Breaking racial barriers and tieing in historical events along with actual dilemmas, Lin-Manuel Miranda has come out with a new mixtape based off of the recent broadway play, “Hamilton.”

“Hamilton” is an insight of the Founding Father and First Treasurer of the United States, Alexander Hamilton’s life and the contributions he gave. Through raps, hip hop, and current musical fashion, it narrates what happened in the late 17th century as well as the beginning of the 18th century in America. “The Hamilton Mixtape” is a 23 song soundtrack that was built off of the original songs of this broadway play.

The mixtape has reached higher on charts than the original soundtrack, thanks to the collaborations of various famous people in the musical industry such as Busta Rhymes, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Sia, Wiz Khalifa, Alicia Keys, and The Roots. Once the mixtape was released it reached number one on “Billboard’s Top 200,” while the original cast only made it to number three.

Since December 2, when the songs were released, 876,000 copies have been sold in the U.S. alone.

In the broadway play, Miranda used cabinet battles, that took the form of rapping, to demonstrate the debates the government had. Hamilton (Lin-Manuel), during the musical, tries to earn votes for his petition to end slavery, by saying that “it’s hypocrisy to subjugate, dehumanize a race [or] call [people] property… it’s a sin.” which appears in “Cabinet Battle 3” on the soundtrack. The song faces the real conflicts that were occurring in the 1700’s, adds perspective from both sides of the fight, and doesn’t leave out any details.

Hamilton himself was an immigrant and the song “Immigrants (We Get the Job Done),” which features K’naan, Snow tha Product, Riz MC, and Residents, originally was on the broadway soundtrack to emphasize the fact that an immigrant fought for the liberty of another country. As this song was being rewritten Miranda realized it “could not be more timely,” as said in one of his tweets, because the problem of hatred towards immigrants is very relevant to society today. Lyrics such as “it’s really astonishing that in a country founded by immigrants, “immigrant” has somehow become a bad word,” proves the impact that “The Hamilton Mixtape” is having on reality being lived now.   

Although the mixtape deals with very serious topics it also includes a humorous track. “You’ll Be Back” by The Roots features the voice of comedian Jimmy Fallon who gives commentary on how he “is not a Broadway star, but [is] classically trained, and by that [he] means [he] was trained by vocal coach, Ed Classically, who… works out of his mother’s basement in New Jersey.” He proceeds to belt his first note and doesn’t exceed as well as any of the other singers on the mixtape and he also includes very loud breathing. Eventually the voice fades out and the real track is sung without the interruptive breathtaking from Jimmy Fallon.  

The education “Hamilton” provides on the American Revolution and the life of Alexander Hamilton along with the enlightenment that “The Hamilton Mixtape” gives on what mistakes society today need to correct is one that is not easily portrayed through music. This talent is of those who are changing the world.