Black Panther may have bared its claws when it comes to pulsating action and crafting a unique world, but it was the movie’s surreal comedic moments which stuck with me. One character who really hammers on the funny bone is, bizarrely, international arms dealer Ulysses Klaue, aka baddie Klaw. In fact, a throwaway line from the villain got me thinking what would be on his personal mixtape. Mild Black Panther spoilers to follow...
Early on the movie, Klaue is on the verge of sending Martin Freeman’s Everett K. Ross a Soundcloud link to his mixtape, after Ross comments that Klaue and his goons look like a band. It’s a stupidly silly gag, but one worth re-visiting. To find out what tunes and toe-tapping melodies would make its way into a Klaue-certified compilation, I went straight to the source.
“Everything from Mozart to jazz, actually. And Pink Floyd,” suggests Andy Serkis, when I sat down with him and Freeman to talk about the movie recently. There’d certainly be something apt about Comfortably Numb screeching through a pair of Klaue’s headphones…
His co-star Freeman felt something was missing, though. Klaue’s South African heritage needed to be represented somewhere, right? “A little bit of Boer folk music?” Freeman interjected.
There we have it, something classical, something sophisticated, something personal and… something Haddaway. Perfect. I've even made a Spotify playlist of what Ulysses Klaue’s mixtape might sound like, for those of you who want to jam along to the songs that inspire everyone’s favourite Vibranium dealer. Enjoy!
For a less musical look at Black Panther (but no less stirring), here's the 6 questions I have after watching the movie. Anyone got the answers?
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