NEW TRACKS: Black Keys x RZA - ‘The Baddest Man Alive’

The first track off The Man with the Iron Fists soundtrack is Black Keys and RZA’s “The Baddest Man Alive.” It features the Black Keys’ signature sound, complete with percussive guitar stabs and tumbling beat. RZA’s boastful verse is matched by a chorus from Dan Auerbach who sounds like Justin Vernon from Kanye’s “Monster.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this collaboration. 2009’s Blakroc had two tracks with these artists: “Dollaz & Sense” and “Telling Me Things.” That previous experience working together may explain why “The Baddest Man Alive” sounds like the strongest of the three. Where the Blakroc tracks felt like loose, sometimes rambling takes from a jam session, “The Baddest Man Alive” sounds purposefully constructed with a uniting theme running through it.

With this track and Kanye’s “White Dress” this is looking to be an especially strong soundtrack.

-Nick Velleman