Fans of the mega-hit "Hamilton" have something to sing about. The show's creator just released a new album featuring tunes from the show performed by some of the music industry's best. NY1's Frank DiLella filed the following report.
The Broadway mega-hit "Hamilton" continues to make noise. And I'm not just talking breaking records at the box office. I'm talking "The Hamilton Mixtape."
The best of hip hop, rap, pop and R&B joined forces with Hamilton's celebrated creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to compile a 23-track album of tunes from the Tony-winning musical.
"The Hamilton Mixtape" officially dropped on Friday, and in celebration of the launch, some of the performers featured on the album took to the stage of the musical's home, the Richard Rodgers Theatre, the day before.
Singer Ashanti and Rapper Ja Rule reunited on this project with the tune "Helpless."
"It's a really cool track," Ja Rule said. "It's kind of like the love story between Eliza and Hamilton. So it's cool he chose me and Ashanti as the figureheads."
And as Ashanti explained to me, Miranda had the two of them in mind for this tune for a while.
"It's funny. When we went to the play, we went backstage with Lin and he said, 'I got to tell you guys, I had you both in mind when I was writing this, and you inspired me. When I was writing Eliza and Hamilton, I just thought of Ashanti and Ja,'" she said.
Also featured on the album are The Roots, Usher, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys and Regina Spektor, who took on the tune "Theodosia."
"I think that song is the epitome of the parent song to the child of love, I really want to make the world better for you," Spektor said.
With the album complete and ready for purchase, Lin-Manuel Miranda has already tweeted that fans can expect a "Hamilton Mixtape" Volume 2.