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The rhymes in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Hamilton’ are just insane

lin-manuel miranda hamilton
Writer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda sure can rhyme. Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Why are people so crazy for Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton," the hip-hop inspired account of founding father Alexander Hamilton on Broadway that's sold out through August?

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Among many reasons, those rhymes.

“Every couplet had so much care going into it,” Miranda told The Independent. “We’re not just rhyming at the end of sentences. We’re rhyming six times within every line in certain places."

"There’s a lot of pure rhyme and there’s a lot of imperfect rhyme, and that’s part of the infusion of hip-hop," Miranda told American Theater. "In hip-hop you reward the unexpected rhyme. You reward Jay Z rhyming 'Sharpton in it' with 'dark-skinneded'—that’s not a pure rhyme, but you laugh because it’s totally unexpected. So I’m constantly threading the needle when writing 'Hamilton' in terms of trying to satisfy a hip-hop ear and a musical theater ear."

Miranda added in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter: "Hamilton was modeled after my favorite polysyllabic rhyming heroes, Rakim, Big Pun, and Eminem."

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Want an example? Take the start of the masterful second track, "Aaron Burr, Sir," color-coded to pick out rhymes:

[HAMILTON]
Pardon me. Are you Aaron Burr, sir?

[BURR]
That depends. Who’s asking?

[HAMILTON]
Oh, well, sure, sir
I’m Alexander Hamilton, I’m at your service, sir
I have been looking for you

[BURR]
I’m getting nervous

[HAMILTON]
Sir
I heard your name at Princeton. I was seeking an accelerated course of study when I got out of sorts with a buddy of yours. I may have punched him. It’s a blur, sir. He handles the financials?

[BURR]
You punched the bursar

[HAMILTON]
Yes!
I wanted to do what you did. Graduate in two, then join the revolution. He looked at me like I was stupid, I’m not stupid

So how’d you do it? How’d you graduate so fast?

[BURR]
It was my parents’ dying wish before they passed

[HAMILTON]
You’re an orphan. Of course! I’m an orphan
God, I wish there was a war!
Then we could prove that we’re worth more
Than anyone bargained for

Other highlights? There's the catchy start to the title track, "Alexander Hamilton," which I can only struggle to map out:

[BURR]
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a
Forgotten spot in the Caribbean by providence
Impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

And you can't beat this bit from "Cabinet Battle #1":

[HAMILTON]
Thomas Jefferson, always hesitant with the President
Reticentthere isn’t a plan he doesn’t jettison
Madison, you’re mad as a hatter, son, take your medicine
Damn, you’re in worse shape than the national debt is in

Wow.

Read more "Hamilton" lyrics on Genius. Buy the album on Amazon or listen on Apple Music or Spotify.

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