Various Artists, Wrote My Way Out | Track Review 🎵

Aloe Blacc, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Nas drop the dope “Wrote My Way Out,” a highlight from ‘The Hamilton Mixtape.’

Hamilton is “kind of a big deal.” After earning numerous accolades, a mixtape (The Hamilton Mixtape) arrives featuring various artists. A star-studded cast comes together to drop the dope “Wrote My Way Out.” That cast is comprised of Aloe Blacc, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Nas.  The results = FIRE.

“Wrote My Way Out” opens with piano chords. This is fitting for establishing an East Coast, hip-hop vibe. The hook begins with Lin-Manuel Miranda singing the titular lyric, “I wrote my way out.” Aloe Blacc finishes the remainder of the hook.

“...When the world turned its back on me
I was up against the wall
I had no foundation
No friends and no family to catchy my fall
Running on empty, there was nothing left in me but doubt I picked up a pen
And wrote my way out.”

Blacc sounds incredibly soulful, growing more so as the record progresses.

A hard, anchoring hip-hop beat supports the rappers on the verses. Overall, the record features excellent production work. This serves as perfect fuel for the fire. Nas nails verse one.  He is clearly in his element.

“I picked up the pen like Hamilton
Street analyst, now I write words that try to channel ‘em No political power, just lyrical power
Sittin’ on a crate on a corner, sippin’ for hours.”

Dave East spits the second verse, admitting his naivety about rap when he entered into the game.  Lin-Manuel Miranda spits the third and final verse, fittingly:

“High speed, dubbin’ these rhymes in my dual cassette deck
Runnin’ out of time like I’m Jonathan Larson’s rent check
My mind is Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak 
In withdrawal, I want it all, please give me that pen back…”

“Wrote My Way Out” concludes with excellent spoken word outro by Nas.

Final Thoughts 💭

All in all, collaborative track “Wrote My Way Out” is among the stronger pre-released singles from Hamilton Mixtape.  Nas, Dave East, and Lin-Manuel Miranda all deliver strong rap verses, while Aloe Blacc shines on the hook.  There is little to knock about “Wrote My Way Out.”

Various Artists • The Hamilton Mixtape • Atlantic • Release: 12.2.16

Photo Credit: Atlantic