Hamilton Mixtape and Kanye West

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last post. And to be honest the reason I haven't I just haven't been feeling any inspiration. There hasn't been a song that has compelled me to write or an artist that makes me want to share their music the past couple of weeks. And it's not because there isn't any good music out there, we all know that there's plenty of good music. But it just felt kind of like a dry spell, until I came across this song.

Now, I know the Hamilton mixtape was all the rage when it came out. And now that I have listened to it in full, I can definitely see why. This mixtape is such a beautiful piece of art because it attacks so many different issues across so many levels and does so in a way that is so incredibly relatable and catchy. One of the best parts of this mixtape though is that it features artists from so many different heritages. And this song specifically features work by rappers from various ethnic backgrounds. And what makes it so unique is that while each ethnicity brings a different perspective to the song, the underlying message and theme is so deeply shared by everyone.

Now yes I will admit, the song is politically charged. This song is all about sharing a perspective that very rarely gets shared. The song speaks to an issue that is so prevalent in today's political climate, an issue which tends to be pretty divisive. But the song is so incredibly written that you never feel a sense of attack. The song isn't meant to be an aggressive attempt to increase support for immigration; rather, it is meant to highlight some of the misconceptions about immigrants that exist in today's political and social climate. The track itself features artists from African, Latin American, South American and Southern Asian descent. This is not a combination you see very often or ever really. But each cultural and ethnic region has something different to say about how they are viewed by Society. And each rapper does a very good job of telling a story that is very common for many immigrants. Now, this post is not meant to be a political argument for one thing or another, but it's to highlight a song that tells a very compelling and unique story. It tells a story that a lot of people are not accustomed to hearing or have never heard before. It also tells a story that many of us live each and every day. And that kind of Outreach, that kind of narration, it's something that you won't really find in a lot of songs. This happens to be another reason why the Hamilton mixtape stands out so much - it contains topics and stories which aren't ever really talked about.

When it comes to the actual musicality of the song, there are a few interesting things going on. First of all, the track features for rappers. Now, this is an uncommon especially in the rap game as a lot of songs featuring multiple artists. And in this song, just like many others, we get to hear each rappers individual Style. The contributing artists are K'naan, Snow tha Product, Riz MC, and Residente. Each represents a different area on the map, which speaks not only to the message of the song but also the style with which each rapper spits bars. K'naan tends to rap with a more laid back sound, but has intense imagery in his lyrics. Snow tha Product has a fiery verse and seamlessly blends Spanish into her rhymes to create a smooth and offbeat flow. Riz MC brings a verse that is coloured with references from across history and pop culture, and tends to play with his words to follow either the beat or melody to suit his needs. Residente raps entirely in Spanish and tends to bring a more rhythm-based flow to the song, following the high hats and then dropping into a heavy bass driven line. Each rapper brings their unique style and is able to create a song that is not only catchy but pretty badass. 

If you haven't listened to the Hamilton mixtape, it is one that comes highly recommended by artists across the board, and of course, yours truly. But not only is it an incredibly written and powerful tracklist, but each song also has phenomenal composition and musicality to top it off. So if you have yet to listen, this is a great time to start! 

Today's instrumental song is taken from a track that is intensely amazing and honestly just a beast of a track. The track was composed mainly by Kanye West, and for all that can be said about him and his current advocacy, the man tends to be a musical genius. Interestingly enough, it is the woman of the song, Nicki Minaj, who really steals the show. But the first song had a beat layout which reminded me so much of this track that I simply had to post it. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!