Like Mike [Original Soundtrack]

Performer: Original Soundtrack
Producer: Barry Josephson; Pete Heller
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: So So Def boss Jermaine Dupri rounds up a number of playful pop-rap songs for the Like Mike soundtrack, unsurprisingly including a number of Lil' Bow Wow performances. The 15-year-old rapper stars in the film so it's expected that his contributions will be significant, and indeed they are, beginning with "Basketball," the album's opening song. Here Bow Wow, Fabolous, and Dupri drop a verse each about their passion for the game, while Fundisha sings the hook. A little bit later in the album come the two standout Bow Wow songs, though: the Neptunes-produced "Take Ya Home" and Just Blaze-produced "Playin' the Game." Both songs feature top-notch production and incredibly catchy hooks, so much so that the former became one of Bow Wow's biggest hits yet. Elsewhere on Like Mike, Dupri includes so-so songs by TQ, Mario, and Solange, three artists likely to appeal to the same listeners who like Bow Wow. But the real surprise comes late in the album with Nas' "Rule" and TCP's "Hoop It Up," both much more adult than the preceding songs. The previously released Nas song, which interpolates Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," falls a bit short of being another "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" for the New York rapper, but it's still quite moving. And the TCP song is a fast-paced bass song that concludes the soundtrack perfectly, embodying the heart-racing nature of basketball. ~ Jason Birchmeier Making the move from hip-hop prodigy to film star is Jermaine Dupri protege Lil' Bow Wow, who not only stars in but provides much of the music for the soundtrack LIKE MIKE. Playing an orphaned adolescent who finds a pair of magic sneakers allegedly worn by Michael Jordan, Bow Wow quickly ascends to the NBA where he goes up against real players like Jason Kidd, Alonzo Mourning, and David Robinson. In the recording studio, the teen rhyme merchant goes at his guests just as hard whether he's keeping the flow going over the trash-talking Jermaine Dupri, Fabolous, and Fundisha on "Basketball" or rocking the rim with the jam "Take Ya Home." Other talents who get into the game include thug crooners Jagged Edge and Cash Money's TQ on the silky "I Remember," teen crooner Mario on the fat funk of "Put Me On" (featuring Alicia Keys's instrumental backing), and Nas weaving lyrical magic over Amerie's sultry harmonies on the airy "Rule." There's even a cameo by Beyonce Knowles's sister Solange rocking the street beats alongside B2K on "Dance With You." Yet another win for Team Dupri.

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