Gridlock'd, The Soundtrack

When Gridlock'd arrived in theaters in January 1997, four months had passed since Tupac's death. In Vondie Curtis-Hall's dark comedy, he played Spoon: a musician who spends a day wandering through bureaucracy with his friend Stretch (Tim Roth) in an effort to get into rehab. Critics widely praised his performance. The soundtrack was released on Death Row and debuted straight at No. 1.

Three Tracks from the Death Row Era

The album kicks off with Wanted Dead or Alive, a duet with Snoop Doggy Dogg over a beat by Daz Dillinger. The song was released as a single for the film and reached No. 16 in the UK. Never Had a Friend Like Me, produced by Johnny "J", is a lighter track about friendship and women. On Out the Moon (Boom, Boom, Boom), Tupac can be heard as a guest on Snoop's track alongside Tray Deee and Soopafly.

All three tracks date from the Death Row era in 1996. Never Had a Friend Like Me was released in 2003 in a new version on Nu-Mixx Klazzics, and Wanted Dead or Alive appeared in 2007 as a "Gangsta Party" remix on Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2.

A Death Row Sampler from 1997

The rest of the soundtrack is a Death Row sampler from 1997: The Lady of Rage, Danny Boy, Daz Dillinger, Nate Dogg, Storm, O.F.T.B., and J-Flex share the remaining tracks. Snoop Doggy Dogg is additionally featured with Off the Hook. Life Is a Traffic Jam by Eight Mile Road was also included on the Wanted Dead or Alive single. Additional singles released were Body and Soul by O.F.T.B. and It's Over Now by Danny Boy.

Reviews were favorable; AllMusic and the Los Angeles Times each awarded three stars. More on the film can be found on the Gridlock'd page.

Running Times

The running times are taken from the Discogs edition.