Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda, K'naan put out powerful new Immigrants video
Video for Hamilton Mixtape tune stars rappers K'naan, Residente, Riz MC
Hamilton composer and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda delivered a strong political message Wednesday with the release of a new video for Immigrants (We get the job done).
Inspired by the musical's Yorktown (The world turned upside down) and part of The Hamilton Mixtape, the video stars:
- Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan
- Puerto Rican rapper Residente
- British-Pakistani actor-rapper Riz MC
- Mexican-American rapper Snow Tha Product
It explores the plight of immigrants and their work ethic in a political climate where the word immigrant has been vilified by some.
K'naan's rhymes are heard first: "I've got one job, two jobs, three when I need 'em. I've got five roommates in this one studio but I never really see them." He referenced the video on Twitter Wednesday, calling it a "new video for the times we're in."
The video shows immigrants sewing American flags in sweatshop-like conditions, working on orchards and in butcher shops, kitchens and hospitals. It also highlights the brutal conditions many immigrants flee when they come to countries like Canada and the United States.
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Other images in the video show families crawling under chain-link fence to escape war conditions, sheltering in a refugee camp, travelling on the rooftop of a train and facing raids from immigration officers.
With the release of the video, Miranda also announced the launch of a contest to benefit The Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition, which supports non-profits that provide services to immigrants and asylum seekers in need.