12 Of The Best Rap Songs From Movie Soundtracks

Hip Hop and film have always shared a special connection. You’ll hear classic rap songs soundtracking some of cinema’s best scenes, and occasionally, rappers themselves step in front of the camera, like Eminem in 8 Mile or ASAP Rocky in Dope. In fact, some of the genre’s most impactful moments arguably haven’t come from studio albums or singles, but rather from the big screen and their accompanying soundtracks.

Take Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again,” for instance, which paid tribute to the late Paul Walker after his tragic passing. Then you’ve got deeper cuts from soundtracks overseen by rappers themselves: J. Cole got reflective on “Adonis Interlude (The Montage)” from Creed III, while Nipsey Hussle and JAY-Z dropped gems on “What It Feels Like” from Judas and the Black Messiah, whose soundtrack Hit-Boy helped bring to life.

Below, Rap-Up rounded up 12 of the best rap songs from movie soundtracks. Check them out!

1. See You Again by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth (Furious 7)

The piano chords, Puth’s vocals, Wiz Khalifa’s verses about family, and the film’s final tribute to Walker’s portrayal of Brian O’Conner after his heartbreaking death melted together to give us the most moving moment, at least musically, in the entire Fast & Furious franchise: “See You Again.” Of course, the track ended up topping the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the first rap song to reach 1 billion YouTube views.

2. All The Stars by Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA (Black Panther)

The thing is, for how huge Kendrick Lamar’s “All The Stars” turned out to be, it’s still pretty surprising the record was relegated to the movie’s end credits. That being said, it made perfect sense as the soundtrack’s lead single. SZA belts out the now-iconic “This may be the night that my dreams might let me know / All the stars approach you,” while the Compton emcee captures the film’s bittersweet conclusion with a verse full of emotional highs and lows. “All The Stars” isn’t just one of the Black Panther soundtrack’s best moments; it’s also among the strongest songs Lamar and SZA have ever made together.

3. Lose Yourself by Eminem (8 Mile)

“Lose Yourself” is easily one of Eminem’s greatest tracks — and it’s from a movie that just so happens to be one of Hip Hop’s all-time classics. In fact, when the record dropped, he was towering over everyone else in rap. The iconic song notably spawned the idea behind his Mom’s Spaghetti restaurant, and most importantly, fit the storyline of 8 Mile. The Detroit-raised rapper said it himself: “You only get one shot,” and he definitely didn’t waste his.

4. Am I Dreaming by Metro Boomin, ASAP Rocky and Roisee (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)

Metro Boomin produced and executive produced the entire audio companion to 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, so much of it sounded like something you’d expect from his own albums. “Am I Dreaming” saw the Atlanta-based beatmaker pairing relative newcomer Roisee and ASAP Rocky, who dishes out lines about both his and Miles Morales’ shared New York roots. The Harlem native even references “lacin’ up my favorite 1s” — one of the more obvious nods to the protagonist’s red-and-white Air Jordan 1s.

5. What It Feels Like by Nipsey Hussle and JAY-Z (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Blacc Sam, Hussle’s brother, once said that if the late rapper didn’t “actually do the verse, work with the person or put together the blueprint” himself, then it shouldn’t be released. Off of the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack, “What It Feels Like” paired the Victory Lap creator with JAY-Z for some of the strongest verses on this entire list. Hussle mentions Malcolm X, while Hov supplies references to Drake’s Scorpion, the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Attack and Fred Hampton, whose story inspired the film.

6. Bet It by Cardi B (Bruised)

The Bruised soundtrack is special in the fact that every single record on it was created by a woman in Hip Hop. As the project’s opener, “Bet It” comes out swinging with a high-stakes, fight-night instrumental that immediately makes you feel like Rocky Balboa — or, in the movie’s case, Jackie Justice — stepping into the ring. “They was losin’ they mind when I hit the Met Gala / Tail so long, it dragged 30 minutes after,” Cardi B spits. Moments later, she fittingly raps, “More movie sets mean more movie checks.”

7. Anthem by Big Sean and EST Gee (Creed III)

Executive produced by J. Cole, the Creed III soundtrack was mostly Dreamville territory; however, “Anthem” broke the pattern. On the song, Big Sean teams up with EST Gee to celebrate how far they’ve come and call out those who didn’t believe in them.

What made “Anthem” stand out more than, say, “Adonis Interlude (The Montage)” or even “Culture” was the Detroit rapper seemingly taking on Adonis Creed’s point of view. Lines like, “Look, they must’ve forgot that I’m my daddy’s son” and “I wake up to look inside my daughter eyes / And realize I’m immortalized” feel especially fitting for the film’s protagonist.

8. Lose My Mind by Don Toliver featuring Doja Cat (F1: The Movie)

Doja Cat’s soundtrack résumé has always been impressive — “Vegas” and “Boss B**ch” being the obvious examples — so it’s hard to expect anything less than a banger from her contributions to F1 The Album. She and Don Toliver make the perfect pair for “Lose My Mind.” The Cactus Jack Records signee’s wide range of melodies and Doja’s pop-adjacent sound were particularly fitting for whatever adrenaline-filled racing atmosphere they had in mind. Also, the budget was clearly there since the “Need to Know” artist ended up posing nude and drenched in what looks like motor oil for the track’s music video.

9. Not My Fault by Reneé Rapp featuring Megan Thee Stallion (Mean Girls)

The 2024 Mean Girls remake was met with pretty mixed reactions — mostly because turning it into a musical wasn’t what fans had in mind — but at least it gave us Reneé Rapp and Megan Thee Stallion’s collab, “Not My Fault.” The song opens with Lindsay Lohan’s classic Cady Heron line, “You know what? It’s not my fault you’re like in love with me or something!” Rapp pretty much carries the song vocally from there, followed by Megan dubbing herself the “Black Regina George” in her guest verse.

10. Lane Switcha by Skepta, Pop Smoke, ASAP Rocky, Juicy J and Project Pat (F9: The Fast Saga)

It’s nice to know that Project Pat’s flow hasn’t changed much after a decades-long career. Skepta and Pop Smoke clearly knew exactly what they were doing when they tapped into it for “Lane Switcha.” The F9: The Fast Saga cut brought together an all-star lineup, with ASAP Rocky and Juicy J rounding out the international bop.

11. Sinners by Rod Wave (Sinners)

Sinners was one of 2025’s biggest box-office hits, led by Michael B. Jordan and set in the Jim Crow-era South. It made sense, then, that the filmmakers reached out to one of Gen Z’s most beloved artists for songs about heartbreak and struggle, Rod Wave, for the title track.

“Excuse me, master, I think you’re confused / I was promised 40 acres and mules / Damn, I feel like a fool, forget the rules, what the fine print say?” the Florida native croons in the lone verse.

12. Can I Get A… by JAY-Z, Amil and Ja Rule (Rush Hour)

A ’90s classic, JAY-Z’s “Can I Get A…” was first introduced as a single for the Rush Hour soundtrack before landing on his Vol.2… Hard Knock Life. Hov came together with Ja Rule and frequent collaborator Amil to create an anthem for one of the funniest films ever — at least if you ask us.