Gatsby and the Similarities of Hip-Hop and Jazz Cultures

In American literature, The Great Gatsby is responsible for helping to form the cultural idea and image of the jazz age in the 1920s, especially the decadence of young, rich socialites. Jay Gatsby, though a tragic character, is still a playboy millionaire—part of the same club as Bruce Wayne, Rockefeller, Paul Newman, and Leonardo DiCaprio (who both portray the character in the film adaptations). Gatsby conjures images of freely flowing champagne, parties in mansions, beautiful cars and clothes, and passionate and chaotic relationships. Using these criteria of lifestyle and demeanor, it becomes possible to add two more names to the list: Kanye West and Jay-Z, the latter of whom convinced director Baz Luhrmann to update the soundtrack to be more inclusive of hip-hop in order to get the attention of a younger audience in his 2013 film adaptation of Fitzgerald’s novel. Going beyond marketing, Luhrmann artistically integrated the hip-hop soundtrack to make a cultural point and thematic connection between the hip-hop lifestyle and the lifestyle as depicted in The Great Gatsby. Jay-Z’s and Baz Luhrmann’s decision to use a hip-hop soundtrack in the 2013 film version of The Great Gatsby shows the similarities between the lifestyles of opulence and decadence and the similarities in experience and musical identity in today’s hip-hop culture and the jazz age of the 1920s. 

Luhrmann connects the jazz age and modern hip-hop culture early in the film. In one of the introductory scenes of the film, Nick Carraway narrates that the “tempo of the city has reached hysteria” (The Great Gatsby 2013). Simultaneously, the 1920s-era music playing in the background grows louder, and Jay-Z’s “No Church in the Wild” lyrics begins to play over the montage image of a booming Wall Street and New York: “Tears on the mausoleum floor/ Blood stains the Coliseum doors/ Lies on the lips of priests/ Rollin’ in the Rolls Royce Corniche” (The Great Gatsby). The use of this specific lyric conjures a trip through history, from ancient Rome to the 20th century, and the juxtaposition of the 1920s images on screen with the contemporary music shares in that connection. The film is expressing the idea that motifs through history are the same, whether it is gladiators in combat or the image of Jay-Z the hustler riding through the streets of New York. The other connection is the “bling,” the Rolls-Royce as a symbol of wealth since it began producing cars in the early 1900s. In fact, few other car brands would serve as the perfect literal symbol for wealth in the 1920s jazz age and in the 2000s hip-hop culture. 

One common form of decadence associated with both hip-hop culture and the jazz age is the wild partying. In the first party that Nick attends with his college buddy Tom, the scene of dancing, kissing, and champagne copiously spraying is accompanied by Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Who Gon [sic] Stop Me.” Meanwhile, on the street outside the party, Luhrmann has placed a black trumpet player who is accompanying the song in a combination of jazz and hip-hop melody, adding the sound of the 1920s to the sound of the 2000s in a perfect combination to accompany a shared value between hip-hop culture and the jazz age for boisterous partying (The Great Gatsby). The audience member, like Nick, is transported into what Luhrmann depicts as a timeless ritual for which two musical cultures are perfectly suited.

Aside from the physical accouterments that decorate jazz and hip-hop culture such as the wild parties and expensive cars, there is the shared connection of white middle-class perception of jazz in the 1920s being very similar to white middle-class perception of hip-hop culture in the 2000s. Mitchell Breitwieser’s essay, “Jazz Fractures: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Epochal Representation” illuminates Fitzgerald’s uncanny understanding of how jazz culture is perceived by white culture:

[Fitzgerald’s feeling about the meaning of jazz]… accords with the subsequent judgment of cultural and social historians: thought of primarily in terms of its conspicuous and propulsive rhythm, jazz came to emblematize for white Americans both an erotic vitality nearly lost in an effete society (but still effective among African Americans) and the pace of postwar technological modernity. (368)

The idea of jazz, rock, funk, and rap being primarily African-American musical forms that are appropriated by the larger white culture is not new; however, what is key is Fitzgerald’s understanding of the American Dream and the eroticism and growth associated with a “boom” industry. One theme in The Great Gatsby is Nick’s inability to cope with his sudden catapult into a higher socioeconomic bracket. When Jay-Z raps about making money as Nick gets his first tour of a speakeasy with Gatsby, the association of the music to a character is not Jay-Z to Gatsby, but Jay-Z to Nick. The “rags to riches” motif is present in a lot of hip-hop songs, and it is most exciting to popular imagination if it follows a “boom” trajectory—from the streets to the penthouse in one stanza, from a shack to a mansion in one cut. Nobody cares about the person who spent 40 years saving diligently and investing wisely—the most colorful and remembered characters are the flamboyant, young, and successful, depicted in both the film and the soundtrack. One need only replace “pace of postwar technological modernity” with “pace of economic modernity” to accurately describe many of the themes of hip-hop music today.

Of course, the decision to use a modern soundtrack of current popular artists is part marketing. It is doubtful that Luhrmann could have created a major Hollywood film scored entirely by music from the 1920s. In his article for MTV News, James Montgomery notes that “purists panicked” when Luhrmann released the trailer that featured Jay-Z’s soundtrack, fearing that he had gone too commercial (2013). Commercial films must always tread a line between artistic and investor concerns, and in fact many of the artists on the soundtrack are not hip-hop artists, including Florence and the Machine (a goth-inspired but soulful rock group), Gotye (alternative pop singer), and The XX (alternative rock). Their inclusion in the soundtrack has no connection to the jazz age or hip-hop culture. However, as Luhrmann explains in an interview:

“[The idea] didn't come from 'Let's make a great soundtrack, it came from Fitzgerald. When he wrote that book… he was in the moment, and the music of the moment was African-American street music called Jazz, and when he put Jazz music in Gatsby, everyone was like, 'What are you crazy? It's a fad.' And then he put Hit Parade songs, pop songs—the equivalent of Lana Del Rey singing a beautiful ballad.” (Montgomery 2013)

So while it is most certainly true that the soundtrack was created with the purpose of selling tickets to see the film and copies of the album, it still maintains an artistic integrity that connects jazz and hip hop as cultural signifiers of their time. It is also worth mentioning that one of the largest connections between hip-hop and the jazz age is missing from the film—a heavy African American presence. The fault is not Luhrmann’s, it is with Fitzgerald, who appropriated a musical style for his book but, as argued previously, did so for the thematic purpose of exploring white appropriation of the black musical culture. 

In terms of black musical culture, hip hop shares many similarities with jazz that are not present in other musical cultures. Alridge and Stewart lay out criteria for measuring “culture” against just the music: “Hip Hop has encompassed not just a musical genre, but also a style of dress, dialect and language, way of looking at the world, and an aesthetic that reflects the sensibilities of a large population of youth born between 1965 and 1984” (190). The jazz style of dress included flapper dresses and zoot suits, both meant to convey a style of refinement but also edge, refined but modern. Dresses were designed to become more engaging when the woman was dancing, so the emphasis was on flash and movement. Hip hop culture, being born in the age of the music video, echoes the style of flash and movement in a way that country or rock do not. Grunge, for example, was muted—muted guitars, muted lyrics, muted colors—thematic of angst and apathy. Jazz and hip hop, however, are paired in their explosive, frenetic movement. All musical cultures have a specific dialect, though jazz and hip hop have more in common, not in terms of shared vernacular, but in terms of speaking in code. In the 1920s, knowing the right way to talk would get you into a speakeasy, and speaking in linguistic code has become a trademark for a number of rappers, including Jay-Z. When he raps “I need a 100 bricks on them 100 blocks” it’s a code that only those in tune with the culture will understand, and it’s apropos for it’s placement in the film in a scene at a speakeasy (Gatsby).  Finally, as an aesthetic, jazz and hip hop embrace individuality, improvisation, and chaos. Whether a freestyling trumpet player or rapper, the performance is about spontaneity and collaboration. 

Baz Luhrmann’s collaboration with Jay-Z for creating a hip-hop soundtrack to accompany a movie set in the jazz age was coincidental. Both artists understood the connection between the two musical forms and cultures, as well as the similarities that were shared in the perception of middle-class white culture. Luhrmann adds thematic resonance and offers cultural commentary through the blending of the two similar musical forms in The Great Gatsby.

Annotated Bibliography

Alridge, D. and James Stewart. “Hip Hop in History: Past, Present, and Future.” The Journal of African American History 90.3 (2005): 190–195. Print. 

Alridge and Stewart discuss what hip hop “culture” is, particularly the signifiers or criteria used to encompass more than just the style of music. These criteria are important because of their similarity to criteria in jazz music and will help make the connection between the two musical cultures clear.

Breitwieser, M. "Jazz Fractures: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Epochal Representation." American Literary History  12.3(2000): 359–381. Print.

Breitwieser helps unpack “jazz” culture from its roots to its place in American consciousness through the lens of Fitzgerald’s work. His discussion of the “Jazz Age” illuminates some key motifs that are present in both jazz culture and hip-hop culture, particularly eroticism and kineticism.

The Great Gatsby. Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Toby Keith. Warner Brothers, 2013. Film.

This is the source of much of the film’s content, particularly director Luhrmann’s use of a modern soundtrack to comment on the similarities between the lifestyles of opulence and decadence and the similarities in experience and musical identity in today’s hip-hop culture and the jazz age of the 1920s.

Montgomery, James. "The Great Gatsby Soundtrack: Jay-Z and Baz Luhrmann Re-Invent the Jazz Age." MTV News. 8 May 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.

This article from MTV News, which has been accurately reporting entertainment and music news for 20 years, features information about the film’s soundtrack and excerpts from an interview with director Luhrmann about the artistic reasons for choosing a modern soundtrack. Montgomery points out Luhrmann’s use of pastiche in his other films, and Luhrmann explains the parallel of his soundtrack to Fitzgerald’s use of jazz in his work.