鈥淚 really wanted the hip-hop community to embrace Hamilton because it鈥檚 such a love letter to them,鈥� Lin-Manuel Miranda told Vanity Fair鈥檚 Lisa Robinson in an interview from the magazine鈥檚 March issue, which hits stands this week.
He鈥檚 again teaming up with Questlove, the Roots co-founder who produced Hamilton's Grammy-winning cast album. The release is billed as 鈥淭he Hamilton Mixtape,鈥� which was the musical鈥檚 working title.
The album, which is expected to drop this year, will be a combination of covers from the musical as well as original material inspired by the show.
Miranda said he was inspired by the popular concept albums of the 1970s and 鈥�80s, citing Andrew Lloyd Webber鈥檚 Jesus Christ Superstar, which was released as an LP before being transformed for the stage.
With 鈥淭he Hamilton Mixtape,鈥� Miranda will reverse the model.
So far he鈥檚 lined up Busta Rhymes (one of the first major rappers to see the show and give it cred, according to Miranda), as well as Ben Folds, Regina Spektor, Queen Latifah, Common and Chance the Rapper. Additional stars have yet to be revealed.
Miranda said he will not perform on the 鈥淢ixtape鈥� album. 鈥淗alf the songs are cover versions of songs in the show, and the others are interpolations鈥搘e鈥檒l take some of this, some of that, and make something new out of it.鈥�
In addition to winning the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, the Broadway hit has become a cultural phenomenon, with Billboard praising the cast recording as the best rap album of the year. It also placed in the No. 1 slot on Billboard's rap and cast album charts.
