Before there was an Illmatic or a Reasonable Doubt, Queensbridge or Marcy Projects, there was Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, two of America’s daddies duking it out over the ways of the new world.
Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda puts the two American forefathers’ great debate into perspective by comparing it to another epic war of words: Nas vs. Jay Z. Miranda explains:
“Whoever wins this battle, our country suddenly goes in a different direction—it’s the highest stakes battle you could write… Putting it in the world of battle rapping makes it visceral. You see Jefferson do a pretty on the merits ‘this is why your plan is bullshit, I don’t even know you.’ Basically, he’s like the prizefighter who doesn’t think he has to train for the fight… And then Hamilton comes in… it’s him basically Ethering Jefferson.”
Guess history really does repeat itself (although we doubt Hamilton ever called Jefferson a “Tae Bo hoe”). Check out the full Genius clip of Miranda breaking down Hamilton’s rap battles below. —John Kennedy
