'Hamilton' Star Daveed Diggs Creates A Cute New Hanukkah Song For Disney

Daveed Diggs writes and performs a new rap song for Hanukkah called ‘A Puppy For Hanukkah’

You may know him best as Layfayette in Hamilton, but did you know that Daveed Diggs is also the king of PG-rated rap songs about Hanukkah? Because the Festival of Lights is long overdue for some fresh new songs, Disney Channel tapped the Hamilton star to write a fresh and cute new song to celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah, so Diggs tapped into his hip hop roots and came up with the new holiday classic, “Puppy for Hanukkah.”

“I was honored when Disney Channel approached me to come up with a fresh Hanukkah tune and embraced the opportunity to share my love of music and a little piece of my culture,” said Diggs in a press release.

Though Diggs does not appear in the video himself, the clips stars 11-year-old Ethan Hollingsworth who definitely gives off a young Daveed Diggs-vibe.

In the video, the kids dance and rap and open gifts through each night of Hanukkah hoping that one day they’ll unwrap the puppy they’ve been waiting for. After seven straight days of sensible Hanukkah gifts like gloves and warm sweaters, day eight finally provides…the puppy.

The super cute melody features lyrics like: “Okay first night an’ I’m feeling right // Momma came with a gift wrapped box // It don’t bark don’t bite don’t cry when I shake it so I’m pretty sure that it’s just socks.”

Though you know him best from Broadway, Diggs is a writer, creator, actor, rapper, and all-around award-winning triple threat and this song was written and produced by Diggs with the members of his experimental hip hop group Clipping.

“Daveed, William and Jonathan created a Hanukkah song for the ages that’s inventive, humorous and relevant as it celebrates the Miracle of Lights, the diverse world we live in, and the universal joy when a family adopts a pet into a child’s life,” an exec at Disney added in the statement.

Back in 2015, Diggs talked to Broadway.com about his Jewish roots. “I went to Hebrew school, but opted out of a bar mitzvah,” he said. “My mom is a white Jewish lady and my dad is Black. The cultures never seemed separate — I had a lot of mixed friends. When I was young, I identified with being Jewish, but I embraced my dad’s side, too.”

You can stream the song on YouTube or catch it as it plays on Disney Channel now through the end of Hanukkah.