Friday 1995 Soundtrack Essay

Armani Martinez
DM 114 History of Film Score
Professor Robert Baird
September 26, 2014
Friday Soundtrack (1995)
The film Friday (1995) has a great soundtrack, which is very important to me when choosing a film. I have to like the music to a movie in order to truly enjoy the film. No one wants to watch an action movie with country music playing during the fight scenes. I feel that a movie soundtrack should relay the plot of the movie. In this case there were great musicians involved with the soundtrack. There were such Rhythm and Blue artist as Al Greene, Teddy Pendergrass, and Smokey Robinson. In addition to those previously recorded songs, great new modern like Monica, Ice Cube, Master P, contributed to the project. These collaborative effort’s resulted in a multi platinum soundtrack. I really enjoyed the music, and it helped in the promotion of the film. I donot think the movie would have been as successful as it was.
Friday is a 1995 American stoner comedy directed by F. Gary Gray his directorial debut. The film stars Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Bernie Mac, Robert Lockhart, and John Witherspoon. The film revolves around 16 hours in the lives of unemployed slackers Craig Jones and Smokey, who owe a drug dealer $200 of weed money by 10:00 PM that night. Smokey only sold half and smoked the other half of the Marijuana and cuases trouble for himself and his friend. The film takes place in Las Angeles during the early 1990’s in a gang, drug, and crime-infested part of the neighborhood. The opening scene starts with “Tryin’ to See Another Day” by The Isley Brothers, showing a view of the poverty stricken neighborhood and shows Craig’s best friend and stoner buddy starting his day by smoking a joint before he rolls out of bed. During the scene in Smokey’s house while he is smoking the song “Keeping Their Heads Ringin’ by Dr. Dre featuring Nancy Flectcher sets a mellow tone to complement the marijuana fumes in the air that morning. Also Dr. Dre was a pioneer of the west coast hardcore gangster rap style, which thrived in LA in the 90’s. The scene transitions to Craig and Smokey running to the store to pick up cigarettes for Smokey’s mother, where they run into a panhandling crack addict that will not take no for an answer while trying to get a quick buck.
While Craig and Smokey spend the day seated on Craig’s from porch listening to the radio the classic song “Mary Jane” by Rick James plays in the background just before the pastor, played by Bernie Mac, pulls up in front of the house looking to smoke along with Smokey but gets rejected. After this rejection the pastor notices a neighbor across the street in provocative clothing bent over fixing the garden in her front lawn. He makes his way across the street and eventually into Mrs. Shirley’s bed, little did he know Mr. Shirley was on his way home. Mr. Shirley finds his wife and the town’s pastor together in bed and chases the pastor out of his house while “Get On Up” by James Brown play. The pastor runs into his car with only his underwear on and screeches his tires as he drives off.
After a few hours seated watching what’s been going on in the neighborhood, Craig finally gives in to the peer pressure and smokes along with Smokey when the song “Roll It Up, Light It Up, Smoke It Up” begins. This is the perfect song for the

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