A soundtrack curated by Shady Records,
Southpaw features two tracks from label boss
Eminem, the aptly titled solo cut "Phenomenal," plus "Kings Never Die" with
Gwen Stefani, which comes off as a worthy rap-rock sequel to "Lose Yourself." The rapper's side project with
Royce Da 5'9", Bad Meets Evil, gets two cuts as well, while numbers from
50 Cent and
Slaughterhouse represent the rest of Shady's hard hitters. Cuts from outside artists like
Action Bronson and
the Weeknd prove the label's crew know what's hip, but the choice of workout-leader-turned-rapper Rob Bailey is especially brilliant seeing as how athletics are central to the film. Grab the
Biggie chestnut "Notorious Thugs" and that's a party, but the bittersweet bit is the album's dedication to film composer
James Horner, who was killed in a plane crash two months before
Southpaw's release. ~ David Jeffries