The Hamilton Mixtape

Overview

Following Hamilton's original Broadway cast album by a year, The Hamilton Mixtape offers up new versions of tunes from the blockbuster musical by some of pop, rap, and R&B's biggest names. Curated by show auteur Lin-Manuel Miranda, it wields a whopping 23 tracks, still only half as many as the cast album. Four of the remakes feature alternative rap icons the Roots, including highlight "My Shot [Rise Up Remix]." (Bandmembers Questlove and Black Thought were involved in the production of the original cast album.) Rumbling drums and electric bass and guitar add weight to their impassioned revision, as do vocals by Busta Rhymes and Joell Ortiz. The remix also incorporates elements of Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones Pt. II" and the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Going Back to Cali," and features Nate Ruess of Fun. on backing vocals. On a much less serious entry, the Tonight Show house band is joined by host Jimmy Fallon for a loyal version of the showtune-ish "You'll Be Back." Other album contributors include marquee names such as Sia, John Legend, Alicia Keys, and Kelly Clarkson, who belts out a solo pop rendition of "It's Quiet Uptown." Elsewhere, Ashanti and Ja Rule craft a stylish edition of "Helpless," and Jill Scott turns "Say No to This" inside out for the seductive "Say Yes to This." A winsome cover of "Dear Theodosia" by Regina Spektor featuring Ben Folds falls right into her (their) wheelhouse before the song is reprised at the end of the album in an even more idiosyncratic version by Chance the Rapper and Francis & the Lights. Taken as a whole, The Hamilton Mixtape will likely appeal more to fans of the musical than to pop fans at large, despite big names and the very contemporary songs' easy passage to radio-friendly arrangements. After all, some of the lyrics do detail finer historical points. Still, there are plenty of fans of both, and a broader theme of overcoming odds shines through tracks like "My Shot" and "It's Quiet Uptown." Completists should note that the record also includes two Hamilton demos by Miranda himself, who also appears on the original song "Wrote My Way Out" with Nas ("I picked up the pen/Like Hamilton"). Those disappointed by any omissions, take heart. Just before release, Miranda tweeted the promise of a Vol. 2. ~ Marcy Donelson

Product Details

Release Date:	12/02/2016
Label:	Atlantic
UPC:	0075678666926
Rank:	32031

Tracks

1. No John Trumbull (Intro)  -  Roots
2. My Shot [Rise Up Remix]  -  Busta Rhymes  - Joell Ortiz  -  Roots  - Nate Ruess
3. Wrote My Way Out  -  Aloe Blacc  - Dave East  - Lin-Manuel Miranda  -  Nas
4. Wait for It  -  Usher
5. An Open Letter (Interlude)  -  Shockwave  -  Watsky
6. Satisfied  -  Queen Latifah  -  Sia
7. Dear Theodosia  - Ben Folds  - Regina Spektor
8. Valley Forge [Demo]  - Lin-Manuel Miranda
9. It's Quiet Uptown  - Kelly Clarkson
10. That Would Be Enough  - Alicia Keys
11. Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)  -  KNAAN  -  Residente  -  Riz MC  -  Snow tha Product
12. You'll Be Back  - Jimmy Fallon  -  Roots
13. Helpless  -  Ashanti  -  Ja Rule
14. Take a Break (Interlude)  -  Illmind
15. Say Yes to This  - Jill Scott
16. Congratulations  -  Dessa
17. Burn  - Andra Day
18. Stay Alive (Interlude)  - Stro Elliot  - J. Period
19. Cabinet Battle 3 [Demo]  - Lin-Manuel Miranda
20. Washingtons by Your Side  -  Wiz Khalifa
21. History Has Its Eyes on You  - John Legend
22. Who Tells Your Story  -  Roots
23. Dear Theodosia (Reprise)  -  Chance the Rapper  -  Francis and the Lights

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Aloe Blacc   Primary Artist,Vocals
Chance the Rapper   Primary Artist,Vocals
K'NAAN   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jill Scott   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background),Vocals
Alicia Keys   Primary Artist,Piano
Shawn J. Period   Primary Artist
Kelly Clarkson   Primary Artist,Vocals
Usher   Primary Artist,Vocals
Nas   Primary Artist,Vocals
Regina Spektor   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
The Roots   Primary Artist
!llmind   Primary Artist
Snow tha Product   Primary Artist,Vocals
Wiz Khalifa   Primary Artist,Vocals
Sia   Primary Artist,Vocals
John Legend   Primary Artist,Vocals
Watsky   Primary Artist,Vocals
Andra Day   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jimmy Fallon   Primary Artist,Vocals
Ashanti   Primary Artist,Vocals
Riz MC   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dessa   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dave East   Primary Artist,Vocals
Residente   Primary Artist,Vocals
Francis and the Lights   Primary Artist,Vocals
Lin-Manuel Miranda   Primary Artist,Vocals
Stro Elliot   Primary Artist,Vocals
J. Period   Primary Artist,Vocals
Patrick Warren   Piano,Keyboards
Tariq Trotter   Vocals
Andy Thompson   Piano,Violin
Leo Abrahams   Percussion,Guitar,Keyboards
Dan Lawonn   Cello
Emma Kummrow   Violin
Kirk Douglas   Guitar
Glenn Fischbach   Cello
Charles Jones   Piano,Wurlitzer,Organ (Hammond)
Zac Rae   Keyboards
Common   Featured Artist
Ja Rule   Featured Artist
Larry Gold   Strings,Conductor
Ben Folds   Featured Artist
James Poyser   Keyboards
Nate Ruess   Featured Artist
Jessy Greene   Violin
Queen Latifah   Featured Artist
Ingrid Michaelson   Featured Artist
Mike Elizondo   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Synthesizer Bass
Busta Rhymes   Featured Artist
Trevor Lawrence Jr.   Drums
Thomas Bartlett   Synthesizer
Luigi Mazzocchi   Violin
Joell Ortiz   Featured Artist
Aaron Pearce   Vocals (Background)
Vivian Barton   Cello
Piotr Filochowski   Violin
Vivian B. Dozor   Cello
Kirk Douglass   Guitar
Tony Esterly   Guitar,Keyboards
Mark Kelley   Bass
Davis Barnett   Viola
Charles Parker   Violin
Ahmir Thompson   Vocals
Shockwave   Featured Artist
Miguel   Featured Artist
Jonathan Kim   Viola
Blake Espy   Violin
Andrew Foreman   Double Bass
Dayna Hepler   Violin

Technical Credits

Tariq Trotter   Composer,Producer
Andy Thompson   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Jeff Chestek   Recording,String Engineer
John Hanes   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Lonnie Lynn   Composer
Roger Troutman   Composer
Tim Latham   Mixing
Montez Roberts   Engineer
Robert Marks   Mixing
Ann Mincieli   Engineer
Steve Mandel   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Jill Scott   Composer
Aaron Pearce   Editing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Alicia Keys   Producer,Vocal Arrangement
Shawn J. Period   Producer
Joel Metzler   Assistant Engineer
Christopher Wallace   Composer
Bill Sherman   Producer
Ariel Chobaz   Engineer,Recording
John Denosky   Engineer
Chris Gehringer   Mastering
Larry Gold   String Arrangements
Jason Halbert   Producer
Eric Olsen   Programming
Tupac Shakur   Composer
James Poyser   Producer
Leo Abrahams   Producer
Tony Esterly   Additional Production,Producer,Drum Programming
Tom Calvert   Engineer,Recording
Sam Giannelli   Engineer,Recording
Jesse Shatkin   Engineer,Recording
Jeremy Hunter   Mixing
Regina Spektor   Producer
Keinan Warsame   Composer
Michael Brauer   Mixing
Ingrid Michaelson   Composer
Mike Elizondo   Producer,Drum Programming
J. Period   Producer
!llmind   Producer,Drum Programming
Yafeu Fula   Composer
Alexander Rudd   Engineer,Recording
Trevor Lawrence Jr.   Drum Programming
Frequency   Producer
Kuk Harrell   Vocal Producer
Dru Castro   Engineer
Lazerbeak   Producer,Additional Production
Kejuan Muchita   Composer
Gregory Green   Engineer
Tyrone Wrice   Composer
Joell Ortiz   Composer
John Legend   Producer
Claudia Feliciano   Composer
Trevor Smith   Composer
David Brewster   Composer
Adam Hawkins   Mixing,Engineer
Rene Perez   Composer
Tom Elmhirst   Mixing
Andrew Wuepper   Mixing
John Netti   Engineer,Recording,Mixing Engineer
Andrew Castro   Recording
Niko Marzouca   Mixing
Brent Arrowood   Engineer
Mikaelin 'Blue' BlueSpruce   Mixing
Jeremy Kulousek   Composer
Greg Green   Engineer
Morgan Statton   Recording
Rene Perez Joglar   Composer
Morgan Stratton   Engineer
Jordan Mitchell   Engineer
Francis and the Lights   Producer
Bruce Washington   Composer
Michael Thomas   Engineer
Eric Olson   Programming
Rafael "Rafa" Arcaute   Engineer,Recording
Dwayne Chin-Quee   Musician,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Emile Haynie   Producer
Tyler Hartman   Engineer,Recording
Steve Pageot   Drum Programming
Lin-Manuel Miranda   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
Joseph Paquette   Composer
Cameron Thomaz   Composer
E.Dan (Eric Dan)   Mixing
Nasir Jones   Composer
Samur Khouja   Mixing,Engineer,Recording
Ahmir Thompson   Producer
Shockwave   Producer
Zach Steele   Engineer
Ebonie Smith   Engineer,Recording
Stro Elliot   Producer
Rise Up   Remixing
Rufus Cooper   Composer
Osten Harvey   Composer
Ramon Ibanga   Composer
Jeffrey Penalva   Composer
Trooko   Mixing,Producer
Chance the Rapper   Producer
Katari Cox   Composer
Joe Visciano   Mixing Engineer
Peter CottonTale   Producer
Andrew Sarlo   Engineer
Nico Segal   Producer
The Wurxs   Producer
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III   Composer
Gonzalo Contreras   Engineer
Steve Vealey   Mixing Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Zachary Vaughan   Composer
Jon Schacter   Engineer
Bryan Fryzel   Producer
Brandon Bost   Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Eric Dan   Mixing,Composer
Johnathan Wright   Engineer
Alonzo Lazaro   Assistant Engineer
Albert Johnson   Composer
Nicholas Cavalieri   Engineer
Rizwan Ahmed   Composer
Angelo Payne   Engineer,Recording
Alvaro Rincon   Engineer,Recording
Cash Dillon   Engineer,Recording