In January, the internet came together to ask why the hell Houston rapper Travis Scott is in The Odyssey after he was seen and heard in the trailer for Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of the Greek myth. Now, Nolan has revealed why he chose to cast Scott in the film ahead of its July release.
In a profile with Time, Nolan went deep on the upcoming blockbuster that he has been working toward for 20 years. In the piece, Nolan spoke about casting the Astroworld rapper as a bard in the film while talking about the film’s approach to its music, which Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Goransson helms. Scott, being a rapper, is precisely why he was cast, with the director making a bold choice to bridge ancient myth and the way poems (raps) have been used to pass stories from generation to generation.
“I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap,” Nolan said.
Before it was written down, The Odyssey was of an oral tradition. In the tale, there are bards, singers and poets who retell tales such as the Trojan War. Nolan’s view of rap as similar to the oral tradition in which the Odyssey was told is notable (and an accurate comparison). In a lot of ways, rappers are kind of like bards. Even though Scott probably wouldn’t be at the top of the list of storytellers in the genre, the connection made by Nolan is smart and interesting.
The main gripe with Scott’s casting is the same gripe many have with his musical persona. The autotuned vocals and ad-libs take precedence over actual rapping. His music is vibe music, and if you don’t like his particular vibe, then you are out of luck. For Nolan, none of that likely matters as the two have had a relationship for years, with the director admiring Scott’s works and the Houston rapper working with him on Tenet.
Under the hundreds of comments from posts on X, fans displeased with Scott suggested a plethora of other rappers that align more with Nolan’s vision of rap and poetry. Some of the greatest rappers of all time, like Nas and Raekwon, were suggested instead of Scott. Kid Cudi, Scott’s former G.O.O.D Music labelmate, was also suggested in his place.
Might we suggest a Houston rapper for the hypothetical replacement (the movie has already been filmed and is coming out in a couple of months):
What Houston rapper would be the best representation of what Nolan is going for? Houston has one of the greatest rap storytellers in Scarface, who definitely sounds like a poet who could orate Greek myth. But the right answer is the Mo City Don himself, Z-Ro. Known for his introspective storytelling and singing, Z-Ro, in a lot of ways, is Houston’s bard. Imagine Z-Ro crooning “Odysseus.” Case closed.