Welcome to 2025, where the classics are being revisited and revitalized! Today, we’re diving deep into a soundtrack that took the music industry by storm – CHI-RAQ – The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Released by 40 Acres And A Mule/RCA Records for Spike Lee’s film, this soundtrack continues to resonate with music lovers even in the present day. Featuring Chicago’s -winning like R. Kelly, Jennifer Hudson, and Sam Dew among others, the 13-song disc is a testament to the musical talent within the Windy City. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit this impressive collection of songs that beautifully complemented the powerful messages in the film.
CHI-RAQ Soundtrack: A Melodic Journey
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CHI-RAQ – The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is executive produced by Spike Lee. The tracks feature new material performed by -winning Chicago natives R. Kelly, Jennifer Hudson and Sam Dew, as well as Nick Cannon, Mali Music, and Treasure Davis. Local Chicago like Eryn Allen Kane, Kymm Lewis, Kevon Carter and more also contributed to the soundtrack.
The Impact of Music in the Film
As with previous Spike Lee joints, music plays an integral role in CHI-RAQ. The movie’s powerful message is reflected in songs such as Nick Cannon’s “Pray 4 My City,” that embodies the essence of his character Chi-Raq, a rapper addressing the harsh realities of his environment, and Kevon Carter’s self-reflecting “WGDB,” which examines and seeks solutions for the violence happening in Chicago. The Spike Lee-directed videos for “WGDB” and “Pray 4 My City” can be found online.
CHI-RAQ: The Film
Directed by the critically acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee and co-written by Lee and Kevin Willmott, Chi-Raq features an all-star cast including: Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, Teyonah Parris, D.B. Sweeney, Harry Lennix, Steve Harris, Angela Bassett with John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. CHI-RAQ is a modern-day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes. It arrives exclusively in theaters nationwide on December .
CHI-RAQ – The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Track Listing:
01 Pray 4 My City – Nick Cannon
02 Put The Guns Down – R. Kelly feat. Tink
03 Contradiction – Mali Music feat. Jhené Aiko
04 Born In Chicago – The Bruce Hornsby Band feat. Eryn Allen Kane & Sasha Go Hard
05 Sit Down For This – Mali Music
06 Desperately – Sam Dew
07 Simple – Treasure Davis feat. Kid Ink
08 I Want To Live – Kymm Lewis
09 My City – Nick Cannon
10 WGDB – Kevon Carter
11 I See The Light – Sophia Byrd
12 All Power – Cinque Cullar
13 I Run – Jennifer Hudson
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