In a lot of ways, Dreamville was the perfect record company to produce the soundtrack for Creed III. Much like the label’s founder, J. Cole, and the film’s protagonist, the rappers represented on Dreamville’s roster could best be described as underdogs. Like Adonis Creed, they work hard at their craft; the recording session for Revenge Of The Dreamers III could be seen as one big sparring session in which the rappers tested their skills against each other.
And in the new video for “Ma Boy,” featuring JID and Lute, neither rapper pulls a single punch — they go hard all the way through the three-minute rap drill. Thematically, “Ma Boy” mirrors one of the film’s primary dynamics: the fractured relationship between Donnie and his former friend Dame, who returns after an 18-year prison stint to challenge the junior Creed via survivor’s guilt. JID, who’s a huge movie buff, opens the track with a perspective that almost sounds Dame-like, while Lute answers with a lyrical counterpoint from Donnie’s.
Dreamville isn’t stopping with the Creed III soundtrack this year; a few weeks ago, they announced the lineup for this year’s Dreamville Fest featuring Drake and Usher.
Watch JID and Lute’s “Ma Boy” video up top.