Ok, so, the French are present in Hamilton. The English also, but mainly the French. There is, of course, Lafayette. But they also talk about Voltaire and the French thinkers of the “Enlighten” century.
The French, when they did their revolution, did it also in hip-hop. I can imagine women going to Versailles to ask for bread. I can see them walking towards the magnificent palace. I can see them silent. They had to get wok themselves up to that unthinkable task: Question the monarch, dare to think that he did something wrong.
Then came the time to bring walls down, destroy institutions, wipe the slate clean. But for what? That’s the part where you need top start talking. All the great revolutionaries were great orators. Famously, during his trial, Danton, one of the main French guy to create the New Republic, lost his voice because he spoke so much. He was answering Robespierre, correcting him as it went, on what the revolution meant, what it was suppose to accomplish.
An idea is a great thing. But a political idea is nothing without a million word. And even a million words is not much, barely a spark.
Hamilton exemplify that brilliantly. Performers do rap battles. They still have to compromise at the end. But the rappers involved need to be brilliant, charming, efficient, etc… Just like politicians.