By Vivian Kane | Hamilton | November 3, 2016 |
By Vivian Kane | Hamilton | November 3, 2016 |
The first we heard about the Hamilton Mixtape was— as far as I can tell— back in the spring of this year. In March, Vanity Fair did an interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Questlove of The Roots, where Miranda described that this mix would actually be the realization of what he originally thought Hamilton would be.
Originally, that’s what my idea was. To me, Hamilton was a hip-hop artist. He used his words to get everywhere. He also ruined his life using those verbal abilities. I thought of this as a concept album like Jesus Christ Superstar; that was an album before it was staged as a show. I wanted to write really dense, fun lyrics like my favorite hip-hop artists did. I thought I would write a bunch of great songs that tell the greatest hits of Hamilton’s life, have artists cover it, and someone else would stage it later. When I first said, ‘hip-hop, Founding Fathers,’ they thought it was a spoof. But the show makes its own case.
But the month before was when Miranda first dropped the contextless news that this existed, or would soon exist.
Played Olivo some of the upcoming Hamilton Mixtape demos & kind of f*cked up her feelings. Hopefully ready by fall. pic.twitter.com/m4on8VbV3J
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) February 19, 2016
So now it’s fall. But in a world where we’ve been conditioned to wait for it (to the point where the things we’re desperate for, like Broadway tickets or a full filmed version of the show might never come), you may not have been expecting the news that really and truly, IT’S HERE.
Hello hello hello!
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 3, 2016
Been working on a mixtape for years.
It's finished.
You can pre-order it TOMORROW.#HamiltonMixtape pic.twitter.com/PcgluIUXw4
TOMORROW!
And not just that, but we have the track and artist listings. In that Vanity Fair interview, LMM said he wouldn’t be on any of the tracks. I think we’re all very happy to see he changed his mind.
But wait there's more! #HamiltonMixtape pic.twitter.com/cguOx95N96
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 3, 2016
From what we’ve heard, some of these will be straight covers, while others are “interpolations”— sort of a mix of mash-ups and original work. Here’s the full listing in case you have trouble reading the tweet’s small print through all your excitement tears.
1. No John Trumbull (Intro) - The Roots
2. My Shot (feat. Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz & Nate Ruess) [Rise Up Remix] - The Roots
3. Wrote My Way Out - Nas, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Aloe Blacc
4. Wait For It - Usher
5. An Open Letter (feat. Shockwave) [Interlude] - Watsky
6. Satisfied (feat. Miguel & Queen Latifah) - Sia
7. Dear Theodosia (feat. Ben Folds) - Regina Spektor
8. Valley Forge (Demo) - Lin-Manuel Miranda
9. It’s Quiet Uptown - Kelly Clarkson
10. That Would Be Enough - Alicia Keys
11. Immigrants (We Get The Job Done) - K’naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC, Residente
12. You’ll Be Back - Jimmy Fallon & The Roots
13. Helpless (feat. Ja Rule) - Ashanti
14. Take A Break (Interlude) - !llmind
15. Say Yes To This - Jill Scott
16. Congratulations - Dessa
17. Burn - Andra Day
18. Stay Alive (Interlude) - J.PERIOD & Stro Elliot
19. Slavery Battle (Demo) - Lin-Manuel Miranda
20. Washington’s By Your Side - Wiz Khalifa
21. History Has Its Eyes On You - John Legend
22. Who Tells Your Story (feat. Common & Ingrid Michaelson) - The Roots
23. Dear Theodosia (Reprise) - Chance The Rapper & Francis and The Lights
There’s a lot to be excited about there. Like, all of it, every single song. But since my musical tastes pretty much stopped developing around high school, I’m losing my mind over Regina Spektor and Ben Folds doing Dear Theodosia.
Lin has a quick story about that song, by the way.
1) Ok ONE QUICK STORY about this track because it's too good.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 3, 2016
So we don't play Hamilton for my kid, like, at all. (Cont'd in replies)â¬‡ï¸ https://t.co/juCFsAxdaQ
@respektor 2) BUT one day I was playing Regina's version for a friend in our apt. (It was @PatrickRothfuss, actually)
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 3, 2016
And my boy LOOKS UP
@respektor 3) walks over to @VAMNit and says, "Sleeping? Goodnight?"
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 3, 2016
Because VANESSA SINGS HIM THAT TO SLEEP AND HE RECOGNIZED IT.
ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
@respektor @VAMNit 4) and then all the grown ups were crying. End of story.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 3, 2016
So pre-order is tomorrow. Please, PLEASE let the orders be filled, like, Monday.