Soundtrack | ALI | CD

"The World's Greatest" (R. Kelly) was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
Personnel: Alicia Keys (vocals, piano, keyboards); Donnie Lyle, Arty White, Jonathan DuBose, Jr. (guitar); James Poyser (organ); Andre Booth, Percy Bady, Rodney Davis, Jr., Kendall D. Nesbitt (keyboards); Questlove (drums); Norman Hedman (percussion); Abel Garibaldi, Ian Mereness (programming).
Audio Mixers: Kyle White; Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander ; Michael Verdick; Peter Mokran; Russell Elevado; Tony Maserati ; Chad Fischer.
Arrangers: R. Kelly; Gerald Isaac.
This soundtrack to Will Smith's biopic portrayal of the immortal heavyweight champ is remarkably short on Rocky-style bombast. Instead we're served a tasty variety of mostly downtempo cuts courtesy of such talents as R Kelly, Alicia Keys, and Al Green, whose live rendition (backed by Booker T and the MGs) of "A Change is Gonna Come" is a special highlight. Meanwhile Angie Stone's hard luck "20 Dollars" also drips with Green-style Memphis funk.
'60s recreations are much in evidence here, with Truth Hurts' version of "For Your Precious Love" and David Elliot's delivery of "Bring It on Home to Me" conjuring the spirit of Otis Redding, and the Watchtower Four's rendition of "All Along the Watchtower" doing the same for Jimi Hendrix. Everlast's heavy "The Greatest" provides some good movie plot exposition behind its phat beats, while in contrast Lisa Gerrard's ethereal "See the Sun" is very much in the vein of her work on the GLADIATOR soundtrack.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Soundtracks
• Genre: Soundtracks & Film Scores
• Released: 11/27/2001