Office Space

Audio Compact Disc

Label: Interscope

Category: Rap

Office Space

UPC: 606949030827

Release Date: 02/16/1999

Original Release Date: 02/16/1999

Number of Discs: 1

Adam Bregman

The soundtrack to a hilarious comedy directed by Mike Judge of Beavis & Butthead fame, the Office Space soundtrack features a slew of old school gangsta rap tunes, as well as newer rap songs composed specifically for this soundtrack. Office Space concerned the hell of wage slavery, a torturous lifetime spent in cubicles and retail establishments with little hope of escape. In the movie, a group of lowly employees take on the man in various symbolic and humorous ways. Despite being damn funny and smartly written, Office Space wasn't a big hit at the box office. As impressive as the movie is its gangsta rap-heavy sound. Undoubtedly, Judge, who helped produce the soundtrack with Karyn Rachtman, is no novice when it comes to hip-hop. The soundtrack (and the movie in one incredibly silly scene) features a forgotten gangsta rap masterpiece from Scarface, "No Tears," where Scarface issues mad threats against some unnamed foes and drops bombs on everything in sight. It's one of the hardest-sounding tunes that gangsta rap ever gave birth to. Then there are a couple of knockout numbers from Scarface's former group, the Geto Boys: "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" and "Still." They've uncovered an overlooked, smoothly delivered cruising tune from Ice Cube, "Down for Whatever," which is atypically mellow for him. A couple of newer tunes having to do with the anti-work theme -- "Shove This Jay-Oh-Bee" from Canibus and Biz Markie, which incorporates bits from "Take This Job and Shove It," and Lisa Stone's decent cover of Dolly Parton's "9-5" -- are wedged in between all the old school numbers. Hollywood movies often feature hip-hop soundtracks, but rarely with a group of songs as fierce-sounding as these. ~ Adam Bregman, Rovi