Do you enjoy history? Do you enjoy Epic Rap Battles of History? If so, here comes the most famous rap battle of history, Hamilton. Hamilton is an American musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton. The score is a mix of traditional singing one would expect from a musical, as well as songs that include hip-hop, pop, and rap elements. Hamilton was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda after reading a biography about Alexander Hamilton written by historian Ron Chernow. Hamilton has received critical acclaim from many sources: the original Broadway cast album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200, and Hamilton won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2016.
Hamilton is a cultural reimagining of the events throughout Hamilton’s life, as the cast of major historical figures including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr and, of course,Alexander Hamilton are played by black and hispanic actors. In fact, the only major character played by a white actor is King George, which is an interesting but fitting twist as it is the story of America their rebellion against a “…tiny island across the sea/ [that] regulate[s] the price of tea”(“Farmer Refuted”). According to The New Yorker, the reasoning for this was “…a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door.” It was also noted that another reason for this casting decision was because it made the story “more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience.”
The casting decision is excellent and serves as a counter-action to ‘whitewashing,’ or the casting of white actors to play non-white characters in Hollywood movies. A few examples of whitewashing can be seen in pretty much the entire cast of Gods of Egypt as well as the live-action adaption of the critically acclaimed manga, Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell is clearly set in Japan, but the main, Japanese character of Motoko Kusanagi is portrayed by the white American actress Scarlett Johansson
The timing of this historical musical is impeccable as the next presidential election looms. Hamilton gives a deeper insight into the creation of our country’s political system and the historical figures that were a large part of the system. The brilliant musical handles the inner cabinet discussions in literal rap battles between Thomas Jefferson/James Madison and Alexander Hamilton.
Hamilton has also been implemented into some of New York’s high schools, thanks to a $1.46 million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation which provides students with tickets to Hamilton for only $10. The musical is sold-out for nearly every date until the end of 2016, but there are plans for a country-wide tour starting in 2017, including cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and other metro cities including Atlanta.
Find out America’s roots and be sure to grab tickets to see Hamilton when it comes to town. You can also listen to the original Broadway cast album on Amazon Prime for free.