Comic, actor, and host of Black Movie Soundtrack, Craig Robinson calls the tribute concert “a hug for your soul.” For over a decade, the Hollywood Bowl has been the place where Black film and music can come together to comfort, uplift, honor, and excite.
From the trailblazing performances of Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier to the revolutionary storytelling of filmmakers like Spike Lee, Ava DuVernay, and Ryan Coogler, Black film has shaped how generations of people see identity, joy, resistance, and love on screen. And like the movies themselves, the accompanying soundtracks and scores have left an indelible mark on the Black arts canon, continuing to foster solidarity across generations of creatives and entertainers.
Black Movie Soundtrack was born from the belief that the music of Black film deserves a stage of its own. First held at the Hollywood Bowl in 2014, the concert series was created by a pair of visionary artists: Reginald Hudlin—a director, screenwriter, and Oscar-nominated producer known for House Party (1990), Boomerang (1992), and Django Unchained (2012)—and Marcus Miller—the Grammy-winning bassist and composer acclaimed for his collaborations with Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, and countless others who have shaped the sounds of modern R&B and jazz.
Together, they produced a one-of-a-kind concert experience that honors the legacy of Black movie soundtracks through live performances and a selection of film clips. The very first installment of the series was a hit. It featured Stormy Weather (1943), Super Fly (1972), Purple Rain (1984), The Bodyguard (1992), Waiting to Exhale (1995), and other cultural touchstones. Chuck D and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy rocked the stage with “Fight the Power,” from Do the Right Thing (1989); members of En Vogue stole the show with their cover of “Something He Can Feel,” from Sparkle (1976); and many more joined in for the celebration.
“When you sit in the theater, and you see someone who looks like you, that’s a really big thing,” Hudlin says.
“We remember that so much, because we didn’t see it. The most emails I ever got in my life after one show was after Black Movie Soundtrack. It wasn’t just about this music. It was about being proud of the history.
With so much ground to cover, Hudlin says, the most challenging part of the event is selecting the songs. “When I first pitched the show, I made a list. I didn’t look [anything] up. Just off the top of the dome, [I decided] these are the songs that must be in the show. I stopped at 120.” After finding out they could fit only about 12 songs in the program, Hudlin and Miller knew Black Movie Soundtrack couldn’t just be a one-night-only event.
Eleven years and a few installments later, Black Movie Soundtrack has paid tribute to a multitude of movies and their music through outstanding performances by Earth, Wind & Fire, Charlie Wilson, Gladys Knight, Babyface, Common, El DeBarge, Chaka Khan—the list goes on!
After the most recent installment, the LA Sentinel said, “Just when you thought Black Movie Soundtrack could not get any better, it did.”
On September 10, Black Movie Soundtrack is taking over the Bowl a fifth time, hosted once again by beloved comic and actor Craig Robinson (The Office, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Cleveland Show). Joined by Derrick Hodge and the Color of Noize Orchestra, Robinson and the creators are setting the bar higher than ever with actor Miles Caton (Sinners) and Bun B from the legendary hip-hop duo UGK..
More than a tribute, Black Movie Soundtrack is a living, breathing mixtape of cultural memory, reminding us that these films and the music that carries them aren’t just entertainment. They can reflect authentic hope, humor, and heartbreak, reminding us that the collective Black experience is worth celebrating on one of the world’s greatest stages.