Since its inception, Hip Hop has found its way into so many facets of our culture. Not only has it been the fastest-growing genre of music for over 20 years, but it has had a tremendous impact on fashion, television, language, politics, literature, and countless other aspects of our daily lives.

However, it was not until recently that Hip Hop found a home in the world of musical theater. On February 8, 2007, Lin-Manuel Miranda premiered an unconventional show called In the Heights at the off-Broadway 37 Arts Theatre. Having worked on the show since his college days, Miranda infused it with two of his major influences having grown up in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights – Hip Hop and Latino culture.

From viewing Miranda’s viral advertising campaign, of which an example is shown below, it becomes apparent that In the Heights is truly a Hip Hop affair. Emceeing alongside friend and beatboxer Shock, Miranda’s commercial is indicative of what In the Heights is truly about: bringing Hip Hop and Latino culture to the forefront of mainstream musical theatre – a realm previously untouched by Hip Hop.

In the Heights tells the story of three days in the lives of several residents in Washington Heights. Miranda, who wrote the music, lyrics and dialogue, also plays Usnavi, the male lead who also functions as a narrator. The result of his efforts? A staggering 13 2008 Tony Award nominations, which included wins for “Best Orchestrations,” “Best Choreography,” “Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics)” and “Best Musical.” In doing so, Miranda not only casts Latinos in a positive light, but brings Hip Hop to thousands, many of whom may have never taken the time to understand the culture. He even rapped his first acceptance speech – a first in Tony Award history:

HipHopDX sat down with the Tony Award winner – in between shows, no less – and discussed his Hip Hop influences, the role of Latinos in theatre, and how he feels being named “The Big Pun of Broadway.”

HipHopDX: First of all, congratulations on your awards.
Lin-Manuel Miranda: Thanks!

DX: How’s it feel?
LM: It feels good. Life’s not that different. [Laughing] The only thing that’s different is that I was on national TV, so I get stopped a lot more in Times Square than I used to. The show was selling well before the Tonys, and now it’s just selling out every night. It’s really fun to do the show for an audience that sort of comes ready to love the show and it’s just a great energy in the house every night. It’s made my job a lot more fun.

DX: The crazy thing to me – it finally hit me that you “made it” – was when I saw a kid on Youtube imitating you.
LM: You see that 10-year-old? How incredible is that kid?! I actually went and sought him out to be his friend on Facebook because I thought he did it really well!

DX: Yeah, he knew his stuff.
LM: He looked like a founding member of House of Pain or something! That was a full-circle moment for me, because you can find me at age eight on Youtube lip-synching other people’s songs. So to have someone singing along to the songs I wrote is a very surreal, sort of “circle-closing” moment.

DX: It becomes immediately apparent after listening to any song from In the Heights that Hip Hop has been a big influence on both you and the show. What emcees did you bump growing up?
LM: I think the first two albums I ever memorized were Black Sheep’s A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing [click to read] and Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde [click to read]. [Pharcyde] never made an album quite like that first one with “Passing Me By” [click to read]. I’ve always loved Hip Hop. I memorized [DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's] “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

It’s actually funny…I had a bus driver who was sort of a frustrated rapper. He would teach us raps on the way to school. So when I was like seven, I was doing “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” [click to read] by the Geto Boys and all these sort of old school songs. But the moment I really got into Hip Hop and saw it as something I could possibly do, was that Pharcyde album, because they had songs about not being able to get girls and getting pulled over by cops. I always loved Hip Hop, but it was like "Oh, I could write this!" I can’t get girls! I get pulled over by cops [laughs]! From then on, it was a steady diet of Biggie, which led me to Jay-Z [click to read], which led me to Nas, which led me to Big Pun – I sort of memorized every Big Pun song I could get my hands on in college; Eminem, and all of the greats. Continued on page 2 »