From Flappers to Rappers

The 20’s was known for all of their jazzy music and crazy parties. This was an era filled with excitement and rebellion. Alcohol was illegal, yet this did not stop people from their heavy partying. At this time, people wanted to be rich and live the luxurious life like Gatsby, in the movie “The Great Gatsby.” Another thing citizens were going crazy over was money. Everyone just wanted to find a way to get rich quick. Alcohol, money, sex, and music was shaping a whole new era, which we now call “the Roaring 20’s.” I think combining the two different types of music was a very good idea to use for this movie. In the article they refer to this fusing of music as sliding doors. This is so accurate because like sliding doors, the two genres of music overlap each other. This is very creative because it keeps the classic feel of the song. The jazz helps set the tone of the movie in the 1920’s. On the other hand, the more modern music shakes it up and helps keep the viewers more interested. This is so because the viewers will like listening to music that they haven’t heard before but with the voice of hit pop stars in this generation. When listening through these songs, even if you haven’t seen the movie, like myself, it is still so easy to picture what a speakeasy would be like, or even better, a “Gatsby party.” This album does a great job of making a large range of music. There is a song for every kind of emotion and tone that you could think of. For example, the song “$100 Bill” portrays the love for money during the time. Anyone would do anything just to earn a few extra bucks. In the next song on the album, “Back to Black,” you can tell that the tone of this song is dark. This would definitely be used for a sad scene in the movie. It brings dark vibes and a lonely feel. Another example is the song “Bang Bang.” This song is a song that people would party to. It is very upbeat and just make you want to dance. If you watch the video, it is set to resemble the time of the 70’s. Will.I.Am also scats in this song. This is cool because this is something many artists did in the 20’s and it’s cool to see him bring that style back. There is a classical start, then a techno beat comes in and gives it a little modern flavor. I really like the way that Jay-Z incorporates artists like Fergie, Beyonce, Kanye West, Lana Del Ray, and all the others artists. It was very smart to use these artists that everyone knows to attract listeners. Also, they all have various types of music that they sing so there is rap, pop, and even slow songs. This is key to a good album. There must be songs that listeners can listen to when they want to listen to upbeat, happy music, but there must also be songs that listeners can listen to when they are sad or lonely. Overall, I think the clash of the jazz and modern day music was a success.