There have been a few different films based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. The most recent was in 2013 directed by Baz Luhrmann. As many know, the story of The Great Gatsby takes place in the the Roaring Twenties. It was a time full of flappers, speakeasies, bootleggers and so much culture.
What's different about this interpretation of the time period is that instead of the usual big band and swing, the music has been replaced with modern, yet re-imagined hip-hop and R&B.
While the use of modern music might seem out of place for a period film such as this, it actually works very well. Since a lot of modern hip-hip music and culture is about growing wealth, this particular film works well with it as it depicts the Twenties as a culture of prosperity and wealth itself. Songs such as Jay-Z's "100$ Bill," and Fergie, Q-Tip and GoonRock's "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" have lyrics that depict the lavish lifestyle of Gatsby and his party patrons and the much of the modern hip-hop culture.
In contrast to some of the modern music, there are also covers of older songs that have been re-imagined to sound like older big band and swing classics. One such example is the Roxy Music song "Love is The Drug," performed by The Bryan Ferry Orchestra.
The film's soundtrack was in fact produced by Jay-Z. As a true mogul and figure in the hip-hop industry he was able to gather a group of musicians that is a great representation of the times. Artists such as Kanye West, Beyonce, Jack White, Lana Del Rey and Florence + The Machine.
Overall this Roaring Twenties period film works extremely well in its use of much more modern hip-hop and R&B in its soundtrack. Jay-Z compiled a line up of artists and songs that complement the characters and settings in the film.
Here's a playlist of the songs featured in the soundtrack:
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