multiple mediums. They celebrated the joy of moviegoing in a way that’s hard to come by today. Turning the problem around, maybe my longing for rap-up songs is due in part to my longing for the movies they often accompanied. In a self-conscious era in which dramatic reboots and franchises are treated like precious commodities, the idea of treating a movie as such a pure piece of entertainment that it has a rap song attached to it feels truly magical.