15 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Hamilton: An American Musical
5. Hip-Hop Influence
Hamilton's roots are in rap music. That's clear from the very first song, and not once does this theme let up. Many of the show's songs contain musical elements, homages and direct quotes from numerous hip-hop songs. Miranda wanted to incorporate his love of the genre to his love of the theatre, and it's safe to say he pulled it off.
For "My Shot", Miranda included samples from Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones Part 2", and the epic "Ten Duel Commandments" takes samples from Notorious B.I.G's "Ten Crack Commandments." There are also references and samples from Jay-Z, Grandmaster Flash and DMX. He wanted his rhyme scheme to pay homage to his favourite poly-syllabic rappers, primarily Eminem, Rakim, and Big Pun.
Miranda also throws in references from other musicals, such as South Pacific, Pirates of Penzance, and The Last Five Years.
Because his lyrics are often quite intense - and full of some genuinely obscure references - Miranda has written an entire book in which he has decoded them. It's not like he's been too busy to write a book or anything...