The late Paul Walker and his co-stars on the poster for the movie ‘The Fast and the Furious.’ Photo from www.moviepostershop.com
The sudden death of Paul Walker has left a lot of us longtime fans of the film franchise wondering about its future. And one of the most commonly asked questions is: “How will the ‘The Fast and the Furious’ continue without him ?
I have always found Paul Walker to be one of the cool factors in the ‘The Fast and the Furious’ films. Aside from the character of Vin Diesel, of course, it was Paul Walker who also kept us going to watch the new installments to the original film released way back in 2001. What was initially planned to be a one-time film turned out to be such a huge financial success for the studio. Before we knew it, we would be hearing once again those engines rev up and take us for another thrill-ride!
As each sequel was released, then another one, each new installment only proved that the original concept behind the first film had not lost its touch with moviegoers. In a way, it was like watching a drama unfold as the storylines got bigger, more imaginative and more bold–from street racing to now almost anti-hero roles for the lead characters in the latest three sequels.
Paul Walker portrayed such a beloved character in those films. I can’t imagine watching another sequel without his participation in it. Such a tragic loss is his passing for the industry! The actor was only 40-years old.
In a tribute to Paul Walker, here are my own top three songs from and inspired by ‘The Fast and the Furious’ films and how I view these songs as they were used to relate to each respective film.
Here they are:
1. “Furious” by Ja Rule — I still remember when I heard this song from Ja Rule when it was featured in the end credits. Ja Rule at the time was one of the hottest artists in Hip-Hop and to have him contribute a song to the first film only added more noterity with the film’s then large cult following.
Ja Rule’s spit and rhyme rap verses in “Furious” were matched with the first film’s high-octane power. Beginning from the intro of “Furious”, you would think you were hearing engines revving up and getting ready to start the race.
The first film had a much darker and grittier tone than what would be the next succeeding sequels. The character of Brian O’ Conner (played by the late Paul Walker) was still an undercover cop here trying to infiltrate the street racing scene and wanting to gain the trust of Dominic Toretto, portrayed by Vin Diesel. The word “tension” is the best way to describe some of the earliest scenes they had together.
2. “Act a Fool” by Ludacris – This song was part of the OST of ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ which was the first sequel to the original film. This movie was also where Ludacris made his on screen debut as Tej Parker, an ex-street racer and a friend of Brian’s. The character of Tej Parker would later on reappear starting in ‘Fast Five.’
When “Act a Fool” was released, this was at the peak of the resurgence of Hip-Hop in the mainstream scene in the States. And Ludacris at the time was one of the best known rappers to represent another branch of Hip-Hop called the “dirty south”!
This song really kicked off the association of Ludacris with ‘The Fast and the Furious’ film franchise because this particular song was to become more memorable to fans than his onscreen presence in ‘2 Fast 2 Furious.’ He would later on have bigger roles in succeeding sequels as its storyline progressed.
3. “Deep Enough” (Remix) by Live – I have been a follower of the band Live since the late 90’s. When I heard the remix of this track being played in the intro scene for Brian O’ Conner in the first film, ‘The Fast and the Furious,’ that right there effectively set the mood for what Brian O’ Conner was about to get himself into and the dangers that went along with being an undercover cop, particularly when Brian was beginning to show some serious interest with Dominic’s sister Mia Toretto portrayed by Jordana Brewster.
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On a side note, I have been hearing a lot of cars speeding down our streets in the village the last two nights ever since the news of Paul Walker’s sudden death was reported. My area was once no stranger to street racing, but to hear again in the wee hours the sound of these speeding cars with blaring music are, no doubt, for you, Paul Walker.
May you rest in peace.