I grew up in an immigrant neighborhood. We just knew the rule was you're going to have to work twice as hard.

The fun for me in collaboration is, one, working with other people just makes you smarter; that's proven.

Everything we know about Hamilton, we knew when he was alive, because he told us.

One of my first favorite books was 'The 12 Days of Christmas,' and I would just go up to people and say, 'I can sing 'The 12 Days of Christmas,' and I would make them sit through me reciting it, and I'd go all the way, each time. I've always hooked into lyrics.

My only responsibility as a playwright and a storyteller is to give you the time of your life in the theatre. I just happen to think that with Hamilton's story, sticking close to the facts helps me. All the most interesting things in the show happened.

Biggie and Big Pun were the best storytellers of the '90s. I would get wrapped up in the narrative of what they were talking about.