How Jamaican music has helped shape the Bad Boys franchise

This month, the fourth instalment of the Bad Boys franchise was released in theatres. By all metrics thus far, Bad Boys: Ride or Die will follow its predecessors as a box office hit. Starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Mike Lowry and Marcus Burnett, respectively, the world was first introduced to the Miami Police Department detectives in 1995. Since then, Jamaican culture – specifically the island’s music – has played a role in the films.

The most obvious of Jamaica’s music influence on the franchise is its namesake – taken from Inner Circle’s 1987 hit song, Bad Boys. Leading up to this moment, Bad Boys was the theme song of one of the US’s most-watched TV shows of the ‘90s – Cops. Now in its new role, the song took on new life. It was not only the movie’s theme but the show’s leading men also showed their appreciation by singing lines of the song on the first movie. In a 2019 interview with the Jamaica Observer, a member of the band, Ian Lewis, praised the film for propelling the popularity of the song:

“You know how the music business go. So we never expect it, but we give thanks for it because it put us on the map and we still going places because of it.”

Still, another Jamaican song had another relationship with the 1995 movie. This time, it was Diana King’s Shy Guy. Apart from being a single from the Bad Boys movie soundtrack, it was also featured on her debut album, Tougher Than Love. This was the second time King was featured on a movie soundtrack. Her first was back in 1993 when her cover of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Stir It Up was featured on the soundtrack of Cool Runnings. Then, in 1997, she collaborated with Brian McKnight on the titular theme song for the documentary, When We Were Kings. A year later, King’s cover of Dionne Warwick’s I Say a Little Prayer was featured on the soundtrack for My Best Friend’s Wedding. Still, Shy Guy remained her most successful contribution to a movie. The single would peak at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #2 on the UK Singles Chart. Then, with the release of an alternative music video with cameos from both Smith and Lawrence, and even scenes from Bad Boys, it went on to sell five million copies worldwide, and soon after was certified gold in the US.

In 2003, Bad Boys II was released and went on to become a blockbuster at the theatres. Then, in 2020, almost 17 years later after the release of Bad Boys II, the franchise released its third instalment - Bad Boys for Life. This time, the movie’s soundtrack was executive-produced by DJ Khaled, who throughout his career has highlighted his appreciation for Jamaican culture. As such, Khaled’s frequent Jamaican collaborator, Buju Banton, was featured on the soundtrack. His contribution, Murda She Wrote, was an ode to the 1992 dancehall classic, Murder She Wrote by Chaka Demus & Pliers.

The soundtrack for the fourth instalment, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, features numerous Jamaican elements. The rapper Bia’s song, Oh No, had an interpolation of Red Rat’s 1997 hit, Tight Up Skirt. Then, Shenseea collaborated with Myke Towers on their contribution to the film, Bam Bam. The title is a nod to Bam Bam by Sister Nancy and the 1966 song by The Maytals of the same name. The other Jamaican musician on the soundtrack was Sean Paul who had two tracks on the collaboration: Bad Boys with Trueno and Light Em Up, with Will Smith. The latter marks Smith’s first musical release since his 2020 collaboration with Joyner Lucas on Will (Remix). On his contribution to the franchise, Sean Paul told The Sunday Gleaner:

“I like how I sound on both tracks. It feels good to represent the culture on this platform.”

Still, as the franchise moves closer to becoming a billion-dollar venture, it is important to remember the way Jamaican culture has helped in this major accomplishment.

J.T. Davy is a member of the historical and political content collective, Tenement Yaad Media, where she co-produces their popular historical podcast, Lest We Forget. She is also a writer at the regional collective, Our Caribbean Figures. Send feedback to jordpilot@hotmail.com and entertainment@gleanerjm.com.