Hamilton creator and recent Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared on John Oliver's HBO show on Sunday night to deliver a powerful rap about Puerto Rico's debt crisis.
The U.S. Commonwealth is grappling with debts of more than $70 billion, accumulated as a result of financial mismanagement, "vulture" hedge funds, and federal laws that many say unfairly treat the island.
Miranda, who comes from a Puerto Rican family, appeared on Capitol Hill in March to ask Congress to help the island.
Here's the full rap he performed on Sunday:
My family's from Puerto Rico, the tropical destination,
where you can spend your Washingtons, the spot where you vacation.
A Commonwealth with not a lot of wealth, a not quite nation,
a 70-billion dollar topic of conversation.
Hoping to God John Oliver's comical dissertation
resonates with the Congress that got us in this situation.
Along with suicidal tax incentive declarations.
'Yeah, we'll pay your bonds first. Close the hospital. Fuck the patients.'
This is an island 100 miles across.
A hurricane is coming and we're running up a loss.
We got here through a million misguided loopholes
that giveth and take away businesses and poop in our soup bowls.
They crapped in yours, they crapped in mine,
and somewhere down the line
Strom Thurmond's ghost busted a cap and a chance and Chapter 9.
The great debate over statehood has to wait.
That's Rose and Jack on the Titanic asking,
'When's our next date?'
The ship is sinking. We have to say in patient that matters
then we'll figure out our Facebook relationship status.
Will they or won't they? It's Friends' Rachel and Ross.
We have to help our island just 100 miles across.
To recap: 3.5 million American civilians
are on the hook for billions.
Vulture funds are circling and lobbying for payout.
There's nothing left to tax or cut.
We're stuck. We need a way out.
Allow them to restructure.
There's no structure for what happens
if you let this crisis to play out
when May is less than a day out.
It's non-partisan.
The hard part is in convincing Congress Puerto Rico matters so their heart
is in the fight for relief
— not a bailout, just a relief.
A belief that you can pass legislation to end our grief.
Paul Ryan, I'll come sing Hamilton at your house.
I'll do-si-do with Pelosi.
I'll wear my Hamilton blouse.
Your citizens are suffering.
Stop the bleeding.
Stop the loss.
Help Puerto Rico.
It's just 100 miles across.