Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis on Their New Concept Album “Warriors”

>>> REIMAGINING A CULT CLASSIC MOVIE 45 YEARS AFTER ITS RELEASE.

THE WARRIORS IS GETTING A MUSICAL TREATMENT FROM HAMILTON CREATOR LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA.

HE HAS TEAMED UP WITH PLAYWRIGHT EISA DAVIS TO CREATE WARRIORS, A CONCEPT ALBUM WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER A STAR-STUDDED ROSTER OF MUSICIANS FROM LAURYN HILL TO MARK ANTONY TO HONOR THE 1979 THRILLER THAT FOLLOWS A NEW YORK CITY GANG ON THEIR JOURNEY FROM THE BRONX TO CONEY ISLAND.

THEY JOIN US TO DISCUSS THE LOVE LETTER TO THE FILM AND THE LASTING LEGACY.

>> THANKS.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH YOU FROM HAMILTON.

THEY WILL SAY WHAT'S THE WARRIORS?

WHEN I TRIED TO DESCRIBE THE PLOT TO PEOPLE, THEY ARE LIKE THIS CANNOT BE REAL.

THIS WAS A ROADMAP OF NEW YORK FOR YOU AT A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT WATCHED IT, WHAT IS THIS?

>> I THINK EVERYONE HAS A MOVIE THEY SAW WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP AND ALSO THE MOVIE THEY SAW WITHOUT THE PARENTS PERMISSION GROWING UP.

WARRIORS WAS THAT MOVIE FOR ME.

TOUCHSTONE FOR HIP-HOP CULTURE AND NEW YORKERS BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A SNAPSHOT OF 1979 NEW YORK.

IT IS ABOUT OPENINGS IN THE CITY GOING TO A PEACE SUMMIT.

A TRUCE IN THE SOUTH BRONX.

THE CHARISMATIC LEADER WHO CALLS THE TRUCE IS ASSASSINATED AFTER AN IMPASSIONED SPEECH.

THE ASSASSIN BLAMES THE WARRIORS FROM CONEY ISLAND AND THEY HAVE TO FIGHT THEIR WAY FROM THE BRONX TO CONEY ISLAND, WHICH EVERY NEW YORKER KNOWS IS QUITE A JOURNEY.

>> WHEN YOU WATCH THAT MOVIE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT MAY BE FLEW IN THE '70S THAT WOULD NOT FLY ANYMORE.

THERE ARE LOTS OF LINES THAT ARE HOMOPHOBIC IN THE ORIGINAL MOVIE.

YOU DECIDED TO FLIP THE SCRIPT.

>> YEAH.

I THINK IT IS A VERY AGGRO MOVIE.

VERY TESTOSTERONE LADEN MOVIE.

WE TRIED TO CONNECT THE DOTS NO ONE ELSE HAS CONNECTED YET.

THAT'S WHAT OUR BRAINS DO NATURALLY.

WHEN GAMER GAIT WAS UNFOLDING, I REMEMBER PEOPLE WERE.INNOCENT WOMEN AND SAYING HERE'S THE HOME ADDRESS.

GO GET THEM.

DO WHAT YOU WILL WITH THIS INFORMATION.

I THOUGHT THAT SUCH A LOSER ACT.

IN THE MOVIE, HE SHOOTS CYRUS, POINTS AT ANOTHER GANG AND SAYS THEY DID IT AND THERE LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES FOR THE REST OF THE MOVIE.

SO DISCONNECTING THOSE TWO DOTS SLIPS THAT FOR THE WARRIORS FOR ME.

IT ALSO COMPLICATED EVERY SUBSEQUENT PLOT POINT FOR ME.

LIKE IF THEY ARE WOMEN, HOW WOULD THEY DEAL WITH THIS SCENARIO?

HOW WOULD THEY DEAL WITH THIS UNDERCOVER COP?

THERE'S TWO THINGS.

ONE, WE CARVE OUT OUR OWN LANE.

THE ALBUM IS VERY MUCH A LOVE LETTER TO THAT MOVIE BUT IT WILL ALSO NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH THAT MOVIE AS A RESULT OF OUR DECISIONS.

AND I THINK IT ALLOWS US TO FIND A FRESH TERRAIN AND OUR ADAPTATION.

IN SO MANY ADAPTATIONS OF WORK, WHEN THEY ARE VERY, VERY FAITHFUL, YOU EITHER MEET THE STANDARD OF THE ORIGINAL FILM OR YOU DON'T READ BUT WHEN WE CHANGE KEY THINGS, BOTH THE NEWCOMER AND THE FAN OF THE ORIGINAL DO NOT KNOW WHERE IT IS HEADED AND THAT IS EXCITING TO ME AS AN ARTIST.

>> THIS WRITING PARTNERSHIP, EXPLAIN HOW THAT ARTISTIC CREATION WORKS, AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

DO YOU RECORD SOMETHING, TEXTED BACK AND FORTH TO EACH OTHER?

>> YEAH.

YOU GOT IT ON THE NOSE.

THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS WE WERE WORKING TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, I WOULD SING SOME BASELINES OR SIT AT THE PIANO AND RECORDS AND CHORDS, PROGRESSIONS.

JUSTICE AND VOICE MEMOS TO LIN AND SAY TO YOU KNOW, COULD THIS FIT INTO THE PLOT?

PROVIDING ALL KINDS OF RAW IDEAS.

WHETHER THEY WERE MUSICAL, CONTEXTUAL, STRUCTURAL.

JUST SORT OF SAYING, LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN KEEP EXPLORING EVERY POSSIBILITY.

AGAIN, WE WILL BE BOTH REVERENT ALSO IRREVERENT TO IT, YOU KNOW, AND DO WHAT IT IS WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO GET AT THESE IDEAS, THESE LARGER IDEAS AROUND REPRESENTATION AND AROUND THE CULTURAL PURPOSE, YOU KNOW, OF SOUND BEING BORN.

IT WAS AMAZING.

WE GOT TO SIT AT THE DRAMA BOOKSHOP AND JUST THROW IDEAS BACK AND FORTH.

WE DID SOME RETREATS TOGETHER.

WE ACTUALLY DID THE VERY JOURNEY THAT THE WARRIORS TAKE WHERE WE WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE BRONX.

IT'S ALL THE WAY UP FOR ME BECAUSE I LIVE IN BROOKLYN.

IT'S CLOSER FOR LIN.

WE WENT TO PORTLAND PARK AND WE WENT THROUGH, WALKED THROUGH TO WOODLAWN CEMETERY, AND FOUND THE TRAIN, MADE OUR WAY BACK DOWN TO THE UPPER WEST SIDE.

GRAZE PAPAYA AND THE RIVERSIDE PARK WHERE THE FAIRIES ARE.

UNION SQUARE.

DOWN TO PORT SHIMMER HORN WHERE THEY SHOT A LOT OF SUBWAY SCENES IN THE FILM AND MADE IT TO CONEY BY SUNSET.

SO THAT WAS OUR METHOD EXPERIENCE.

BUT YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE PROCESS HAS JUST BEEN AMAZING.

HE IS AN AMAZING COLLABORATOR AND ARTIST IN PERSON.

>> YOUR SUCCESS GIVES YOU VERY NICE ACCESS TO PEOPLE WHO RETURN YOUR PHONE CALLS.

YOU CAN HAVE ANYBODY YOU WANTED.

YOU HAD EMCEES REPRESENTING DIFFERENT BOROUGHS HERE.

ALL-STAR LIST.

NAS FROM QUEENS.

STATEN ISLAND.

BROOKLYN.

HOW DID YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH THESE PEOPLE AND WAS IT EASY, ESPECIALLY LAURYN HILL?

TELL US THAT STORY.

>> FIRST OF ALL, YOU ARE VERY KIND.

EVEN MY ROLODEX IS NOT THAT GOOD.

I WANT TO GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO OUR EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, NAS.

I HAD BEEN TALKING TO HIM LAST YEAR AROUND THE EVENTS OF HIP- HOP 50.

HE WAS REALLY ONE OF THE KEY EVENTS CELEBRATING HIP-HOP'S 50th ANNIVERSARY.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING A ONE-MAN SHOW AROUND HIS INCREDIBLE CATALOG OF MUSIC.

OFFHANDEDLY, HE SAID WHAT ELSE ARE YOU WORKING ON?

I SAID I'M WRITING A WARRIORS CONCEPT ALBUM WITH EISA DAVIS AND HIS EYES POPPED OUT OF HIS HEAD.

HE SAID WARRIORS?

THAT'S MY FAVORITE MOVIE.

SO THE BUY-IN WAS BECAUSE HE REALLY WANTED TO SEE IT EXIST.

IT OPENED A LOT OF DOORS FOR US PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE HIP-HOP COMMUNITY.

AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO CREATE OUR BEST SONIC LOVE LETTER TO THIS MOVIE THAT HIP-HOP CULTURE LOVES.

AND THEN THERE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY STARS YET, BUT WE WANT TO BE STARS.

LIKE A LOT OF THE WOMEN PLAYING OUR WARRIORS WERE REALLY FRIENDS OF OURS.

WE ASKED HIM TO COME DO DEMOS OF OUR MATERIAL.

THERE WAS SUCH A CHEMISTRY AND MAGIC HAPPENING IN THE STUDIO THAT WE SAID WE ARE NOT GOING TO TYPE THIS.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO TOP WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.

THEY KIND OF FELL INTO THE SNOWBALL AS THEY ROLLED DOWN THE HILL.

>> HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT KIND OF SONG AND VIBE YOU ARE GOING FOR?

IN THE MOVIE, THERE'S THESE VERY, VERY DIFFERENT GANGS.

COSTUMES, VERY THEATRICAL.

>> VERY STYLIZED, YES.

>> THERE IS CERTAINLY A POINT AND AN INTENTION THAT THE DIRECTOR HAD THAT TIME.

NOW HERE YOU ARE REINTERPRETING IT AND THINKING WHAT IS THE VIBE THAT THIS GROUP WOULD HAVE?

THERE WAS NO K-POP IN 1979.

THERE IS A SAMPLE IN YOUR WORK HERE.

HOW DID YOU SAY OKAY, THIS SOUNDS A LITTLE METAL, A LITTLE R&B.

IT WILL HIP-HOP.

>> THE MOST FUN WAS FIGURING OUT WHAT IS THE TEMPO, WHAT IS THE GENRE OF THIS GAIN?

WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT LUTHER BEFORE EISA CAME ON BOARD , I HAD WRITTEN A COUPLE OF REFERENCES FOR LUTHER, THE ANTAGONIST OF THE FILM BUT THE THINKING FELT TO ORDERED.

IT GIVES US THE CLEAR THAT YOU HAVE A PREMEDITATED MIND.

AND EISA PLAYED ME A METAL BAND WHERE SHE WAS FRIENDS WITH THE LEAD SINGER.

AS SOON AS I HEARD THE SCREAMO, I WAS LIKE I CAN FEEL MY PUERTO RICAN MOTHER'S, GRANDMOTHERS IN HEAVEN, CROSSING THEMSELVES ON MY BEHALF.

SUCH VIRTUOSIC CHAOS.

THIS IS THE SOUND OF LUTHER.

>> >> AND YOU ALLUDED TO THE K- WRAP IN IT.

THE GENDER FLIP MAKES EVERYTHING MORE INTERESTING TO WRITE ABOUT.

THE BOYS ARE EXHAUSTED WHEN THEY ARE THE WARRIORS.

THEY SEE THESE PRETTY GIRLS AND THEY FOLLOW THEM.

WE HAD REAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ALL RIGHT, THESE WOMEN HAVE BEEN RUNNING FROM MEN TRYING TO KILL THEM ALL NIGHT.

WHY WOULD THEY TRUST THESE MEN?

AND THE ANSWER, WE LANDED ON IS WE ARE GOING TO CREATE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, UNTHREATENING BOY BAND OF ALL TIME.

BUT NOT JUST ANY BOY BAND.

WE WANT TO AND THE SOUNDS FROM NEW ADDITION THROUGH STRAY KIDS IN 2024.

>> >> AND SO, YOU'VE GOT WITH JOSH LANDRY CHANNELING HIS BEST BOYZ II MEN.

STEPHEN SANCHEZ CHANNELING HIS BEST JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE PICK YOUR FAVORITE, YOU KNOW, SWEET WHITE BOY FROM THE EARLY '90S.

AND YOU'VE GOT DANIEL REPRESENTING K-RAP AND ABSOLUTELY BREAKING IT DOWN WITH LYRICS BY OUR FRIEND HELEN PARK.

THE CONTENT THAT TAKES FORM.

EACH CHALLENGE MEANT THAT WE HAD TO RISE TO THAT OCCASION IN TERMS OF VARIOUS GENRES.

>> THERE IS SOMETHING THROUGHOUT THE FILM WHERE YOU SEE THESE REPEATED SHOTS OF THE SUBWAY.

EVEN THE ALBUM HERE WITH THE SOUNDS, THE VOICE OF THE ACTUAL NEW YORK SUBWAY IS DOING A VOICEOVER DURING THIS PERIOD AND I WONDER WHY DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE RELEVANT TODAY FOR AN AUDIENCE LIVING IN 2024?

GOES BACK TO THE WAY THAT I WANTED TO LOOK AT THE FOUND FROM THIS 2024 PERSPECTIVE.

AND I JUST THINK THAT THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF COMING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION WHICH IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO LOOK AT A GANG, AND COMING TOGETHER AND REALIZING THAT THERE ACTUALLY IS NOT ANY NEED FOR THE KIND OF BETWEEN THESE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.

AND THAT THERE'S A WAY TO STRIVE FOR, COME UP WITH A KIND OF PEACE, AND THAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT TO ME RIGHT NOW IN THIS WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN, TO FIND A WAY TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO FIND A WAY, AND AM VERY INTERESTED IN WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP.

THAT WAS ANOTHER HUGE ASPECT OF HOW WE WERE APPROACHING THIS.

YOU KNOW, HOW DO WOMEN WORK TOGETHER?

AND WHAT KIND OF PEACE CAN A WOMAN CREATE FROM THAT CHARISMATIC PEDESTAL, RIGHT?

AND SO YEAH, THAT'S REALLY THE HEART OF IT FOR ME.

AND ALSO JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IS HEARD.

I MEAN, WE JUST DID OUR BEST TO DIFFERENT NEW YORK 'S.

YOU MENTIONED THE K-POP THAT IS THERE, RIGHT?

AND THE, THERE IS A GROUP CALLED THE HURRICANES.

THE HOUSE OF HURRICANES.

AND THAT'S THIS QUEER AND TRANS GROUP THAT IS THERE.

SO HAVING THE TURNBULL ACS, THESE PUERTO RICANS IN THE BRONX.

JUST MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE.

EVEN IF IT IS ONE OF STRIFE IN THIS STORY THAT WE ULTIMATELY CAN FIND A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE CAN LIVE, AND THAT IS, I THINK ACTUALLY IN THE CULTURE OF HIP HOP.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALLUDE TO IN THIS, WHICH IS THAT REAL- LIFE GANG TRUTHS THAT HAPPENED IN 1971 LEADS TO THE BIRTH OF HIP-HOP IN 1973 IN A LOT OF WAYS.

AND THAT THOSE GANGS BECOME CREWS THAT THEN BATTLE AGAINST EACH OTHER WITH THEIR ART AS OPPOSED TO WITH KNIVES OR WITH WEAPONS, AND THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY GREAT FOR US TO LOOK BACK AT FROM THIS VANTAGE POINT.

>> OUR AUDIENCE MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT ART AND ACTIVISM IS KIND OF CENTRAL TO SOME OF YOUR WORK.

IN 2009 YOU DID AND MIXED TAPE IN REFERENCE TO A VERY FAMOUS AND THAT YOU HAVE.

ANGELA DAVIS.

WHAT IS THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY AS YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THESE PRETTY HEAVY TIMES?

>> WELL, I THINK A LOT ABOUT HOW WHAT ART DOES IS IT GIVES US KIND OF LIKE --IT TELLS US HOW WE ARE SUPPOSED TO EXPECT TO BE, YOU KNOW.

IT CREATES OUR NOTIONS OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE HAVE NOT YET ASKED VARIANCE.

AND THAT'S WHERE I THINK THE RESPONSIBILITY COMES AND, BECAUSE OF COURSE I WANT US AS ARTIST TO BE FREE TO DO WHATEVER WE WANT TO DO.

AND I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE SYSTEMIC AND STRUCTURAL INJUSTICES HAVE OCCURRED AND CONTINUE TO OCCUR.

SO TO PLAY INTO SOME OF THOSE STEREOTYPES , I THINK IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE IF YOU'RE NOT DOING IT IN A VERY CONSCIOUS, PURPOSEFUL WAY.

THERE HAS TO BE SOME KIND OF CRITICAL ENGAGEMENT WITH WHERE IT IS THAT WE ARE AS A SOCIETY, THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DREAM OF NEW WAYS OF BEING TOGETHER THROUGH THE ARTS.

ALL THE TIME, ABOUT CULTURAL WORK BEING A PRONG OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO WHEN IT COMES TO ACHIEVING SOCIAL CHANGE.

I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT AN ARTIST HAS ANY DUTY TO SAY ANYTHING THAT DOES NOT COME FULLBORE FROM THEIR IMAGINATION.

THERE HAS TO BE THAT FREEDOM AT ALL TIMES, AND I ALSO KNOW THAT THERE CAN BE A LAZINESS OR AN INERTIA.

THERE CAN BE A RE-INSCRIBING OF ALL OF THESE VERY HARMFUL NOTIONS, JUST BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO TELL A STORY THAT ENTERTAINS A PREVIOUS VERSION OF WHAT WE THOUGHT OUR REALITY WAS.

WE GET TO CREATE NEW REALITIES, NEW WORLDS.

THAT'S WHAT I TRIED TO DO AND I KNOW THAT'S WHAT LIN TRIES TO DO, AS WELL.

>> YOU GOT SOME LYRICS IN THERE TOWARDS THE END THAT SAYS WE IF YOU WANT TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT, GIVE US A COUPLE OF THOSE LYRICS, AND WHY, IN THESE INCREDIBLY DIVISIVE TIMES, I WISH MORE PEOPLE THAT HEAR THAT NOW.

>> IT'S INCREDIBLE WHEN YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT RESONATES DEEPLY WITH YOU.

MY FAVORITE SCENE IN THE WARRIORS IS THIS WORDLESS MOMENT.

THE WALTER HILL SHOT WHERE THE WARRIORS HAVE FINALLY MADE THE LAST TRAIN THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO CONEY ISLAND.

THEY ARE DEAD TIRED AND ASLEEP AND THIS PAIR OF COUPLES COMES ON AND KIND OF DISCO AND THEY ARE HAVING THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES.

IT'S VERY CLEAR THEY LIVE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NEW YORK AND THE NEW YORK WE'VE BEEN WATCHING FOR THE PAST 80 MINUTES.

AND THEY ASSESS EACH OTHER AND THERE IS THIS WORDLESS MOMENT, AND MERCY, WHO HAS BEEN TRAVELING WITH THE WARRIORS, STARTS TO FEEL SMALL.

SOMEONE GRABS HER ARM AND SAYS BASICALLY ASSERT YOUR DIGNITY LIKE YOU BELONG ON THIS TRAIN, TOO.

THERE IS NO DIALOGUE IN THE CHALLENGE FOR US BECAME HOW DO WE NARRATE A WORDLESS EQUIVALENCE ON THE ALBUM?

SO I WROTE THE SONG CALLED SAME TRAIN HOME, WHICH I THINK IS SUCH A DISTILLATION OF EVERYTHING I LOVE ABOUT THE CITY, WHICH IS THAT WE ALL COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO BE HERE.

IF YOU GREW UP HERE, YOU FIGURED OUT HOW TO BE YOURSELF HERE, FIND YOUR NEW YORK.

IF YOU COME FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU'VE COME HERE TO BECOME YOUR SELF.

AND WE ALL SHARE THE SAME SUBWAY AND WE ALL MANAGED TO LIVE MOSTLY IN PEACE.

>> >> WHAT I LOVE ABOUT NEW YORK, AND WHY I COULD NEVER MOVE TO PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE TO DRIVE EVERYWHERE IS THAT I AM IN COMMUNION WITH NEW YORK BY VIRTUE OF THE PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM.

I LOVE THAT ABOUT OUR CITY, AND I LOVE THAT WE ALL SHARED STRUGGLES EVEN THOUGH IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE THAT ON THE SURFACE.

>> EISA DAVIS AND LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.