In 2009, the White House held an event celebrating poetry. A young playwright was invited to perform. When it was his turn, he spoke into the microphone. He said he would be sharing a song about “someone who embodies hip-hop”: Alexander Hamilton.

    The audience laughed. Hamilton was one of America’s Founding Fathers. He died in 1804. Hip-hop wasn’t invented until the 1970s. 

    What did this long-dead man have to do with modern music?

    In 2009, the White House held an event. It celebrated poetry. A young playwright was invited to perform. He told the audience he would sing a song. He said it was about “someone who embodies hip-hop”: Alexander Hamilton.

    The audience laughed. Hamilton was one of America’s Founding Fathers. He died in 1804. Hip-hop was invented in the 1970s.

    What did this long-dead man have to do with modern music?

    In 2009, the White House held an event celebrating poetry and invited a young playwright to perform. When it was his turn to take the stage, he spoke into the microphone. He said he would be sharing a song about “someone who embodies hip-hop”: Alexander Hamilton.

    The audience immediately laughed. Hip-hop hadn’t been invented until the 1970s. But Hamilton—who was one of America’s Founding Fathers—had died in 1804.

    What did this long-dead man have to do with modern music?

    That young playwright’s name was Lin-Manuel Miranda. And that song would become part of his hit musical Hamilton. It was the first Broadway “hip-hopera.” (An opera tells a story entirely through singing. A hip-hopera does the same thing, but with rapping and singing.) 

    Miranda was born in New York City in 1980. His parents are from Puerto Rico. As a child, his home was full of salsa music. (That’s a type of high-energy dance music from Latin America.) He acted in plays in high school. Later he studied theater in college. It was there that he started writing his first musical. 

    That musical, In the Heights, opened on Broadway in 2008. Miranda starred in it. The setting was close to where he grew up. The characters were mostly Hispanic. The music was inspired by salsa and hip-hop. The show was a hit, making Miranda a playwright to watch. 

    But his biggest achievement was yet to come. 

    That young playwright was Lin-Manuel Miranda. His song would become part of his hit musical Hamilton. It was the first Broadway “hip-hopera.” (An opera tells a story only through singing. A hip-hopera does the same thing, but with rapping and singing.)

    Miranda was born in New York City in 1980. His parents are from Puerto Rico. The family listened to salsa music. (It’s a high-energy dance music from Latin America.) Miranda acted in plays in high school. In college, he studied theater. He started writing his first musical.

    It was called In the Heights. It opened on Broadway in 2008. Miranda starred in it. The setting was based on where he grew up. The characters were mostly Hispanic. The music was inspired by salsa and hip-hop. It was a hit. Miranda was a playwright to watch.

    But his biggest success was yet to come.

    That young playwright’s name was  Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the song he shared that day would become part of his hit musical Hamilton. It was the first Broadway “hip-hopera.” (An opera tells a story entirely through singing. A hip-hopera does the same thing but with rapping and singing.)

    Miranda was born in New York City in 1980. His parents are from Puerto Rico. As a child, his home was full of salsa music, a type of high-energy dance music from Latin America. He performed in plays in high school. Later he studied theater in college, where he also started writing his first musical.

    That musical, In the Heights, opened on Broadway in 2008 and starred Miranda. The setting was close to where he grew up, and the characters were mostly Hispanic. The music was inspired by salsa and hip-hop. The show was a hit, making Miranda a playwright to watch.

    But his biggest achievement was yet to come.

    One day, Miranda picked up a book about Alexander Hamilton. His life story reminded Miranda of his favorite rappers. Stars like Jay-Z and the Notorious B.I.G. had hard childhoods. They then got rich and famous writing songs about those difficult experiences.

    Alexander Hamilton had a hard childhood too. He was born on a Caribbean island. He was poor. His dad left the family, and his mom died when he was young. Hamilton came to America with nothing. But he later helped shape our Constitution and our government.

    It seemed like perfect material for hip-hop songs. To Miranda, Hamilton was a shining example of the American dream. That’s the idea that anyone can work hard and eventually find success in the United States. “People come here from all over the world, and they make our country better,” he says. 

    Miranda read a book about Alexander Hamilton. His life story reminded Miranda of his favorite rappers, like Jay-Z and the Notorious B.I.G. They had hard childhoods. But they got rich and famous by writing songs about that hardship.

    Hamilton had a hard childhood too. He was born on a Caribbean island. He was poor. His dad left the family. His mom died when he was young. Hamilton came to America with nothing. But later, he helped shape our Constitution and our government.

    It seemed like perfect material for hip-hop songs. To Miranda, Hamilton was an example of the American dream. That’s the idea that if you work hard, you can find success in the United States. “People come here from all over the world, and they make our country better,” he says.

    One day, Miranda picked up a book about Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton’s life story reminded Miranda of his favorite rappers. Stars like Jay-Z and the Notorious B.I.G. had hard childhoods, but then they got rich and famous writing songs about those difficult experiences.

    Alexander Hamilton had a hard childhood too. He was born on a Caribbean island to poor parents. His father left the family, and his mother died when he was young. Hamilton came to America with nothing, but he later helped shape our Constitution and our government.

    It seemed like perfect material for hip-hop songs. To Miranda, Hamilton was a shining example of the American dream, which is the idea that anyone can work hard and eventually find success in the United States. “People come here from all over the world, and they make our country better,” he says.

    Hamilton tells the story of America’s Founding Fathers. (These are the leaders who helped start our country.) Miranda focused the play on Alexander Hamilton, who he played himself. All the characters were White people in real life. But the cast was made up almost entirely of people of color. 

    Hamilton was an instant hit. It brought a younger, more diverse audience to Broadway. For years, most music you’d hear on Broadway was nothing like what you’d hear on the radio. Hamilton changed that. 

    And theater will never be the same. 

    Hamilton tells the story of America’s Founding Fathers. (They were the leaders who helped start our country.) Miranda focused the play on Alexander Hamilton. The real people were White. But the cast was mostly people of color. Miranda played Hamilton.

    Hamilton was an instant hit. It brought a younger, more diverse audience to Broadway. Before, most music on Broadway was not like what you’d hear on the radio. Hamilton changed that.

    And theater will never be the same. 

    Hamilton tells the story of America’s Founding Fathers—the leaders who helped start our country. Miranda focused the play on Alexander Hamilton, and he played that role himself. Although all the historical figures were White people in real life, the cast was composed almost entirely of people of color.

    Hamilton was an instant hit, bringing a younger, more diverse audience to Broadway. For years, most music you’d hear on Broadway was nothing like what you’d hear on the radio. Hamilton changed that.

    And theater will never be the same.