Meet the man hip-hop stars and history teachers can't get enough of.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is young, scrappy, and performing at the Grammys.
1. Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius. Seriously. He has the award to prove it.
Miranda was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2015, an award that's commonly referred to as the "Genius Grant." For his creativity, talent, and potential, Miranda (and each of the 23 other greats) receive a $625,000 fellowship, paid out over the next five years.
Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for AWXII.
2. Not only is he a genius, but he's a freakin' freestyle mastermind.
Miranda is a lifelong hip-hop fan, which explains the Mobb Deep, DMX, and Biggie references peppered throughout "Hamilton."
But did you know he's also a member of a hip-hop improv group called Freestyle Love Supreme? The troupe has performed at comedy festivals and a handful of colleges around the country.
3. Before he wrote "Hamilton," he worked on "Bring It On: The Musical." How he remains so humble is beyond me.
True story.
In 2012, Miranda co-wrote the lyrics for "Bring It On: The Musical." Let me know if that little nugget helps you win trivia someday.
Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images.
4. In 2013, Miranda appeared on one of the lowest-rated TV shows of all time. Seriously. ALL TIME.
It was a very short-lived NBC drama called "Do No Harm," which holds the infamous distinction of being the lowest-rated in-season broadcast scripted series debut since 1987 and the least watched drama premiere, at least on the big four broadcast networks (NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox).
Needless to say, the man knows defeat, which probably makes his recent victories that much sweeter.
Miranda, third from left, with the cast of "Do No Harm." Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images.
5. In between those projects, Miranda found time to write some award-winning, mind-melting songs for Neil Patrick Harris.
Remember the 2013 Tony Awards where Neil Patrick Harris closed the show with a mind-blowing song and dance number that accurately referenced events that transpired during the awards ceremony? Events that couldn't have been predicted or planned for? Harris has Miranda to thank for working behind the scenes throughout the broadcast to frantically write the song as the show aired. See what I mean about improvisational mastermind?
Miranda's efforts paid off — he won a Creative Arts Emmy for co-writing the hilarious opening song and impressive closing number for Harris.
Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.
6. He also found a minute (or several thousand minutes) to write "Hamilton," a process which began as most musicals do, while he was on vacation.
In 2008, Miranda picked up a copy of Ron Chernow's 832-page Hamilton biography to read on vacation (as one does), and after reading the book, he fell in love with Hamilton's life and story. In Hamilton, he saw glimpses of his father ... and Tupac Shakur.
The biography was the story of an immigrant with serious command of rhetoric who made something from nothing, yet most people barely recognize him from the 10-dollar bill.
Photo by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.
Miranda started working on a possible concept album straightaway, and just a few months later, he actually performed a song for President Obama and the first lady when he was invited by the White House to join the slate of performers putting on a show about the "American experience."
Many years and countless hours later, the mixtape was set aside, but a musical was born.
"Hamilton" is a huge success. Thanks, Obama. Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images.
7. Tickets to "Hamilton" are really, really hard to get — with one fantastic exception.
Given its historical subject matter, Miranda was frequently asked how to make "Hamilton" accessible to more young people. So he made it a priority. Now, the show's producers, in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation, have agreed to finance a program to bring 11th graders from New York City schools (particularly those with a high number of kids living in poverty) to see "Hamilton." Not just students from one school, or even 10. We're talking 20,000 high-school juniors over the course of a year.
“If we can excite curiosity in students, there’s no telling what can happen next,” Miranda said while announcing the program.
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images.
8. As if the spectacular success of "Hamilton" wasn't enough, Miranda also wrote music for "Star Wars" and is starting work on a Disney film.
Fresh off writing the cantina music for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Miranda is hard at work on the music for "Moana," an upcoming animated feature from Disney. He was recently in the recording booth with one of the film's star's, Dwayne "The Rock"Johnson.
Lin Manuel Miranda is Broadway's King - bad ass and an honor for me to sing and rap the music he's created for our movie. Creator and star of HAMILTON and IN THE HEIGHTS - as a composer and lyricist it's been an unreal "Master Class" for me to witness and learn. I'm just trying to keep up 😂. I have a feeling our animated musical is gonna be insanely dope. #Disney #MOANA #DontSleepOnMySpitSkills #NOV2016
A photo posted by therock (@therock) on
9. Then, for good measure, he performed at the Grammys AND WON.
Miranda and his multitalented cast performed at the Grammys live via satellite from the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York. In the show's 58-year history, this was only the eighth time it included a musical theater number and the fourth time it featured a number presented live via satellite. Shortly after, they took home the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
GIF via "The Grammys."
10. Because if you're Lin-Manuel Miranda, you know just how powerful art can be.
And you can't stop (won't stop) sharing it with everyone you can.
So, if you're not already, get wise to Lin-Manuel Miranda.
When all seemed lost, he managed to make history, long hair on dudes, and musical theater cool again. That's no small feat. Here's to you, sir.
OK, he really says, "Alexander Hamilton," but you get it right? GIF via "The Grammys."
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."