Baz Lurhmann’s latest movie, an adaptation of The Great Gatsby got a ton of flak before it was even released, mainly due to the Jay-Z produced soundtrack. Now personally, I think Hova is the MAN, so I’ve been loving the soundtrack for awhile, and yesterday I finally got to see how it all fit in the big picture of the movie. Personally, I think people are up in arms over not much. You’d think Hova was playing Nick Carraway and narrating, rather than the snippets of music heard in parties, and one two second scene of some Harlem jazz cats being driven by a white chauffeur. I thought it absolutely worked.

“The hip-hop soundtrack, too, stemmed from Luhrmann’s understanding of Fitzgerald as an unflinching modernist. “He took African-American street music, jazz, and he put it front and center in the novel,” Luhrmann said. “He did that because he wanted the book to feel immediate and dangerous.” But the jazz of the 1920s has long since matured into something “classical and quaint,” so Luhrmann turned to a newer form: hip hop.”- HuffPo

The only time the music took me out of the movie was when “Crazy In Love” came on, and that’s only because I’m sick of Beyonce, so it has no sway on my opinion since I’m biased there. This soundtrack flowed much better than that “Roxanne” tango in Moulin Rouge, at least Daisy didnt start singing the Lana Del Ray song! I’ve noticed now that most of the people complaining about the music haven’t seen the movie, and that’s a scary, quick judging way to live. Don’t miss this movie because you don’t think hip hop should be played, you are missing what I believe is Leo DiCaprio’s best performance in years (he’s always good, but Gatsby is just THE role for him). Most if it is just hip hop beats with sultry vocals, and there is only really one rap in it, Jay-Z in “$100 Bill”. You are doing yourself a disservice if you skip this because of that ten seconds.

Besides, the theater was mainly younger people, they would not be coming in droves to see this movie were it not for the soundtrack (Leo is a little too old and jowly for teen crushes). I will never complain about more people potentially reading a book. Can’t wait for that Death Metal Anna Karenina adaptation!!

soundtrack sampler

whole soundtrack