Juxtaposing new and old, as well as various genres (R&B/soul, jazz, rock, Eastern, Arabic, and South Asian), this complement to the highly anticipated film starring Will Smith parallels legendary boxer Muhammad Ali’s spirited approach to life as a man and a champion fighter. The set opens with the R. Kelly-penned and -produced “The World’s Greatest,” an uplifting ballad reminiscent of Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly.” From there, it segues to contributions by Alicia Keys (the soulful “Fight”), Bilal (the jazzy “Sometimes”), and Angie Stone (the moving “20 Dollars”), along with passionate turns by vintage performers Aretha Franklin (“Ain’t No Way”) and Al Green (“A Change Is Gonna Come”). Outside the album’s soulful realm are such meditative offerings as Salif Keita’s “Tomorrow” and celloist Martin Tillman’s “Odessa.” Showing particular promise on this set: Dr. Dre protegé Truth Hurts (“For Your Precious Love”) and Shawn Kane (“Mistreated”).—GM
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