In Brief

Not only is “Men in Black” the hottest movie of the year so far, but it also may well be the best soundtrack album. Will Smith does effective double duty as an actor in the movie and as a rapper in the album, reviving his music career with two standout songs. But it’s the fruitful pairing of the Roots and D’Angelo on one track and a fun jam between Snoop Doggy Dogg and Jermaine Dupri (with added contributions from a Tribe Called Quest and Nas) that cement the album’s appeal.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).

Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.latimes.com/soundclips