The list of artists who have claimed a Pulitzer Prize, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony in their career isn't long, but Lin-Manuel Miranda is one of the lucky (and extremely talented) few. The star and creator of Hamilton—the biggest musical on Broadway and the recent recipient of a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations—Miranda has been a smash success on the stage ever since 2009's In the Heights, his Broadway debut, and itself a winner of the Best Musical Tony Award and the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
Even after the triumphs of In the Heights, no one could have foreseen the levels to which Miranda would ascend with Hamilton. A re-telling of American history through hip-hop has the potential to be painfully corny, but Miranda's star-making work has proved to be anything but. The musical is a certified event, a must-see show that has become a spectacle, boasting a credibility and cultural cachet that has made Broadway cool to a larger audience than ever, as well as tickets that regularly resale for over $1,000.
In Complex's June/July 2016 issue, Miranda sat down to speak with Chance the Rapper, Chicago's next superstar MC and a burgeoning icon of artistic independence in the age of the Internet. In 2013, Chance dropped Acid Rap, one of the most highly-praised projects of a year that also saw the release of Yeezus, Beyoncé, and Nothing Was the Same. However, Chance has yet to fall in line with industry artists like Kanye, Beyoncé, and Drake, instead finding renown and recognition without the record label apparatus.
After recording the critically-acclaimed Surf with Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment in 2015, Chance is set to release a proper solo follow-up to Acid Rap in the form of Chance 3, out May 13. With every song, performance, and video, Chance's artistic vision has only grown more distinct. If his current trajectory is any indication, then Chance 3 figures to be a solidification of his status as one of the most exciting and ambitious young artists around.
In a conversation moderated by our very own Nadeska Alexis, these two discuss their artistic approach, President Obama, fatherhood, and the legacy they each aim to leave behind.
Click the link below to read the full cover story, and be sure to buy Complex's June/July 2016 Issue now!
