#Ham4Ham: The Hamilton Mixtape Performance

No John Trumbull (Intro) – Black Thought

[Black Thought]
Yeah, Listen
You ever see a painting by John Trumbull?
Founding fathers in a line, looking all humble
Patiently waiting to sign a declaration and start a nation
No sign of disagreement, not one grumble
The reality is messier and richer, kids
The reality is not a pretty picture, kids
Every cabinet meeting is a full on rumble
What you're about to witness is no John Trumbull

(spoken)
Give it up for DJ J Period on the 1 and 2

New York City, this is a special Hamilton Mixtape edition of Ham4Ham. You all are literally in the room where it happens
I wanna thank you all for coming out, and thank you all for having us...

My Shot (Rise Up Remix) – Black Thought & Joell Ortiz

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Ayo mugshot, gun shot, dope shot, jump shot
Take your pick, but you only get one shot
Advice from a schoolteacher to a young tot
Applyin' a sticker to his Spiderman lunchbox
When even role models tell us we're born to be felons
We're never gettin' into Harvard or Carnegie Mellon
And we gon' end up either robbin' somebody or killin'
It's not fair that's all they can tell us
That's why I hustle hella hard, never celebrate a holiday
That'll be the day I coulda finally hit the lottery
I refuse to ever lose or throw my shot away
Or chalk it up as just another one that got away
So I'm unapologetic, I'm on my calisthenics
If I have given it all I got I cannot regret it
My final destination's different from where I was headed
'Cause I'ma shoot for the stars to get it
One shot

[Hook: Black Thought & Joell Ortiz]
I'm not throwin' away my shot
Hey yo I'm not throwin' away my shot
Hey yo I'm just like my country
I'm young, scrappy, and hungry
And I'm not throwin' away my shot
I said I'm not throwin' away my shot
No I'm not throwin' away my shot
Yo I'm just like my country
I'm young, scrappy and hungry
And I'm not throwin' away my shot

[Verse 2: Joell Ortiz]
When opportunity knock, you don't send anyone to get it
Answer the door, welcome it, let it in, or regret it
They said if you can't beat 'em you join 'em
I say, "Forget it"
'Cause once you join 'em you're buildin' a ceilin' the way you're headed
Be American, express how you feel and take the credit
Don't settle for 87, go premium unleaded and
Take off, shake all the hate off, it's over
It's they loss, the payoff's their weight off your shoulders
Must admit, I'm feelin', um, kinda, um
Lighter as a writer with this fire and desire to go higher
Than a stealth fighter pilot with my eye on every prize
I surprise you guys, I'm a prize fighter
My nine-to-five describe your scribe, survive minor
Setbacks and take steps back from pied pipers
Be leaders, believers in yourself and mean it
I mean you only get one shot, take it or leave it

[Hook: Black Thought & Joell ortiz]
Hey yo, I'm not throwin' away my shot
I said I'm not throwin' away my shot
Yo I'm just like my country
I'm young, scrappy and hungry
And I'm not throwin' away my shot
I said I'm not throwin' away my shot
No I'm not throwin' away my shot
Yo I'm just like my country
I'm young, scrappy and hungry
And I'm not throwin' away my shot
It's time to take a shot, shot
I'm not throwin' away my shot
I'm just like my country
I'm young, scrappy and hungry
And I'm not throwin' away my shot
I said I'm not throwin' away my shot
No I'm not throwin' away my shot
I'm just like my country
I'm young, scrappy and hungry
And I'm not throwin' away my shot
It's time to take a shot

[Outro: Nate Ruess]
Woah, woah, woah, woah
Woah, woah, woah, woah

[Black Thought]
New York City!
Stands up!
Everybody give it up for Joell Ortiz, ladies and gentlemen!
Right on!

[Questlove, spoken]
Woah. What's up New York? How y'all doin'? Hello and welcome to our very special Ham4Ham. I'm Questlove

[Black Thought, spoken]
I'm Black Thought, of the Roots, of the legendary Roots crew. We're excited to give you guys the Hamilton Mixtape tonight. We got a lot more awesome performances coming up for you here. But before we even get started, I want you guys to give it up for our DJs: DJ !llmind and J.Period

[Questlove, spoken]
So, there is an important person that we're missing here today. He's probably having a hangover; I don't know. Actually a special message for you all the way from London...

[Black Thought, spoken]
Damn!

[Questlove, spoken]
Give it up for Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Video Message from Lin Manuel-Miranda

[Lin Manuel-Miranda, spoken]
Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to the Richard Rodgers Theatre
It's Lin Miranda. I so wish I could be there with you in person, but I am so thrilled you are going to hear some songs from the Hamilton Mixtape tonight! We've worked for over a year on this, and I can't wait to bring it to you. In fact, we have a little surprise for you! We've got physical copies of the mixtape for you guys out in the merch lobby and across the street at our merch store. So, enjoy that and enjoy tonight. Thanks for coming out!

[Black Thought, spoken]
We love y'all!

[Questlove, spoken]
Alex, the whole crew's out there. Our next performer is an unreal singer and songwriter from right here in New York City. This is the first song that was recorded for the Hamilton Mixtape. And we're so excited to have her here tonight—or today—with us. Here is Regina Spektor with "Dear Theodosia."

[Black Thought, spoken]
Thank You!

[Regina Spektor, spoken]
Wow, I'm so excited to be here!

Dear Theodosia – Regina Spektor

[Verse 1]
Dear Theodosia, what to say to you?
You have my eyes, you have your mother’s name
When you came into the world, you cried
And it broke my heart

[Verse 2]
I’m dedicating every day to you
Domestic life was never quite my style
When you smile
You knock me out, I fall apart
And I thought I was so smart

[Pre-Chorus]
You will come of age with our young nation
We’ll bleed and fight for you, we’ll make it right for you
If we lay a strong enough foundation
We’ll pass it on to you, we’ll give the world to you

[Chorus]
And you’ll blow us all away…
Someday, someday
Yeah, you’ll blow us all away
Someday, someday

[Bridge]
My father wasn’t around
My father wasn’t around
I swear that I’ll be around for you
I’ll do whatever it takes
I’ll make a million mistakes
I’ll make the world safe and sound for you…

[Pre-Chorus]
...Will come of age with our young nation
We’ll bleed and fight for you, we’ll make it right for you
If we lay a strong enough foundation
We’ll pass it on to you
We’ll give the world to you

[Outro]
And you’ll blow us all away...
Someday, someday
Yeah, you’ll blow us all away
Someday, someday

[Regina Spektor, spoken]
Thank you!

[Black Thought, spoken]
Give it up, give it up one more time for Regina Spektor, ladies and gentleman! Alright, we got our next performer here right now. A beautiful, unbelievable R&B singer here to sing her song from the Hamilton Mixtape, called "Burn"; I want you to put your hands together for Grammy nominee, Miss Andra Day! Round of applause!

Burn – Andra Day

[Verse 1]
I saved every letter you wrote me
From the moment I read them
I knew you were mine, said you were mine
I thought you were mine

Do you know what Angelica said
When we saw your first letter arrive?
She said, “Be careful with that one, love
He will do what it takes to survive.”

[Bridge]
You and your words flooded my senses
Your sentences left me defenseless
You built me palaces out of paragraphs
You built cathedrals

[Verse 2]
I’m re-reading the letters you wrote me
Searching and scanning for answers
In every line, for some kind of sign
'Cause when you were mine
The world seemed to

[Chorus]
Burn
The world seemed to burn

[Verse 3]
You published the letters she wrote you
Told the whole world how you brought
This girl into our bed
In clearing your name, you have ruined our lives

Do you know what Angelica said
When she read what you’d done?
She said, “You have married an Icarus
He has flown too close to the sun.”

[Bridge]
You and your words, obsessed with your legacy
Your sentences border on senseless
And you are paranoid in every paragraph
How they perceive you
You, you, you…

[Verse 4]
I’m erasing myself from this narrative
Future historians wonder how Eliza
Reacted when you broke her heart
You've torn it all apart
I am watching it

[Chorus]
Burn
Watching it burn

[Bridge]
The world has no right to my heart
The world has no place in our bed
They don’t get to know what I said
I’m burning the memories
Burning the letters that might have redeemed you

You forfeit all rights to my heart
You forfeit the place in our bed
You sleep in your office instead
With only the memories
Of when you were mine

[Outro]
I hope that you burn
I hope that you burn

[Black Thought, spoken]
Man! Andra Day, you are quite incredible! Give it up one more time for Andra day, ladies and gentlemen! We can't begin to tell you how amazing this album is. We got artists like John Legend, Wiz Khalifa, Jill Scott and so many more on this Hamilton Mixtape. Its been a year since we began to put it together and we can't wait for you all to hear it. But, we got one more performance for you before you rush out to cop that Hamilton Mixtape. Back together again, for the first time ever, performing their song from the Hamilton Mixtape, here is Grammy-award-winning R&B artist Ashanti and hip-hop legend, Ja Rule. Make some noise!

Helpless – Ashanti & Ja Rule

[Ashanti & Ja Rule]
Yeah, ooh
Yeah, I like that!

[Chorus: Ashanti]
Baby, I'm Helpless
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em

[Verse 1: Ashanti & Ja Rule]
I ain't ever been the type to try and grab the spotlight
We were at the revel with some rebels on a hot night
Laughin’ at my sister as she dazzling the room
Then you walked in and my heart said ooh!
Tryin’ to catch your eye from the side of the ballroom
Everybody’s dancin’ and the bass top volume
Grind to the rhythm as we wine and dine
Saying to myself, "Baby, this one’s mine.”

[Pre-Chorus: Ashanti & Ja Rule]
Shorti made her way across the room to you
And I got nervous, thinking “What’s she gonna do?” Uh huh!
She grabbed you by the arm, I’m thinkin’ “I’m through”
Then you look back at me and suddenly I’m
What! Come on!

[Hook: Ashanti & Ja Rule]
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em

Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em

[Verse 2: Ashanti & Ja Rule]
One week later, I’m writin’ a letter nightly, Wo!
Now my life gets better, every letter that you write me
Laughin’ at this girl, cuz she wants to form a harem
Uh, nah, I ain't sharin', nah!

Two weeks later, in the living room stressin’
My father’s stone-faced cause you’re asking for his blessin’
I’m dying inside, as you wine and dine
And I’m tryin’ not to cry
‘Cause there’s nothing that your mind can’t do

[Pre-Chorus: Ashanti]
My father makes his way across the room to you
I panic for a second, thinking “we’re through” Uh huh!
But then he shakes your hand and says “be true”
And you turn back to me, smiling, and I’m Yeah! Yeah!

[Chorus: Ashanti & Ja Rule ]
Helpless, yeah Uh huh! Come on!!
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em

Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby Let me talk to 'em!
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in

[Break: Ja Rule & Ashanti]
Ashanti, I don’t have a dollar to my name
An acre of land, a troop to command, a dollop of fame
All I have’s my honor, a tolerance for pain
A couple of college credits and my top-notch brain
Insane, your family brings out a different side of me
Peggy confides in me, Angelica tried to take a bite of me Oh, oh!
No stress, my love for you is never in doubt
We’ll get a little place in Queens and we’ll figure it out Yeah, yeah!
I’ve been livin’ without a family since I was a child Oh, oh!
My father died, my mama cried, I grew up buck wild Yeah, yeah!
But I’ll never forget my mama’s face, that was real
And long as I’m alive, Ashanti, swear to God
You’ll never feel so… Baby I'm

[Chorus: Ashanti & Ja Rule]
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em

Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em

[Outro: Ashanti & Ja Rule]
Yeah
Mm, so into you
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Helpless
Hahaha!

[Black Thought, spoken]
Give it up, ladies and gentlemen, for Grammy-award-winner Ashanti. Give it up for my man Ja Rule! Give it up for the cast and crew of this iconic production, Hamilton! Wouldn't be possible without the creator, Mr. Lin Manuel-Miranda! Give it up for our producers !llmind and J.Period and everyone who came out to rock with us this evening. Give it up, Joell Ortiz, Regina Spektor, Andra Day. I go by the name Black Thought. My partner Questlove has left the building. You've been a beautiful audience so we want to thank you. Make sure y'all cop the Hamilton Mixtape, is in stores!

[Audience cheers & applause]