The rap-heavy version of Aladdin’s “Friend Like Me” by Will Smith and DJ Khaled is now available; listen to it here.
Guy Ritchie’s live-action version of Disney’s well-loved 1992 animated film, which stars Smith as the Genie, will officially open in theaters this Friday, May 24. The late Robin Williams, who voiced the Genie in the 1992 original film, is stepping into a role that made the actor famous.
The new movie includes the song “Friend Like Me,” which features Smith’s rendition of the well-known song composed by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The new soundtrack for Aladdin now includes both that rendition of “Friend Like Me” and a special version with Khaled in the “End Title.”
The Khaled-less version of “Friend Like Me” is the first one you can hear below.
Smith stated in a press release that he really wаnted to tinker with the song to see if he could add something to it when he initially entered the studio to record the Khaled-featuring version of “Friend Like Me.” After spending exactly thirty minutes in the studio, the song and the 94/96 BPM range were played. Hip hop from the old school is in that BPM range.
I then had them place the breakbeat underneath “Impeach Your President” by The Honey Drippers. I experimented with that. Additionally, I played around with “I Know You Got Soul” by Erik B. & Rakim under “Friend Like Me.” And I thought to myself, “Oh my god, I’m home.” I began experimenting with the hip-hop flavor, and the music is truly where the Genie originated in my head.
Meanwhile, Khaled released his highly anticipated new album, “Father of Asahd,” last week.
