
Meanwhile, Scar visits the hyenas and convinces them to help him overthrow Mufasa in exchange for hunting rights in the Pride Lands. Though upset with Simba, Mufasa forgives him and explains that the great kings of the past watch over them from the night sky, from which he will one day watch over Simba. Mufasa hears about the incident from his majordomo, the hornbill Zazu, and rescues the cubs. He tricks Simba and his best friend Nala into exploring a forbidden elephants’ graveyard, where they are chased by a clan of hyenas led by the ruthless Shenzi. Mufasa’s younger brother, Scar, covets the throne and plots to get rid of Mufasa and Simba, so he may become king. Mufasa shows Simba the Pride Lands and explains to him the responsibilities of kingship and the “circle of life,” which connects all living things. Written by Ilya Salmanzadeh, Labrinth (as Timothy McKenzie), and Beyoncé. Beyoncé appears courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi present their newborn son, Simba, to the gathering animals by Rafiki the mandrill, the kingdom’s shaman, and advisor. Performed by Beyoncé, Donald Glover, Billy Eichner, and Seth Rogen.

In the Pride Lands of Africa, a pride of lions rules over the animal kingdom from Pride Rock. It is a photorealistic computer-animated remake of Disney’s traditionally animated 1994 film of the same name. The Gift, then, is a compilation of talents both African and Afro-diasporic strong enough to buttress the throne of the woman we’ve come to know as Queen Bey.The Lion King is a 2019 American musical drama film directed and produced by Jon Favreau, written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Fairview Entertainment. Family is a constant theme, with Beyoncé singing to her children directly on “BIGGER” and then about her father on “FIND YOUR WAY BACK." She’s procured contributions from some of her favorite US-born MCs, like Kendrick Lamar, co-star Childish Gambino, Tierra Whack, and, of course, the man co-captaining her household, JAY-Z. Artists like Mr Eazi, Yemi Alade, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, and Tekno sing in multiple languages about embracing blessings (“JA ARA E”), staying the path (“DON’T JEALOUS ME”), and rising into your own majesty (“KEYS TO THE KINGDOM”).

Not unlike the film, The Gift chronicles a saga of personal growth, filtered through some of the brightest stars in Afrobeats and Afrofusion.


The album, in fact, is a separate project from the film’s official soundtrack, but that doesn’t stop Beyoncé and a cohort of hand-selected talents from telling that timeless story of the Pride Lands through song. In the lead-up to the release of The Lion King: The Gift, a collection of music inspired by the 2019 reboot of the classic Disney film, Beyoncé remarked that the project was meant to be “a love letter to Africa.” As executive producer, Bey made it a point to solicit contributions from artists spanning a number of the continent’s many culturally rich traditions and regions, including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and South Africa.
