The Hamilton Mixtape

November 18, 2009 7:14 PM

Tony Award nominated actor Lin-Manuel Miranda presents a rap about Alexander Hamilton from the perspective of Aaron Burr titled "The Hamilton Mixtape."

This was performed at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word last May with Obama in the audience.

posted by America (31 comments total)

I am reading Gore Vidal's Burr right now, so This Is Relevant To My Interests. Cool.
posted by grobstein at 7:20 PM on November 18, 2009

Also dude on stage went to my high school we're all very proud of him etc.
posted by grobstein at 7:22 PM on November 18, 2009

Framing this as by Burr is the weakest thing about it, I think.
posted by grobstein at 7:25 PM on November 18, 2009

From the lead in I thought this was going to be a funny song, but I think I enjoyed this presentation more. I can't wait until I have a job teaching US history so I can show this.
posted by lilac girl at 7:26 PM on November 18, 2009

This is better than when Bush invited the Country Bear Jamboree to the White House, but only by a little bit.
posted by stavrogin at 7:26 PM on November 18, 2009 [2 favorites]

I'm impressed he didn't resort to using the phrase "all about the Hamiltons."
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 7:28 PM on November 18, 2009

IGNORE THE FAIRER SEX
ACQUIRE SPECIE
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 7:34 PM on November 18, 2009 [4 favorites]

Impressive. I hope this rap does for Alexander Hamilton, what this commercial did for Aaron Burr.

Aaaaron Buhhhhhh! Aaaaron Buhhhhhh?
posted by Andy's Gross Wart at 7:38 PM on November 18, 2009 [3 favorites]

Yay LMM! I met him after a performance of "In The Heights" and squealed like a little girl. What a treasure he is.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:38 PM on November 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Opponents Beware!
posted by squalor at 7:44 PM on November 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Go Wes!
posted by taliaferro at 8:26 PM on November 18, 2009

"This was performed at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word last May with Obama in the audience."

What I'm more interested to know is if Biden was in the audience. Because if he was nodding along appreciatively I'd start watching my back if I were Henry Paulson.
posted by Kattullus at 8:36 PM on November 18, 2009 [2 favorites]

Well that made my day.
posted by Allan Gordon at 9:06 PM on November 18, 2009

Thx for posting. I'm a history teacher and I've shared this with all the U.S. history teachers I know.

Really enjoyable! I plan on showing all my students as an example of how history assignments and projects can be creative and well-done.
posted by dealing away at 9:23 PM on November 18, 2009

It makes me really happy to know that stuff this fly happens at the White House.
posted by Hollow at 11:03 PM on November 18, 2009

IGNORE THE FAIRER SEX
ACQUIRE SPECIE

...is this an inside-joke reference or is it just random? Because I just laughed my ass off on the premise that it was completely out of the blue
posted by captain cosine at 12:05 AM on November 19, 2009

That was not bad, but I still prefer the Hamilton/Burr narrative we discussed a few years ago as part of Drunk History. (I guess, though, that version wouldn't be appropriate for a formal occasion at the White House.)
posted by LeLiLo at 12:38 AM on November 19, 2009

Wow this is actually good. I was afraid it would be goofy.
posted by creasy boy at 12:41 AM on November 19, 2009

You know, I hadn't seen that Milk commercial in about a decade, since it was originally on the air. And it is so much weirder than I remembered. Why is the history buff using a gigantic knife to spread peanut butter? Look at the top down shot - it's HUGE!
posted by TheRoach at 3:00 AM on November 19, 2009

I really enjoyed this, and not just because I have a mad-hot crush on Alexander Hamilton (have you ever looked at the $10 bill, I mean really *looked* at it? That man is smokin'); very well done.
posted by chara at 3:01 AM on November 19, 2009

1) posted by whitehouse.gov?
2) Treasury secretary? Timothy Geithner couldn't hold a candle to this guy, but then, there are only a few people in the world who Tim Geithner fails to surpass.
posted by Paris Hilton at 3:57 AM on November 19, 2009

Impressive. I hope this rap does for Alexander Hamilton, what this commercial did for Aaron Burr.


Directed by Micheal Bay, lol.
posted by Paris Hilton at 4:01 AM on November 19, 2009

...is this an inside-joke reference or is it just random? Because I just laughed my ass off on the premise that it was completely out of the blue

The hook
posted by StrikeTheViol at 5:37 AM on November 19, 2009

IGNORE THE FAIRER SEX
ACQUIRE SPECIE

See also
posted by exogenous at 5:49 AM on November 19, 2009

Lin-Manuel Miranda Goes Crazy For House and Hamilton
posted by kirkaracha at 6:13 AM on November 19, 2009

"The President is back there talking about your song, he’s saying ‘Where is Timothy Geitner? We need him to hear the Hamilton rap!"

You can download the video or MP3 at the White House web page.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:18 AM on November 19, 2009

FUCK YEAH!
posted by anotherpanacea at 6:45 AM on November 19, 2009 [1 favorite]

I would go back a little bit further, STV.

And is it just me, or does he throw the roc at the end there?
posted by hue at 9:43 AM on November 19, 2009

Only someone from my high school could have written a rap like that about Alexander Hamilton. Go Lin!
posted by purple_frogs at 11:02 AM on November 19, 2009

I have a mad-hot crush on Alexander Hamilton.

Factoid: so did a lot of 18th century women (and maybe men, history doesn't tell us.) He was known as a serious ladies' man in his day. He apparently had gorgeous red hair too. Here are some of the images of him.
posted by bearwife at 1:06 PM on November 19, 2009

Hamilton was a douche.
posted by mrgrimm at 10:50 AM on November 20, 2009