I'm not usually a fan of musicals, but the few I've listened to have drawn me in for a while. I'm not a big fan of R&B or hip-hop, but I suspect that's because I just haven't dipped into that genre much. I'm ashamed to say I don't have extensive knowledge of the history of my country, but I have a passing interest in it and can point out the major players.
All that having been said, I've heard a lot of buzz about this hip-hop Broadway musical take on the life of Alexander Hamilton entitled, fittingly, Hamilton. I finally picked up the soundtrack last week and have been listening to it non-stop ever since (yes, I realize I'm probably late to it) and I now see why it's done as well as it has. If you haven't heard it or even heard of it, you owe it to yourself to check it out. If nothing else, have a listen to the opening song in its rough form from a few years ago by the star and co-writer of the show, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
It's been a while since a piece of media has captivated me in quite this way. We often struggle with definitions of art, especially here in the video game community, but this is great art. For anyone who needs my definition of that, I will quote one of my favorite magicians and freethinkers, Teller (of Penn & Teller), who maintains that, "Art is anything you do once the chores are done." It's a fantastic definition and the only thing I would add is that great art is what inspires people to want to be artists themselves. Treat yourself, have a listen, please to enjoy.
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