'Hamilton Mixtape' emphasizes the show's unusual presence on Broadway
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Fans who love the smash hit musical 鈥淗amilton鈥� recently got some fresh material about the Broadway show with the release of 鈥淭he Hamilton Mixtape,鈥� a music collection that features songs that were cut from the musical and famous artists performing their takes on 鈥淗amilton鈥� tracks.
鈥淢ixtape鈥� was released on Dec. 2 and includes songs like 鈥淰alley Forge,鈥� which was cut from 鈥淗amilton鈥� and is performed by 鈥淗amilton鈥� composer, writer, and star Lin-Manuel Miranda; the 鈥淗amilton鈥� song 鈥淚t鈥檚 Quiet Uptown,鈥� performed by Kelly Clarkson; the 鈥淗amilton鈥� song 鈥淲ait For It,鈥� performed by Usher; and the new song "Immigrants: We Get The Job Done," performed by K'naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC, and Residente.听
The 鈥淢ixtape鈥� is currently ranked at number four on Amazon for music sales.
The original Broadway cast of "Hamilton," which tells the story of the life of the Founding Father, starred听Mr. Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and Ren茅e Elise Goldsberry.听It has since won the Pulitzer Prize for drama as well as multiple Tony Awards, including best musical.听
The release of the mixtape project is the latest sign that 鈥淗amilton鈥� is an unusual Broadway show. Hip-hop and rap might seem like a strange fit for a musical to some, but Black Thought of the musical group Roots, who worked on the mixtape, that he thinks "Hamilton" brings new fans to the musical forms.听
鈥淭he language of the MC has become a universal dialect,鈥� he said. 鈥淧eople love a musical, people love hip-hop culture, and I feel like 鈥楬amilton鈥� was presented in a way that made hip-hop and rap lyrics easily accessible to people who may have before felt alienated or intimidated by the meat of a rhyme. I feel like 鈥楬amilton鈥� simplified it in a way that made these raps easily understandable for people from eight to 80.鈥澨�
Artists like The Roots, Usher, hip-hop artist Nas, and rapper K鈥檔aan all appear on the 鈥淢ixtape."
The wide-ranging origins of the musicians that perform on 鈥淢ixtape鈥� also highlight just how many influences Miranda had when he was composing the show鈥檚 music. 鈥淣owhere else will you hear Common teaming up with folk-pop star Ingrid Michaelson 鈥� or Sia duetting with R&B crooner Miguel, only to be interrupted by a rare and impressive guest verse from Queen Latifah,鈥� writes of 鈥淢ixtape.鈥�
