News: Chance The Rapper & Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda Cover ‘Complex’

The June/July issue of Complex Magazine features Chance The Rapper and Broadway’s Hamiltion star Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the new interview they both talk about their careers, music, and work ethic.

Lin-Manuel Miranda talks about the success of the Broadway play and expanding into other cities. Chance talks about his forthcoming Chance 3 mixtape which is due out tomorrow. Take a look at some of what they had to say and read the full story over at Complex.

Complex: What are you willing to sacrifice for your legacy?

Chance: My father always told me that my legacy would be my children. And I think the most important thing about creating is the way that your music interacts with people, and the period that it’s released in, and the periods that will have it after your death, and how it’ll work in the world. My favorite piece from Hamilton is “Dear Theodosia,” which is…. [Turns to Miranda] Can I talk about the play?

Lin-Manuel: [Laughs.] Yeah, do whatever you want.

Chance: The first verse is Aaron Burr talking to his daughter, and the song is so dope to me because it’s obviously a song about fatherhood, but they’re speaking about building this brand-new nation and building a new world for their children and their children’s children. Literally though—a brand-new America. There’s still not a lot of hospitals or banks; they’re figuring out forms of currency; they’re still fighting the Brits.

I like to think of my music the same way because a lot of my stuff is about my ideal world, and how I want things to function. I have a daughter who’s going to be raised in this world, and my music and my art are powerful tools in getting that to be formed the way I want it to. So I guess when we talk about legacy, I would do anything to make sure that my legacy lives on and is a healthy one, but I still look at it a little differently. I don’t think the legacy of the music is necessarily what I think about when I think of mine.

Complex: Surf was great, but fans have been looking forward to another project.

Chance: Yeah. This stuff is way better than Surf. I’ll say that on record. Donnie [Trumpet] is awesome, and the project was awesome, but this is all of us focusing our efforts into some very hip-hop and very dance-y shit, and it feels good. So I’m excited about that.

Complex: And Lin, you have the Hamilton mixtape coming out soon.

Lin-Manuel: Yeah, the Hamilton mixtape in fall. And I’m just trying to get as many people to see Hamilton as possible. I know how tough it is to get a ticket in New York, so our priority is getting Chicago up and running, then West End, running in London fall of next year. Everyone is like, “Film it and put it on TV,” but that’s not the thing. The thing is seeing it live, so it’s about being able to get as many people to see that. We have 20,000 school kids through a generous grant from the Rockefeller Foundation that are going to be seeing the show this year and we’re duplicating that program in Chicago.