Mission: Impossible III (2006)

The theme to “Mission: Impossible” is not only well known, but iconic; originally written by Lalo Schifrin, the theme sets the stage for all the action and suspense to come. To interpret the theme for “M:i:III,” the filmmakers chose an artist who makes it contemporary while keeping it as familiar and classic as ever. Kanye West fit the bill. Hailed by TIME Magazine as “the smartest man in pop music,” West is the winner of six Grammys, a legendary music producer, and a multiplatinum-selling recording artist whose two albums, “The College Dropout” and “Late Registration,” have reinvented hip-hop. The choice of West continues the tradition of groundbreaking and innovative artists performing the classic theme, as members of U2 did in 1996 for “Mission: Impossible,” followed by Limp Bizkit in 2000 for “M:I–2.”

For Cruise, West was the only choice.

“When I work on music, I think visually,” says West. “Though this is my first opportunity to make a song specifically for a movie, I’ve always tried to make my music sound cinematic.”

West jokes that working with the theme represented a unique opportunity, one he couldn’t pass up: “I knew we could get the sample cleared, for a change,” he says. “‘You mean, I have permission?! I can use this?!’” West feels that he’s a natural fit with the explosive, bass-heavy theme. “I like music that’s both dark and melodic,” he says. “Tom put it best – when you hear that theme come in, it sounds mean. It puts you in exactly the right mood for what’s going to come.”

West also recorded an original song, “Impossible,” featuring Twista and Keisha Cole. The song is featured over the end credits of the film.

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