Black Caesar

James Brown's original soundtrack album for the 1973 blaxploitation film classic Black Caesar is being reissued on 180-gram vinyl with faithfully replicated artwork.

Released in February 1973, Black Caesar is a gangster drama set in Harlem, written and directed by Larry Cohen and starring Fred Williamson, Gloria Hendry, D'Urville Martin, and Julius Harris. The film's script was originally commissioned by Sammy Davis Jr., who was ultimately unavailable to participate in the production, and its original score was James Brown's first foray into writing music for the screen. Pieces of Brown's soundtrack, which also features the J. B.'s and Lyn Collins, have since been notably sampled in tracks by top rap artists, including "The Boss," sampled by Ice-T in "You Played Yourself," by Trick Daddy in "Take It To Da House," and by Nas in "Get Down," among others. Black Caesar's soundtrack also features the Bodie Chandler and Barry De Vorzon-written single arranged by J. B.'s band director Fred Wesley, "Down And Out In New York City," which peaked at No. 13 onBillboard's R&B chart and at No. 50 on the Pop chart. For the release of this album, Brown began calling himself "The Godfather of Soul," a moniker that's fittingly how the world has known him since.