Jay Z's <em>American Gangster</em>

Abstract

Rappers have long been influenced by the gangster film genre, but rarely have hip-hop artists had the necessary access and means to produce a work like American Gangster (dir. Ridley Scott, 2007). The interest among Hollywood executives in what Jay Z's star power and music might bring to the film American Gangster created a special opportunity for him to contribute to the movie. Without more examinations of how filminspired rap music comes into being, we will fail to appreciate fully the interplay between Hollywood and hip-hop. In addition, an examination of the ways that an individual album coincides with and departs from a rapper's body of work assists us in charting artistic trajectories. A production history of Jay Z's American Gangster (2007) as well as a consideration of his word usage on his twelve solo albums reveal how specific recurring words and phrases contribute to his overall rap style and persona.