So! You saw/listened to/had a dream about Hamilton and discovered how fucking glorious rap is. Maybe you already know some rap and hip-hop but not a lot. Maybe you’re looking for some great rap songs to memorize to use for your Hamilton auditions (you badass, you). The reason why you’re reading this doesn’t matter so much; the point is we’re here, and it’s time for some basic history and recommendations!
A nice and easy place to start! This will mostly be about education and covering all the bases, but I promise that you’ll like it. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all sub-genres (I’m skipping some of my favs like Crunk and Dirty South because I don’t think it applies to Hamilton), just ones that I think relate to the musical.
Old School
You might like these artists if you enjoy the tracks that are more stripped down and simple, and more conversational.
Notable examples: A Tribe Called Quest, The Sugarhill Gang, Eazy-E
Latin Rap
You might like these artists if you want to throw some love at Lin in particular and give respect to his roots
Notable examples: Calle 13, Daddy Yankee, Don Omar
Pop Rap/Hip Hop
You might like this if you loved the tracks that blended more classic musical style with the rap style.
Notable examples: Kanye, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Lil Wayne…basically all of Young Money
Conscious Rap:
You might like this if “I am just like my country/I’m young, scrappy and hungry” resonated with you on a deep level
Notable examples: Kendrick Lamar, Common, Talib Kweli
Gangsta Rap:
You might like this if you found yourself wanting more Hercules Mulligan in your life
Notable examples: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G.
Alternative/Nerdy:
You might like this if you’re on Tumblr
Notable example: N.E.R.D., Childish Gambino, Lupe Fiasco, The Roots
Queer Rap/Hip Hop:
If you’re into that Hamilton slash thing and are LGBTQ
Notable examples: Big Freedia, Zebra Katz, Mykki Blanco
In which I basically do fanmixes? Here is a general example of that I think they would have on their iPods/phones/etc.
Alexander Hamilton would like:
Kendrick Lamar, Calle 13, 2Pac
Aaron Burr would like:
Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Childish Gambino
George Washington would like:
Common, Kendrick Lamar
King George would like:
N.E.R.D., Kanye West, Drake
Eliza Hamilton nee Schuyler would like:
Eve, The Roots, Nicki Minaj
Philip Hamilton would like:
Jurassic 5, A Tribe Called Quest, Eazy E
Lafayette would like:
Nicki Minaj, Maitre Gims, Nino Ice
Thomas Jefferson would like:
Kanye West, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg
Angelica Schuyler would like:
Nicki Minaj, Eve, N.W.A.
John Laurens would like:
Common, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliot
Recommendations on a song-by-song basis! This is my approximation of songs that match in general tone or style
If you like Alexander Hamilton you’ll like Alright by Kendrick Lamar
If you like My Shot you’ll like Hustlin’ by Rick Ross
If you like The Schuyler Sisters you’ll like Va Va Voom by Nicki Minaj
If you like Right Hand Man you’ll like Boyz-N-The-Hood by Eazy-E
If you like Satisfied you’ll like Pink Toes by Childish Gambino and Jhene Aiko
If you like Wait For It you’ll like Pills N’ Potions by Nicki Minaj
If you like Guns and Ships you’ll like Break Ya Neck by Busta Rhymes
If you like Yorktown you’ll like B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) by Outkast
If you like Non-Stop you’ll like High Fidelity by Jurassic 5
If you like What Did I Miss you’ll like Peaches N’ Cream by Snoop Dogg
If you like Cabinet Battle you’ll like Without Me by Eminem
If you like Say No To This you’ll like Young & Wild & Free by Wiz Khalifa
If you like The Room Where It Happens you’ll like Xxplosive by Dr. Dre
If you like The Adams Administration you’ll like Put You On Game by Lupe Fiasco
If you like Blow Us All Away you’ll like Champion by Kanye West
Here are some links to explore more! What I’ve given is by no means exhaustive.
The Definitive Guide to Hip-Hop Subgenres
My Top 50-ish Spotify Playlist
