'The Simpsons' To Do First Ever Hour Long Hip Hop Episode
The Simpsons continues to be America's longest running sitcom, with the series having broadcast 596 episodes and airing its 28th season in September of this year. So it's only right that the iconic television show celebrates in a way that they have never done before — by having an hour long episode inspired by hip-hop and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
As Entertainment Weekly reportsThe Simpsons' first ever hour long episode will be a hip-hop spoof of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, titled "The Great Phatsby." Taraji P. Henson and Keegan-Michael Key will be lending their voices to the special episode.
The story was discussed on Monday during Fox's presentation at the TCA Summer Press Tour, where EW said it was revealed that the episode centers on the "destruction of a friendship between [Mr.] Burns and an enigmatic hip-hop mogul named Jay G (aka Jay Gatsby)."
"This was just going to be a regular episode, but the table read went so well, in a fit of passion and excitement and ambition and excess, we decided to supersize it," The Simpsons executive producer Matt Selman said. "And we haven't done a huge amount of stories in the world of hip-hop and rap culture, so we just went for it."
The majority of the episode will take place at Burns' summer mansion in the Springfield Hamptons, with Homer narrating the tale similar to Gatsby's Nick Carroway.
"Burns is an old school Gatsby and Jay G is a new school Gatsby," said Selman, "and their mutual Gatsbyism brings them together." After the two bond Jay G "seduces" Burns into the hip-hop lifestyle, which ultimately drains the billionaire's coffers and allows Jay G to snatch up Burns' nuclear power plant.
Henson will portray a Cookie-esque character named Praline, while Key will play Jazzy James, a rapper intent on getting revenge on Jay G. By the sounds of it this particular episode sounds like Empire meets The Simpsons, and it'll be interesting to see if any other rappers or actors lend their voices to the forthcoming episode. "The Great Phatsby" will air in January of next year.