The Continental: What Song Plays During The Opening Credits Of The John Wick Series?
If there's one thing every "John Wick" movie has, with its world of assassins, markers, and coins worth more than their weight in gold, it's style, something that also extends to the franchise's TV spin-off, "The Continental: From the World of John Wick." But beyond looking the part, each entry in the bullet-riddled franchise has to sound the part too, from its score to its trailers (the song in the final trailer for "John Wick: Chapter 4," Nas' "Got Ur Self a Gun," is a highlight). "The Continental" achieves this thanks to its gorgeous kaleidoscopic intro.
The flurry of silhouettes and shootouts in the opening credits of "The Continental" is accompanied by a pitch-perfect tune to ease in the audience. But what is this classic earworm that's hitting all the right notes for Winston's (Colin Woodell) impending effort to take over the iconic hotel? It's "Hard Times" by Baby Huey, an artist whom many feel needs to be remembered far more than he already is.
Hard Times has been sampled by some true hip-hop legends
The grand opening of "The Continental" is backed by a song that is sadly laced with tragedy. "Hard Times" was released on the 1971 album "The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend," which was released posthumously following the death of singer James "Baby Huey" Ramey, who died from a drug-related heart attack. He was 26. While the album wasn't actually successful upon release, over time, it has become widely regarded among artists today as one of the greats, becoming a treasure trove for samples decades later.
"Hard Times" has been sampled in 79 songs, including "Can I Kick It? (Spirit Mix)" by A Tribe Called Quest; "Buck 50" by Ghostface Killah feat. Method Man, Cappadonna, and Redman; and "Compton" by the Game feat. will.i.am. John Legend and the Roots also covered the song on their 2010 album "Wake Up!" With credits like that, it's clear why such a classic made its way to the front of the queue for "The Continental," arguably turning a fairly impressive intro into an even greater one you'll be glad to see and hear more than once.