Hamilton: Every Music Easter Egg & Reference

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical Hamilton is filled to the brim with music references. Some songs in Hamilton feature nods to other musicals or operas, while others reference hip-hop, R&B, and pop songs. But with so many allusions flying by at such a quick pace, it can be hard to catch them all.

The musical references in Hamilton are diverse, as Miranda pays homage to everyone from Wagner to Beyoncé. Each allusion contributes thematically to the musical, and Hamilton fans have had plenty of fun finding these Easter eggs. Miranda has confirmed some theories, but he won’t reveal all of his references, as he wants to keep the search alive.

The music references in Hamilton help the show feel full and well-rounded as it switches from genre to genre. With each homage being so carefully selected and placed, audiences would be remiss to ignore them. Here are all of the music references in Hamilton, in order of their appearance in the show.

“What’s your name?” – Multiple Artists

In “Alexander Hamilton,” the musical’s opening song and introduction to the main character, Aaron Burr asks Hamilton multiple times, “what’s your name, man?” This could be a reference to a number of songs, such as “Who Am I (What’s My Name)” by Snoop Dogg, and “What’s My Name?” by DMX. Rihanna also has a song called “What’s My Name?” Miranda has never confirmed the lines in “Alexander Hamilton” are an intentional reference to any of these songs, but the refrain certainly sounds familiar.

“Empire State of Mind” – Jay Z & Alicia Keys

This ballad to New York City might be another reference in Hamilton’s opening song. The Hamilton lyrics “In New York you can be a new man,” seem to echo Alicia Keys as she sings “There’s nothing you can’t do / Now you’re in New York / These streets will make you feel brand new.” The repeated harmonies from the ensemble as they belt out “New York” also sounds similar. The fact that Miranda has performed “Empire State of Mind” multiple times gives credence to this theory.

New York Subway Performers

In “Aaron Burr, Sir,” Hamilton’s meets his new friends: Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette. The three introduce themselves by shouting, “What time is it? Showtime!” In New York, litefeet dancers often call out this phrase before they start performing on the subway. Moments like this are a way of connecting the historically distant world of Alexander Hamilton with a world that modern audiences are more familiar with.

“Shook Ones Pt. II” – Mobb Deep

In “My Shot,” Hamilton describes himself by saying, “I’m only 19, but my mind is older.” This is an almost verbatim quote from Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Pt. II” – only the Mobb Deep song says “old” instead of “older.” Mobb Deep was a ’90s rap group made up of two members: Havoc and Prodigy. At the time the two were only 19 years old, but their album “The Influence” was still extremely impactful to the music industry.

“You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” – South Pacific

In Hamilton, Aaron Burr raps, “I’m with you, but the situation is fraught / You’ve got to be carefully taught,” during the song “My Shot.” This is a reference to a song called “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” from the musical South Pacific. This show is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning book from 1947 called Tales of the South Pacific, and takes place on an island in the south pacific during World War II. It focuses on an American nurse who falls in love with a French plantation owner.

“Going Back to Cali” – Notorious BIG

“My Shot” contains one last music reference. Hamilton spells out his name in “My Shot,” and Notorious BIG does the same thing in “Going Back to Cali.” The two moments have a very similar cadence, and this seems to be one of the most obvious music references in Hamilton.

The Pirates of Penzance – Gilbert and Sullivan

“Right Hand Man” contains a reference to The Pirates of Penzance, a comic opera from 1879. The original line was “I am the very model of a modern Major-General, / I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral.” Miranda stated, “I always felt like ‘mineral’ wasn’t the best possible rhyme,” so he modified it in George Washington’s rap. The Hamilton version is “The model of a modern Major-General / The venerated Virginian veteran whose men are all / Lining up, to put me on a pedestal.”

“Party Up In Here” – DMX

Hamilton references DMX’s “Party Up In Here” in two songs: “Right Hand Man” and “Meet me Inside.” In “Right Hand Man,” the repetition of the word “What!” echoes the DMX song. In “Meet Me Inside,” the ensemble chants “meet him inside” in the same rhythm that DMX raps “meet me outside.” Interestingly, both of these “Party Up In Here” references occur in songs featuring Washington as he builds a relationship with Hamilton.

“Scenario” – A Tribe Called Quest

“Right Hand Man” has another possible musical Easter egg when George Washington raps “Boom goes the cannon” – a possible reference to Busta Rhyme lyrics in “Scenario.” In “Scenario,” the lyrics are “Boom from the cannon.” Although Miranda has not confirmed this theory, the lyrics are so similar that it seems highly likely.

“Countdown” – Beyoncé

Miranda included Beyoncé’s “Countdown” in a playlist of songs that inspired Hamilton, and that influence is most noticeable in “Helpless.” Like Beyoncé, Eliza has a cadence that falls somewhere in between rapping and singing. Additionally, the lyrics “down for the count” may be another clue that “Countdown” influenced this love song.

“I’m Real (Remix)” – Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule OR “Mesmerize” – Ja Rule ft. Ashanti

In “Helpless,” Hamilton growls out “And long as I’m alive, Eliza, swear to God / You’ll never feel so…” A fan on twitter guessed that this vocal quality was a reference to Ja Rule’s section on either “I’m Real” or “Mesmerize.” Miranda confirmed the theory, tweeting “WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER.”

Lohengrim – Wagner

“Helpless” contains a familiar Wagner tune. The wedding music often known as “Here Comes the Bride” is actually from Wagner’s opera Lohengrim. In Lohengrim, the same tune plays during Elsa and Lohengrim’s wedding.

“Ten Crack Commandments” – Biggie Smalls

“10 Duel Commandments” is one of the most overt music references in Hamilton. Not only does the song reference “Ten Crack Commandments” in its title, but it also follows the same structure of the song. This reference is almost impossible to miss.

“Lose Yourself” – Eminem

Miranda listed “Lose Yourself” in the playlist of songs that inspired Hamilton. In “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down),” Hamilton raps, “We only have one shot to live another day.” This sounds very similar to Eminem’s lyrics, “You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.” Given the song’s inclusion on Miranda’s playlist, it’s plausible that this moment was a direct reference to Eminem.

“The World Turned Upside Down”

In “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down),” the ensemble repeats the lyrics “the world turned upside down” multiple times. This is the name of an old English ballad that British troops sang while leaving Yorktown, according to Ron Chernow’s biography Alexander Hamilton. Miranda based most of Hamilton on Chernow’s book, so it’s highly likely that he was alluding to this ballad.

“Nobody Needs To Know” – The Last Five Years

In Hamilton’s “Say No To This,” Hamilton cheats on his wife with Maria Reynolds, and the final line of the song is “nobody needs to know.” This is a reference to the musical The Last Five Years, which has a song entitled “Nobody Needs to Know.” The musical focuses on how a marriage goes awry, and the main character sings this song as he cheats on his wife. Miranda told Slate that the song was “the ultimate infidelity jam,” confirming the reference.

“Juicy” – Notorious BIG

The final music reference on this list is in “Cabinet Battle No. 2.” After Jefferson rips Hamilton apart, he turns to Washington and says, “If you don’t know, now you know.” This a direct quote from Notorious BIG’s “Juicy,” an iconic song from the rapper’s 1994 debut album.

–

Each of these music references contributes something different to Hamilton. References to “Juicy” and Wagner’s Lohengrim help set the tone of certain songs, while the reference to “Nobody Needs To Know” primarily serves as a fun Easter egg. Certain references help modern audiences relate to 18th century characters, while others remind viewers of the show’s major themes.

Hamilton pays homage to many iconic musicians throughout history. While some theories are confirmed and others are unconfirmed but obvious, fans are still on the lookout for more allusions in the show.

About The Author