Everyone is talking about The Great Gatsby right now, with the premiere of Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel premiering globally this week. Luhrmann apparently sees an alignment with the decadence of the roaring twenties and modern society, and controversially chose none other than Jay-Z to score the film. In anticipation of the film we cracked open our high school mandated copies of The Great Gatsby and came up with a list of seven songs that we wish the Jigga man would include in the silver screen adaption.
THE MOMENT:
“A phrase began to beat in my ears with a sort of heady excitement: ‘There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy and the tired.” – Nick Carraway
THE SONG:
Rick Ross – Hustlin’
Our protagonist Nick Carraway moves into the up and coming suburb of West Egg and starts to realise that in the world of new money, everyone is on their grind in one way or another. No one understands this better than Ricky Rozay, I mean have you even heard the intro to this song? There’s no way that Ross didn’t scan the spark notes for The Great Gatsby before knocking this track out in the studio – “The playboy’s paradise, pretty girls fast cars, but that’s just a facade. The bridge separates South Miami and my Miami”. You mean like the difference between West Egg and East Egg? LITERARY ALLUSIONS. The Teflon Don is a modern day Gatsby, hustling to get paid. Although as far as we know Gatsby never lost a Rebook sponsorship.
THE MOMENT:
“One of those men who reach such an acute limited excellence at twenty-one that everything afterward savors of anti-climax.” – Nick Carraway
THE SONG:
Chief Keef – Finally Rich
The above is Nick’s description of high school buddy Tom Buchanan – the quintessential all American jock. Tom’s triumphs in on the football fields of his youth constantly overshadow the rest of his adult life, with the glory of his youth fading as he moves toward middle age. Who better to understand the struggles of early success than Chief Keef (except maybe Macaulay Culkin)? I mean we’re talking about a guy who called his debut album “Finally Rich”. The dude lives with his grandma and isn’t legally allowed to drink, but he’s signed a $6 million record deal and got a co-sign from ‘Ye. If anyone knows the pressure of living up to the accomplishments of their youth it’s Keef. Or at least it will be in a few years when he gets old enough to develop a sense of hindsight.
THE MOMENT:
“Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away.” – Nick Carraway
THE SONG:
T-Pain – I’m N Luv (Wit A Stripper) 2 [Tha Remix]
Our boy Nick embarks on a doomed romance with the sassy and mysterious professional golf player Jordan Baker. Much like every stripper in the universe (according to pop psychology), Jordan is jaded by the world around her and deeply cynical. T-Pain’s deep-seated love for his favourite stripper is ultimately unattainable, a fact that torments the auto-tune king. Staring into the face of an existential crisis, T-pain finds comfort in the club girls – whereby a single stripper becomes a metaphor for every woman in the world. Truly this track perfectly embodies the conflicting emotions that drive Nick to personal anguish.
THE MOMENT:
“‘You look so cool.’
Their eyes met, and they stared together at each other, alone in space. With an effort she glanced down at the table.
‘You always look so cool,’ she repeated.” – Daisy Buchanan
THE SONG:
A$AP Rocky – Fashion Killa
Daisy Buchanan is the siren that drive Jay Gatsby to attain material wealth. What better pair to this scene than the anthem of Harlem’s own pretty motherfucker? The vacuousness of Rocky’s endless list of designer brands perfectly mirrors Gatsby’s empty lifestyle. You can bet that if Daisy B were around in 2013 she’d be rockin’, rollin’, swaggin’ to the max dipped in Escada/Balenciaga/Lanvin/Balmain/Goyard/Ann Demeuelemeester. Much like Rocky, Gatsby started with nothing before exploding onto the scene with an unparalleled sense of style and decadence.
THE MOMENT:
‘I know I’m not very popular. I don’t give big parties. I suppose you’ve got to make your house into a pigsty in order to have any friends.’ – Tom Buchanan
THE SONG:
DJ Khaled – No New Friends (Feat. Drake, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne & Future)
Tom is from old money, and he’s deeply suspicious of the hanger-ons and posers who flock to the society types. Who better to illustrate this than DJ Khaled and Drake with their mantra of ‘No new friends’. If you weren’t down during the wheelchair Jimmy days, then you’re not down. That’s just the way it is.
THE MOMENT:
“I began to like New York, the racy, adventurous feel of it at night and the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and women and machines gives to the restless eye.” – Nick Carraway
THE SONG:
Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – ‘Empire State of Mind’
Well this one pretty much writes itself, doesn’t it? Plus it’s seems unfair to write this list and not include a track from HOV himself. Also, I’m pretty sure if Gatsby was alive today both he and Jay would be in the illuminati. JOURNALISM.
THE MOMENT:
“‘They’re such beautiful shirts,’ she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. ‘It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such—such beautiful shirts before.” – Daisy Buchanan
THE SONG:
Squadda B – Leave Da Tags On 2K12 Ft. MondreM.A.N
Daisy is completely overwhelmed by the strength of Gatsby’s clothes game. The sheer force of his wardrobe physically moves her to tears. I’m pretty sure that’s the exact same reaction most people would have to the sight of Squadda B walking down the street dipped head to toe in new designer gear, price tags gently swaying in the breeze. You know, tears or hysterical laughter – whatever works. Shoutouts to Squadda for having one of the best album covers in the game tho.