"First Sunday" Soundtrack Lyrics

"First Sunday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

Can a heist movie pause for a praise break? First Sunday does exactly that. The soundtrack swings between church-floor gospel and radio-tested hip-hop, then stitches both to a warm, brass-tinted score. That blend lets the film crack jokes without losing its gentler core: two screw-ups, a neighborhood church, and a night that forces everyone to listen.

The original score is by Stanley Clarke (confirmed by StanleyClarke.com and film credits). His cues steer mood without elbowing the needle-drops; the gospel centerpiece—Kurt Carr’s “The Presence of the Lord Is Here,” performed on screen—lands diegetically, while secular cuts (Talib Kweli, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan affiliates) frame Baltimore street energy. Result: a soundtrack that plays reconciliation as much as robbery. Wikipedia and SoundtrackCollector also document the film’s music credits and limited CD info.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Stanley Clarke composed the original score; he’s credited on the film and on his official site.

Is there an official soundtrack album?

There wasn’t a wide retail soundtrack, but a Sony BMG promo CD was bundled with the DVD at Wal-Mart (May 6, 2008).

What’s the gospel song the choir performs in the church?

“The Presence of the Lord Is Here,” written/produced by Kurt Carr, performed onscreen by the film’s choir.

What’s the end-credits song?

“Live Again” performed by Michael Davis & Sasha Allen; produced by Rob Lewis; used over end titles.

Which hip-hop tracks are documented in the film?

Listings include Talib Kweli’s “Get By,” DMX’s “Party Up (Up in Here),” Galactic ft. Juvenile “From the Corner to the Block,” Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.,” and Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’ You.”

Who handled music supervision?

Spring Aspers is credited as music supervisor.

Does the mix lean more gospel or more hip-hop?

Both. Gospel anchors the narrative scenes in the church; hip-hop/old-school soul handle transitions, comedy beats, and exterior energy.

Notes & Trivia

• The choir performance is diegetic—Katt Williams conducts the singers in-scene.
• “Live Again” is identified as the end-title recording on release listings.
• Todd Bozung’s name appears in the music department and on several short library-style cues in soundtrack documentation (“T Dub,” “I Bought Gum,” “LLT”).
• Hip-hop selections documented for the film include artists with 1990s–2000s staples, giving the comedy a street-classic backbone.
• A limited Sony BMG promo CD tied to the DVD bundle surfaced in collectors’ databases.

Genres & Themes

Gospel → Grace under pressure. Full-choir worship numbers embody community, forgiveness, and the film’s moral turn inside the church.

Golden-era/2000s Hip-Hop → Hustle and noise. Kweli/DMX/Wu-Tang affiliates frame the outside world—funny, chaotic, cash-stressed.

Soul Standards → Irony and tenderness. Classic R&B stitches comedic intimacy to sentiment, a wink the movie uses often.

Contemporary score → Warm brass and rhythm section. Clarke’s cues bridge sacred-secular shifts without whiplash.

Tracks & Scenes

Scene placements below are drawn from on-screen moments and documented credits. Precise minute marks can vary by edition; where the movie itself shows the performance, we flag it as diegetic.

“The Presence of the Lord Is Here” – The First Sunday Choir (written/produced by Kurt Carr)
Scene: The choir erupts inside the sanctuary with Katt Williams conducting; full call-and-response, handclaps, and modulations. Diegetic performance.
Why it matters: It’s the film’s spiritual hinge; tension melts into communal joy as characters begin to hear one another.

“Live Again” – Michael Davis & Sasha Allen (prod. Rob Lewis)
Scene: End-title song over the credits; non-diegetic. Contemporary gospel/R&B ballad feel.
Why it matters: Seals the film’s restorative arc and sends viewers out on uplift rather than punchline.

“Get By” – Talib Kweli
Where it plays: Documented in the film’s music listings; used as a kinetic transition cue (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: The “Sinnerman” sample (Nina Simone) ties personal grind to moral reckoning—perfect for a comedy about second chances.

“Party Up (Up in Here)” – DMX
Where it plays: Listed among the licensed tracks; brief hype needle-drop (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Injects rowdy energy to contrast the church’s order—comic relief before the sermon lands.

“From the Corner to the Block” – Galactic feat. Juvenile
Where it plays: Credited in the film; used as groove-forward connective tissue (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Brass-funk meets bounce—bridging Clarke’s band sensibility with street rhythm.

“C.R.E.A.M.” – Wu-Tang Clan
Where it plays: Documented in the soundtrack credits; punchy excerpt (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Cash rules everything around the plot—on-the-nose, and that’s the joke.

“Lovin’ You” – Minnie Riperton
Where it plays: Listed in music sources; soft-focus source needle-drop (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: A sweet classic used with comic delicacy—sentiment undercuts scheming.

Hymns: “We Shall Overcome”; “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
Where it plays: Credited; brief congregational/source moments, diegetic.
Why it matters: Grounds the comedy in lived church tradition.

Short cues / library-style stings (“T Dub,” “I Bought Gum,” “LLT”)
Where it plays: Credited to Todd Bozung; transitional gags and scene buttons.
Why it matters: Keeps the pace light between larger songs and Clarke’s score.

Music–Story Links

When Durell and LeeJohn storm the sanctuary, it’s the choir—not the gun—that eventually commands the room. By letting a diegetic praise song fill the space, the film shifts power from schemers to community. Later, the end-title “Live Again” reframes the night’s chaos as testimony: confession, mercy, and resolve. And whenever the plot steps back onto the street, hip-hop syncs slide in to remind us why money pressure drove the plan in the first place.

How It Was Made

Score by Stanley Clarke (jazz legend; electric and acoustic bass textures with rhythm-section color). Music supervision by Spring Aspers, whose Sony tenure is well-documented. Kurt Carr contributed the gospel showpiece, written and produced by him and performed onscreen. The mix balances licensed hip-hop and soul with Clarke’s warm, lightly comic orchestration—never drowning dialogue, never fighting the choir.

Reception & Quotes

Critical response was mixed-to-negative overall (Rotten Tomatoes score in the teens; Metacritic around low-40s), while audience polling (CinemaScore) was stronger. A few review lines capture the split:

“Pleasant, generally satisfying… heart as big as its funny bone.” James Berardinelli, ReelViews

“Feels like a script read-through… warmth carries you through cliché.” A.O. Scott, The New York Times

“A lazy replication of Perry’s blend of melodrama and broad humor.” Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

Availability note: a promo CD surfaced in collectors’ circles; no wide digital OST release.

Additional Info

• Composer credit verified by on-screen credits and StanleyClarke.com.
• End-title “Live Again” is identified as such on release notes for the single.
• Gospel centerpiece is a full in-scene performance; many uploads preserve the moment.
• Hip-hop selections align with Sony’s licensing lanes of the period.
• Some short cues are editorial/library pieces credited to music department staff.
• Promo CD (Sony BMG) noted as packaged with specific DVD retail bundles in 2008.

Technical Info

• Title: First Sunday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — songs & score in film
• Year: 2008 (U.S. theatrical: January 11, 2008)
• Type: Film soundtrack & score (no wide commercial album)
• Composer: Stanley Clarke
• Music Supervision: Spring Aspers
• Notable placements: “The Presence of the Lord Is Here” (onscreen choir); “Live Again” (end credits); “Get By”; “Party Up”; “From the Corner to the Block”; “C.R.E.A.M.”; “Lovin’ You”; traditional hymns.
• Release context: Limited Sony BMG promo CD with some DVD bundles (May 6, 2008).
• Label/album status: No wide OST; scattered single/track releases exist.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Wikipedia; StanleyClarke.com; SoundtrackCollector; IMDb Soundtracks; Ringostrack.

November, 09th 2025