So I'll admit I was a wee bit apprehensive about the Hamilton mixtape when news of it dropped. I am a massive fan of the original, and I was scared that it would either be a crappy remake of what is already great, or it would end up twisting away too far from the cast's recording.
So far my nightmare hasn't happened. Lin-Manuel Miranda seems to, as always, avoid problems that could occur (ie. the whole bloody premise of a hip hop founding father musical?!), and the two available tracks so far do a very good job of obviously paying homage to the original, while being distinct and fresh.
Top 3 Songs:
Wrote My Way Out by Nas, Dave East, Aloe Blacc and Lin-Manuel Miranda
Congratulations by Dessa
Say Yes To This by Jill Scott
No John Trumbull (Intro) by The Roots
It's a nice opener to the album, and to The Roots' song which is next.
My Shot by The Roots, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz and Nate Reuss (from fun.).
I think it's an amazing track, and to be honest when I first listened I was not so sure, but it's a grower for sure! I also like it because a lot of lyrics have been changed, and personally the Hamilton cast's version of My Shot has been used everywhere, so it's nice to have a new and refreshed version :)
Wrote My Way Out by Nas, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Aloe Blacc
I have loved Aloe Blacc ever since 'I Need A Dollar' so naturally I loved his contribution. This is the second song with a tiny (one line) snippet from Hamilton BUT it has LMM giving something amazing and fresh. I love this whole song, and it might be my favourite, as it has no obvious link, yet pays homage beautifully.
Wait For It by Usher
This was the song I was most anticipating. What a bloody disappointment, and I think Leslie Odom Jr has far more powerful and rich vocals. :(
An Open Letter by Watsky, Shotwave
I actually really like this :). Even though it's on the shorter side, it's interesting and funny and well delivered, with a great track behind it.
Satisfied by Sia, Miguel and Queen Latifah
YES.
Dear Theodosia by Regina Spektor, Ben Folds
I prefer the original, and I think it loses something by missing out a section of LMM's part.
Valley Forge by Lin-Manuel Miranda
This is evidently a demo revamped, and it's amazing to see the influence it had as it twisted and transformed into other songs ('I have never seen his excellency look so despondent, I have taken over writing all his correspondence' etc).
It's Quiet Uptown by Kelly Clarkson
It's one of my favourite songs from Hamilton. I think she's made it less sad instrumentally, although Kelly's vocals are SO RAW. I love her version, especially because the lyrics have been slightly tweaked to make it not Hamilton specific. I think I prefer Renee Elise Goldsberry's version
still
, though.
That Would Be Enough
'I love Alicia Keys, so why do I hate this?': a question that will never be answered.
Immigrants (We Get The Job Done) by K'NAAN, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC and Residente
This was the first song to be released that only took a couple of snippets from Hamilton songs. In a completely different way, I think it's very clever. I love the verse in Spanish, and an English accent was a surprise!
You'll Be Back by Jimmy Fallon, The Roots
Not my favourite song on the OCR, not my favourite song on the mixtape, but it gets the job done (excuse the pun!). I am also not a fan of the faffing around at the beginning after the first listen, but overall it's not bad.
Helpless by Ashanti ft Ja Rule
Ashanti and Ja Rule have collaborated again. I love Ashanti's vocals and I feel like this song feels so 2002, but I feel like it's almost a bit lazy to just cover it. Even subtle tweaks to remove the names like Kelly Clarkson did might have been nicer.
Take A Break (Interlude) by Illmind
I do quite like the interludes, but an interlude is an interlude, how much can be said?! I like how they remixed the original cast recording though.
Say Yes To This by Jill Scott
This is one of my favourite songs from the mixtape, and is the retelling of Hamilton's affair from 'the other side', as the woman involved telling him she's the best she'll ever get. Completely respun, which I love <3<3
Congratulations by Dessa
Another favourite, I absolutely adore this. Listen for an angry yet soulful song that is supposed to be from Angelica's perspective and was cut from the musical (WHY?! Actually I lie, the musical would have been a bit stuck if it had 3 songs discussing the same thing: the Reynolds Pamphlet).
Burn by Andra Day
Nice.
Stay Alive (Interlude) by J. Period, Stro Elliot
Another nice interlude, I always love remixes so I genuinely enjoy these.
Cabinet Battle 3 - Demo
During the process of writing, LMM would record all of the parts to show how the song would go. So this demo features him taking on all parts of this cabinet battle, and after the first slightly confused listen, I got the hang of this. It would have been nice to see how this went on the stage, but sadly it never made the cut.
Washingtons By Your Side by Wiz Khalifa
This is such a clever play on words, using the idea of Washingtons (dollars). What a joy :)
History Has Its Eyes On You by John Legend
This is a beautiful slow remake of the original, and although I am not so keen on the straight covers, at least this is somewhat reimagined and so gentle and beautiful.
Who Tells Your Story by Common, The Roots and Ingrid Michael
This is another of my favourite songs, and definitely a grower. I especially love the chorus, as I think it sounds so nice with this melody.
Dear Theodosia (Reprise) by Chance The Rapper
Another version of Dear Theodosia, which I personally find one of the more boring songs from Hamilton, but this was quite nice, as I usually enjoy Chance The Rapper's work.
