1. Tupac: Resurrection (soundtrack)
Released by Amaru Entertainment in 2003 for the Tupac: Resurrection documentary, the soundtrack went on to receive praise from critics as well as an Academy Award nomination. The song “Runnin (Dying to Live)” won the Top Soundtrack Song of the Year award at the 2005 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. Eminem was quite invested in the project and produced 3 major songs on the album. The soundtrack features The Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Outlawz, 50 Cent, & Digital Underground. It had relatively impressive commercial success selling 420,000 copies in its first week and 1.6 million copies total in the United States.
2. Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (soundtrack)
The soundtrack to the 2005 film of the same name followed 50 Cent’s life and his journey becoming a successful rapper. It was released by Interscope Records and features several artists on the G-Unit label, such as 50 cent himself, Mobb Deep, Young Buck & Lloyd Banks. The album sold 320,000 copies in its first week and 3 million copies worldwide. RIAA certified it Platinum in 2005.
3. 8 Mile (soundtrack)
8 Mile is the soundtrack to the 2002 semi-autobiographical movie of the same name. While some parts are fictional, the film is based on rap icon Eminem’s life. It debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 with 702,000 copies sold in the first week of release. It also became the 5th best-selling album of 2002. Much of it’s success had to with Eminem’s hit single “Lose Yourself”, which earned him Grammy Awards for Best Original Song, Best Rap song, and Best Rap solo performance. As of 2013, the soundtrack has sold a total of 5 million copies in the U.S.
4. Notorious (soundtrack)
The Notorious film followed the life and death of rapper The Notorious B.I.G. The soundtrack contains many of his own songs, unreleased demos, and two original songs “Brooklyn Go Hard” by Jay-Z and “Letter to B.I.G.” by Jada Kiss and Faith Evans. The album and film were relatively successful and praised by fans and critics. As of March 2009, the soundtrack sold 150,000 copies.
5. Straight Outta Compton (soundtrack)
The Straight Outta Compton soundtrack was released by Universal Music Enterprises on January 8th, 2016. Most of the songs are N.W.A. tracks with guest appearances from Ice Cube and Eazy -E. Snoop Dogg is also a stand-out feature on the record. The film itself made over $200 million while the soundtrack went number 1 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop and Rap charts.
