Thoughts On: Hamilton

Welcome readers to my Thoughts On series, where I occasionally over analyze art in a bold attempt to explain to readers why I love the things that I do. Today we are tackling Hamilton, The musical monolith that has taken not just the art world by storm, but captured all of popular culture with its wit and charm. For a bit more context, my personal favorite musical is Rent, so I love melodrama and interpersonal conflict put to music, which turns out is 95% of Hamilton. I have been listening to and watch performances of the songs from the musical ever since being home from break, and figured I would elaborate on why I think this this musical is fantastic.

If for some reason you did not know, Hamilton is a musical that follows the life and death of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasurer, and one of this nation’s founding fathers. On paper it sounds boring, but through Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (whom I will be referring to as Lin for the sake of typing), writing technique the story of Hamilton’s rise to power gets told through of vessel of Hip-hop. I first heard about this musical while giving a tour last year. A mother mentioned to show because of my interest in Hip-Hop dance and music. While I initially let the thought slip into the back of my mind, slowly it became impossible to ignore the influence of this show. My friends had become obsessed with it, everyone wanted tickets, and a few people asked me for a write up about the show only to be disappointed by me having heard it. So one weekend after having watched snippets of the documentary about the making of Hamilton in class (which is a fantastic watch that I would recommend), I decided to go all in. I listened to the soundtrack, watched as much of the show as I could find, and absorbed every scrap of information I could about the making of this project. By the end of my weekend of Hamilton, not only could I understand the hype around such a show, but it hit me on a deeper level than I ever expected it to.

So where do we start with a musical? We start with the music of course. As mentioned earlier the story is told as a sung-through musical where most of the lines adhere to some kind of rap verse.The writing and lyrical work of this show is impeccable, fusing a variety of common rap meters and rhythms to give each character a distinct sound and feel, as well as allowing a character to grow over time as their meters change. The Hip-Hop flavor fits further more as it allows a significant amount of information to be pumped into every song, by the end of the musical you have learned dozens of new things about the American Revolution and our countries without ever having to take out a pencil and paper to write down notes. Here rap is the common tongue and the history we are sucked into revolves around ambition, remembering your roots, loyalty, and love, all dominate pillars of Hip-Hop music and culture. As with most musicals it re-uses themes and reprises melodies to form new ideas, but it does this on a much tighter basis. Almost every melody and idea you hear is a set-up for a later song and therefore connects the story across the span of the two hours it takes to finish the musical. With a track list of 46 songs it seems incredibly daunting to enjoy, but since there are only about 15 or so main ideas being twisted and turned into other forms, the music is never overwhelming, and more importantly it is seamless.

 From the pounding percussion and violin breaks that start off the musical and signify 4^th wall breaking monologues from the characters to the repetition of the phrase “I am not giving away my shot” every time Hamilton is faced with a decision that will greatly affect his future. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the rare few songs that are musical distinct and complete within themselves: “Helpless/Satisfied”, “Dear Theodosia”, and “Your Obedient Servant” to name a few are highlighted as crucial moments of characters development and given unique musical moments that stand out in the sea of already solid composition. It seems like a no brainer to craft a show so that the music feeds into each other, but the music feels intricately woven into the story and perfectly suits the historical context while still drawing on modern musical trends. There is a song called “Ten Duel Commandments,” which is about the practice of dueling, and on a surface level means that someone is about to engage in a duel and get shot. However, at a later point, a character introduced as they are learning a simple piano tune that has the exactly same melody as the Dueling theme. This character later is killed in a duel, but their death was expressly pointed out the first time they appeared on stage.

The idea for this kind of hiding in plain sight comes from the main themes conveyed in the opening number, where the character of Aaron Burr announces the he is the one who inevitably shoots and kills the main character of the musical. What this does is set up the overarching ideas of struggle (the fatal relationship between Burr and Hamilton) and time (the inevitability of death throughout the story), which every song connects to in some way or form. The first Act of the musical is about the middle and end of the American Revolution, with characters struggling to stay alive and fight for a chance to actually be free to run their own society. Here most of the music reflects a battle, either a literally one or an internal conflict as the main heroes have to find new ways to fight tyranny, fight to find love, speak out against injustice, and make a difference. Act 2 focuses on the effort and political debate that went into the foundation of the financial system as we see it today, and Hamilton’s overwhelming to desire to outrun time and create something that surpasses him. Here the main theme is time; songs about not having enough it and misusing it fill the second part and ultimately conclude the story with a reflection on how the main characters spent the bulk of their time, inspiring the audience to seize every day. It is these details, which come up on subsequent listens for me, that really brought the whole show together to me. the story begins and ends it its own bubble, a self-contained musical drama that makes its own melodies and then tucks meaning underneath those melodies to give depth to just about every track. The music is smart, which is not something that I thought I would be saying by the end, but the execution and loving touch given to the shape of the musical landscape of Hamilton makes it stand out as an amazing achievement of what you can do to give your music a life of its own.

In addition to great music, the main draw of Hamilton is its characters and the stellar cast that gave them a voice. The best way to experience history is through the eyes of those who went through whatever event you are trying to understand. Lin brings to life historical titans of American history and somehow does a good job of making them into human characters. They are animated and act much less like trained singers and more like up and coming rappers  .The main characters of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr are both given equal spotlight as the show portrays their meeting all the way up until their fatal duel. Burr is an intelligent yet reserved gentleman, who aspires for great things but chooses to wait for them to come to him due to his passive nature. Hamilton, a likewise great intellectual, grew up poor around slaves in the Caribbean, and wishes to make a mark and become as revered as possible through any means necessary in his newfound home of America. This starts off as a simple rivalry and turns to ruin as Hamilton refuses to let anyone or anything stop him from putting his plans into action, whilst Burr is lapped by his colleague time and time again. The relationship and methodology between these two is the main character conflict of the show. On top of that there are the female leads Angelica and Eliza Schulyer, the former being the first woman who understand Hamilton and the latter becoming his wife, who show different sides to our stubborn hero and eventually become the bearers of his legacy. George Washington plays a major role as he is historically the man who enables Hamilton to rise to power in the way that he did, and serves as the level headed straight man to Hamilton’s often impulsive behavior. Then there are the minor roles of Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, and John Laurens/ Phillip Hamilton. I doubled up the names like that because the three actors played both the first and second character in Acts 1 and 2 respectfully. I wanted to shine a light especially on Daveed Diggs, who played Lafayette/Jefferson and had my favorite performance of the show. Watching him go between a giddy yet serious military commander and the overly charismatic yet politically cutthroat Jefferson was a highlight of the show.  The switching out of characters mid show is a bit jarring, but it only serves to reinforce the relationships between the stationary characters, and build tension up until the closing moments of the show.

A final angle of Hamilton I want to approach is the cultural impact I believe it has and should continue to have. A lot of people like Hamilton because it is easy to parse rap that is well-written and different than what people would expect. This novelty skyrocketed it to success and fandom as people fought to wrap their heads around so a weird idea. However at the end of the day, Hamilton is story about America, not just a history story, but a thematic representation of the dreams and struggles still running rampant in the country. Slavery is something that is brought up a lot in Hamilton, and the show doesn’t shy away from its existence and the hypocrisy of “Freedom” when people in the colonies owned slaves. This was something that bothered not only me, but the members of the cast (most of which were people of color) who had to portray these historical figures, never being able to come to terms with what their historical personas did. The founding fathers are often treated as godly figures that built the country with their bare hands and were untouchable. The reality is the founding fathers were people, and while you can defiantly argue that the show does not intentionally vilify them, it does not redeem them either. Characters are portrayed as flawed stubborn humans who stumble their way through a revolution and establish a country all on the idea that they want to be in charge of their own lives. This musical gives you a chance to remember that the very wrong doings and mistakes that plague us as a country now existed/ may have started back when the country is founded. It bridges the gap between then and now and gives us a reason to try and change the fate of our nation. Things like Racism being built into the backbone of our society started with the founding of our country, and I applaud Hamilton for not denying that or shying away from that. A true American history tale deserves to be equal parts tragic and uplifting, as the background to our nation has never been an easy story to tell. Hamilton can make you feel proud to be an American, but it can also make you ashamed of how much hasn’t changed, both of which are important feelings to internalize and feed off of. This is home to many different people and many different stories. Seeing a story the fuses Hip-Hop, Jazz, Neo-Soul, and classic Showtune vibes together with an American struggle about death and the importance of time is weird, but it is also our story. The most important thing Hamilton does to me is serve as a reminder of the diversity and conflict of our American culture, as what started out as an experiment has somehow survived and become the flawed titan we all know today.

Lin has stated that he wrote Hamilton because Hip-Hop songs just started bouncing off the pages of a book he read about the founding father. Alexander Hamilton’s struggle and ambition still exist today. The desire to be a fighter mixed with frustration about the race based societal system you grew up in still exists today. The power for a person to come from nothing and gain the respect and power needed to change a country for the better still exist today. Hamilton is a reminder to us that there is nothing wrong with being a dreamer and nothing wrong with wanted to make a difference, and instead encourages you to learn from your  countries mistakes as trudge headfirst into the pursuit of a better life.

Top 23 Albums of 2016, Part 2!

 PART ONE HERE

Freetown Sounds- Blood Orange 

Dev Hynes, the real person behind Blood Orange, is as much a cultural trendsetter as he is a musical artist. Creating musical works that often revolve around gender and sexuality and incorporate input from the wealth of modern Queer artistic movements. On this latest record, Hynes captures the exact sound prevalent in 80’s pop music (which was during a time when Queer artists where becoming more well-known and recognized in mainstream media) and channels his own story through that sound. So while the way the synths, funky basslines, and drum machines all come together may be very retro (Prince levels of funk, mind you), it feels more original than anything else. Speaking on poverty, love, identity, and culture, Hynes often has women vocalists (such as Nelly Furtado and Carley Rae Jepson) share songs with him and play integral roles in establishing tone for every song. This album is personal, but is not just Hynes story, struggles communicated in this album affect so many different people, and instead of trying to talk for them he lets them sing and speak for themselves. This is an album from a different musical era that still captures so much of what is relevant about art today, and stays gorgeous while doing it.

Blonde- Frank Ocean 

After 4 years of utter silence, R&B Singer and Producer Frank Ocean finally dropped his sophomore release. Much to many people’s surprise, he decided to stick with a musical approach much more akin to minimalism than the grand sweeping songs of his first album, Channel Orange. Oddly enough, this only serves to bring out the true talent of Ocean’s singing prowess and his musical ear. Blonde is filled to the brim with miniscule details and uncredited features (such as Beyoncé and Andre 3000), that make it near impossible to fully comprehend the weight of each song on a first listen. This album is much more abstract and was released alongside Ocean’s “Boys Don’t Cry” Magazine to make this entire project less about music and more about making an artistic statement. Make no mistake, the music is intricate and lovely, but if Channel Orange was made up of bright neon hues, then this album by contrast is made up of light pastel colors. There are interludes throughout the album (which all smartly share the same instrumental) that comment on social media, fame, drug culture, and love, all extensions of Ocean’s life that he articulates on every song. The simple love story has been turned into a complex tale of discovering oneself in the modern age, and coming to terms with how you live and what makes you happy.

A Seat at the Table- Solange 

While many would assume that Solange, younger sister of Beyoncé, is destined to live out her life in her sister’s shadow, she has proven herself as an independent artist time and time again. With her latest album she gives the world a chance to look through her eyes and experience the daily strife that comes with it. Everything from micro-aggression’s to blatant racism and harassment are set to the tune of electronic Neo-Soul, and given a wide variety of guest artists (Lil Wayne, Sampha, Bj The Chicago Kid) to really bring out their unique potential. In the 21 tracks there are 9 interludes, yet they often take on the musical properties of the song before or after them, leading to seamless transitions between song and stories related to that song. In the interludes we hear members of Solange’s community speaking out about racism they have endured, what it means to have pride in your color, and the overwhelming power of the Black spirit. The album does more than cement Solange as a leading artist in the social moment to empower people through music; she reassures people of color that it is okay to feel hurt. In a society where oppression is often the result of the oppressed not being given “permission” to feel a certain way, this album is a musical essay that addresses and debunks many of the falsities attributed to the Black revolutionary. It lets them know that our struggle will be worth it when we are finally recognized as a complete people.

Telefone- Noname 

Noname has been in my ear since I first heard her feature on Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap mixtape, wherein her soft approach combined with her excellent writing made her a highlight of an already great project. Since then she has been appearing more and more on singles and as a featured artist, and with her debut mixtape out she has thrown her hat in the ring for the title of best Chicago rapper. Up against such powerhouses like Mick Jenkins, Vic Mensa, Chance, and Saba (who is featured on this mixtape) Noname takes a much different than approach to rap than many of her peers. Set to some of the most beautifully smooth instrumentals of the year, a mix of Jazz chords and Neo-Soul with a wide variety of unique percussion that gives the music a nice pop, Noname’s raps are more akin so spoken word. The way the lines transition and flow to one another and her sing-song way of delivering lines give her an air of mastery that many other rappers lack. It is less that she is writing to the instrumental and more that each instrumental is conforming to her stories. The stories are of losing friends, abortion, and violence in her hometown, all with the sweet vibe of a mother’s love. The content of the short 33minute mixtape is dark, but the way Noname holds the listeners hands and guides them through her world never lets you get to bummed out, because you know that everything will be okay.

Black Terry Cat –Xenia Rubinos 

Music genres have only become more and more complicated as more people have created music. Things break off into sub-groups, then those sub-groups get so much traction they are basically a new genre all together. Artists like Xenia Rubinos thrive on this confusing middle ground between the lines and created an album that is the lovechild of R&B, Soul, Rock, and Punk all with Latin rhythms thrown in for a bit of texture. The music can be anything from a smooth ballad to a noisy rock anthem all held together with the tightness of the instrumentals and Rubinos’ fantastic voice. She has stated that the album is about being a brown girl in America, draws from her experience watching her fellow Latin American brethren being mistreated but also experiencing American culture.  It is a diverse project that carries a serious message but is executed by a musician who is 100% comfortable with her skill and her sound. With so many politically charged albums coming out, this stands out as being one of the most fun. Rubinos often pokes fun at stereotypes and racism and even herself whilst still carrying the torch for a very under represented group of people in the musical world.

Coloring Book- Chance the Rapper 

Arguably one of the most important figures in music right now, Chance the Rapper has made his name without being signed to any major label. For the most part, this means that his sound is allowed to expand and change however much he wants it to. With his third mixtape, this becomes more apparent than ever. Drawing from the Gospel he is so enamored with and the Pop friendly sounds of last year’s Surf,   Coloring Book is Chance’s most musically diverse project to date. It fuses the aforementioned styles with his signature hyper-conscious yet fun writing and songlike delivery. The project sounds like a celebration, with the artist commenting on raising a child, looking back on his musical journey, and finally enjoying the opportunity to make the music that he loves with the people he loves most. With this mixtape getting the nomination for a Grammy (the first Grammy offered to a freely released mixtape), Chance is staking his claim in the musical world. The point was never to make something that changed the game, but rather just to show that change was possible. In this mixtape lies the inspiration for you to get through a rough day, it lifts your spirits and makes you want to dance, because you know no matter how bad things have gotten, when you are listening to Chance you cannot help but smile.

HEAVN- Jamila Woods 

Another Chicago native on the list, Jamila Woods first came to my attention as the voice on Sunday Candy, my favorite song from 2014. When I checked out her album, the content did not surprise me, but the grace and elegance with which that content was utilized was astounding. Through grandly orchestrated Neo-Soul and beautiful written lyrics, both by her and guest artists, Woods tells the all too familiar to me story of the black struggle. Yet it is a very logical approach to the narrative. She comments on the mistreatment of Black women, how much she loves her city despite the bad press, and re-occurring love of lakes and water (which I assume implies some sort of purity or cleanse). It is spiritual and moving, but it never tells you to feel that way. Often when writing a political message it can be easy to push forward your own view so much so that the overall point is lost. Yet with this album, it feels like we are taking a look at Woods’ diary, in which she simply chronicles things as they happen and how she feels about them. If it makes you angry or makes you want to make a difference, it isn’t because she told you to draw blood, it is because she made you realize that you have been able to fight and see injustice this entire time. She does not claim to be an authority on how to change the world, she simply tells us how she feels, and that alone is enough to move many to tears.

Sun’s Tirade- Isaiah Rashad 

Depression can be a difficult thing to ingrate into music. Considering its effect on every artist differs, capturing that feeling on a track can be near impossible without the right approach. Luckily for Chattanooga native and TDE’s Isaiah Rashad, capturing that feeling is one of the things he does best. On this lengthy record, we get what Rashad has described as “the longest day ever,” wherein listeners are given the full spectrum of his inner thoughts and lifestyle choices. The instrumentals are gritty yet so pleasing, adding real instrumentation to give more life to the Jazz and Soul elements of the albums production. Despite all this the tone of the project is dark and stays dark, almost as if it is a musical representation of how Rashad perceives life. There are the up’s and down’s of course, but all of that is filtered through this dark could that does not seem to go away. Oddly, it feels almost comforting. A person who spoke so highly of suicide on his last full musical release has now survived long enough to drop one of the most introspective and honest albums of 2016, all while possibly never being able to enjoy the end result. I would like to believe that he lives for making music and making something so good has to bring him some sense of joy, but whether or not that is true, Rashad has proven himself to be one of (if not the most) sincere member of his label. ScHoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar get the most attention, but somewhere on a hot day in Chattanooga, you can bet that Rashad is thinking about the value of life and finding new and creative ways to breathe fresh air into the rap game, all the while beating depression.

Malibu- Anderson .Paak 

Anderson .Paak, a drummer/singer/rapper from Oxnard, California, is the best new artist of 2016. “New” being used very loosely since the man has been around for a while, producing for people such as Watsky and being featured on albums with such megastars as Dr.Dre. Even after being selected as a XXL freshmen this year and hype building over his new features, people had still yet to grasp the depth of his ability as a musician. However with the release of his second album, .Paak gets a chance to show the world the full extent of his musical talent. This album takes the golden age sound of soul and keeps it current with funky basslines, rap verses, and Jazzy chords atop the already smooth sound. This year .Paak has blown up, releasing another critically acclaimed album, Yes Lawd!, as NxWorries (a duo he is a part of) and touring everywhere. With his band he has created a name for himself that doesn’t depend on being the feature on someone else’s album, and at the core of that is this album. A musically diverse project that is a fusion of every influence .Paak draws from and a bold declaration of his independence as an artist. Many artists on my list are talented singers/rappers/and writers, but not very many are seasoned musicians, and with .Paak often singing to the tune of his own drumming, it gives him an extra layer of command and mastery over his work. If 2016 has proven anything, it is that .Paak is here to stay, and it is only a matter of time before he is a household name among the greatest to ever do it.

We got it from Here…Thank You 4 Yourservice- A Tribe Called Quest 

Tribe has nothing to prove to anyone, with 3 classic albums under their belt, and being widely recognized as one of the most important rap groups of all time, their legacy is set. So when it was announced that a new album was being released, in the same year that one of their members, Phife Dawg, passed away, there was plenty of surprise to go around. As it turns out, the album had already been in the works prior to Phife’s passing, and while many were worried the quality of the album, the group managed to make magic one last time and create a phenomenal record. With Q-Tip handling production, it certainly builds upon the Jazz-Rap standards that the group was known for. As well as soulful chord changes, it incorporates samples from Willy Wonka to Elton John. The end result is an album that sounds incredible cartoonish and chaotic on one hand, but focused and tight on the other. Each song has its place and purpose, and with topics ranging from the current state of American politics to the remaining members of the group reminiscing on their fallen brother. The album was also recorded entirely in person, so every feature on the album flew into the studio in order to lay down their parts, and this includes such favorites as Jack White and Andre 3000. Due to this, the album feels complete, every part blends in and verses flow in an out of each other seamlessly because everyone involved could play off of everyone else in the room. Hearing Phife rap alongside Q-Tip again and capture some of that chemistry is one of the most satisfying musical experiences of the year.

Awaken, My Love! - Childish Gambino

Simply put, Donald Glover AKA Childish Gambino is one of my favorite creators. Doing everything from acting, writing amazing TV shows, and releasing music, it seems there is nothing this man cannot do. Earlier this year when it was rumored a new Gambino album was in the works, I tried my best not to explode, and when the first single dropped I was so shocked that I had to listen over and over again. The Atlanta born Renaissance man had now shifted his focus toward making a Funk album, and not just any Funk, but as vintage as he could get. He takes the modern mindset and lyrical content of Rap and funnels it through the sound that our parents grew up with. Punchy percussion, buttery smooth basslines, explosive guitar solos, fantastic keyboard work, and the most dynamic vocal performance I have heard on an album all year. He touches on Race and the prejudice that comes from just existing as a Black person, explains to his newborn son the story of said child’s mother, and encourages the listeners to stand on their feet and be proud no matter how the world tries to bring you down. It is a glorious sentiment from a creator whose only motivation in his art is to make something real. Everything boils down to authenticity and quality, because when all is said and done music is simply an extension of life. The sounds and lyrics we throw together are reflections of who we are and what we stand for. So as you listen to this sound directly inspired by Sly and the Family Stone and Funkadelic, you get a sense for the kind of person Gambino is. You hear an album meant to breathe new life into such an important part of Black music, and through it all it never feels fake or dis-genuine. Through it all Gambino, the man who wears a million hats, never feels like anything other than himself, just the way any great artist should. 

Thank you all for joining my once again through my journey of 2016's best! Have a Happy New Year and keep song listening to the sweetest jams you can find.