Hans Zimmer and Will.i.am. It’s a pairing that sounds like a fever dream or a corporate board meeting gone weirdly right. But back in 2008, that’s exactly what happened for the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa soundtrack. Honestly, most sequels just phone it in, but the music for this movie is arguably better than the film itself. It’s got this bizarre, infectious energy that blends prestige film scoring with mid-2000s hip-hop and traditional African rhythms. You've probably had "I Like to Move It" stuck in your head for fifteen years without even realizing who actually produced this specific version.
The thing about the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa soundtrack is that it doesn’t just lean on the "I Like to Move It" crutch, even though Will.i.am’s rework of the Reel 2 Real classic is everywhere in the marketing. Instead, Zimmer brought in the legendary Lebo M—the voice and spirit behind the Lion King—to ensure the African influences weren’t just caricatures. It’s a dense, weird, and surprisingly emotional collection of songs.
The Hans Zimmer and Will.i.am Collaboration Nobody Saw Coming
Hans Zimmer is the guy who does Inception and The Dark Knight. He’s the king of the "BWAHHH" sound. So, seeing him share a credit line with the frontman of the Black Eyed Peas felt like a glitch in the matrix. Yet, it worked. Will.i.am didn’t just provide a couple of radio hits; he served as a co-producer on several score tracks, bringing a rhythmic sensibility that Zimmer’s more orchestral background needed to land the "urban animals in the wild" vibe.
They basically spent months in the studio blending live percussion with electronic synths. It wasn’t just a "send me the file" situation. They actually worked together to make sure the music felt like a bridge between the New York zoo and the vast savannah. You can hear it in tracks like "Alex’s Courtship," where the playful strings get interrupted by a beat that feels like it belongs on a pop station.
Zimmer has often spoken about how animation gives him a weird kind of freedom. In live-action, you have to be "realistic." In a movie about a hippo falling for a giraffe? Anything goes. He used the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa soundtrack to experiment with African choral arrangements that were far more complex than your average kids' movie. He brought back Lebo M and a full South African choir to record in Los Angeles and London. It’s the real deal.
Why "The Traveling Song" is the Low-Key GOAT
If you ask anyone about this soundtrack, they’ll mention "I Like to Move It." But the real fans know it’s all about "The Traveling Song." It’s short. It’s catchy. It’s essentially Will.i.am just riffing on the idea of a long-haul flight on a plane held together by duct tape and monkeys.
There’s something about the way the lyrics are almost nonsensical—just listing things you see while traveling—that captures the chaotic energy of the movie. It’s a bop.
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But then you have "Big and Chunky."
Look, Moto Moto is a whole vibe. Will.i.am voicing a suave, muscular hippo and then singing a song about loving "chunky" women was a cultural reset for DreamWorks. It’s a funny track, sure, but the production is actually high-level. It’s got that heavy, distorted bassline that dominated 2008. Most kids' movie songs feel "safe," but this felt like it could have actually played in a club at 2:00 AM.
Breaking Down the Score: More Than Just Cartoons
A lot of people skip the instrumental tracks on a soundtrack. Don’t do that here. Zimmer’s work on "Foofie" and "Rescue Me" is genuinely moving. He uses these soaring brass sections that remind you he’s the same guy who scored Gladiator.
- "Once Upon a Time in Africa": This is the opening. It’s epic. It uses those deep, resonant African vocals to ground the movie. It tells the audience, "Yeah, we’re back in Africa, and it’s beautiful."
- "The Heist": This is where Zimmer gets to play with caper music. It’s fast-paced, rhythmic, and uses a lot of "found sound" percussion.
- "Monkeys Help Repair Plane": A frantic mix of orchestral swells and mechanical-sounding beats. It’s a great example of how the score mimics the physical comedy on screen.
The Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa soundtrack manages to avoid the "Disney-fication" of African music. It doesn’t try to be The Lion King Part 2. It’s funkier. It’s messier. It feels like a celebration rather than a museum exhibit.
The "I Like to Move It" Legacy
We have to talk about it. The song was originally a 1993 house hit by Reel 2 Real (featuring Mad Stuntman). Sacha Baron Cohen’s rendition in the first movie was a phenomenon. But for the sequel, Will.i.am took over.
He added more layers. More bass. More "Will.i.am-isms."
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While some purists might prefer the raw house energy of the original, the version on the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa soundtrack is the one that defined the franchise's peak. It’s the anthem of King Julien. It’s synonymous with the brand. It’s also one of the few songs that can get a four-year-old and a forty-year-old to dance at the same wedding.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Music
People think animation soundtracks are "easy." That they're just fluff. That’s a mistake.
Zimmer actually used some of the same technical frameworks here that he would later use in his more "serious" work. The way he layers vocals in this soundtrack isn't that far off from how he handled the soundscapes in Interstellar—just with a lot more smiling animals.
There’s a complexity to the rhythm sections. Using traditional drums alongside a Moog synthesizer isn't easy to balance. If you do it wrong, it sounds like a cheap "world music" preset on a keyboard. Zimmer and his team at Remote Control Productions (his massive studio in Santa Monica) spent a lot of time making sure the percussion felt "heavy." It has physical weight.
The Real Tracklist (The Standouts)
- Once Upon a Time in Africa – Hans Zimmer (The emotional core)
- The Traveling Song – Will.i.am (The earworm)
- Party! Party! Party! – Hans Zimmer (Chaotic energy)
- I Like to Move It – Will.i.am (The classic)
- The Heist – Hans Zimmer (The action)
- Big and Chunky – Will.i.am (The Moto Moto anthem)
- Alex’s Courtship – Hans Zimmer (The comedy-romance blend)
Honestly, if you haven't listened to "Once Upon a Time in Africa" in a while, go back to it. It’s some of Zimmer's best melodic work from that era.
How the Music Influenced Later DreamWorks Films
Before Madagascar, DreamWorks was still figuring out its musical identity. They had the Shrek model—mostly licensed pop songs—but Escape 2 Africa showed they could create a bespoke "sound" that blended score and pop. You can see this influence later in movies like Kung Fu Panda (also Zimmer) and How to Train Your Dragon.
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The Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa soundtrack proved that you could hire a world-class composer and a chart-topping pop star and they wouldn't just cancel each other out. It created a blueprint for the "modern" animated soundtrack.
It’s also surprisingly diverse. You have a cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," but it’s done in a way that feels fresh rather than a tired cliché. You have the energetic "Chums" that feels like a British pub singalong. It’s a weird mix, but the movie is a weird mix.
How to Experience the Soundtrack Today
If you're looking for a hit of nostalgia, don't just watch the clips on YouTube. Get the full album on a decent pair of headphones.
- Listen for the Vocal Layers: In the Hans Zimmer tracks, pay attention to the South African choir. The harmonies are incredibly tight.
- Feel the Bass: Especially on the Will.i.am tracks. These were mixed for 2008 car speakers, which means the low end is boosted.
- Check Out the Credits: See how many people it takes to make a "simple" cartoon soundtrack. It’s a massive list of orchestrators and programmers.
The Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa soundtrack isn't just a relic of the late 2000s. It’s a masterclass in how to do a sequel's music right. It honors the original, ups the ante, and isn't afraid to be a little bit ridiculous.
Practical Steps for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific musical world, there are a few things you should do. First, track down the physical CD if you're a collector; the liner notes actually give some cool insight into the recording sessions at Remote Control.
Next, compare this soundtrack to the first Madagascar score. You’ll notice how much "bigger" the second one feels. The first movie was a bit more tentative, but by the second one, Zimmer knew exactly what the "sound" of these characters was.
Finally, check out Zimmer’s other work with Lebo M outside of The Lion King. They have a shorthand that is basically unmatched in the film industry. When they work together, the music has a soul that's hard to replicate with just any session singers.
Go listen to "Big and Chunky" one more time. You know you want to. It’s still a masterpiece of 2000s pop-culture absurdity.