HAMILTON's Daveed Diggs Chats Rap, Oakland Roots & More with Katie Couric

Earlier this week, Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric sat down at The Knickerbocker hotel rooftop for an in-depth interview with HAMILTON Tony nominee Daveed Diggs. Couric and Diggs discussed his rap career, his Oakland roots, how he met HAMILTON creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more.

During HAMILTON's beginnings, Diggs told Miranda the concept was "a terrible idea." But he told Couric, "Once they sent the music, I was hooked you know, he was writing real intricate, complicated raps for me to do, which was so exciting. 'Cause he knows that's the kind of stuff I like to do. So it's really great to work with your friends on a project."

On HAMILTON's opening night, Diggs said, "I was, like, in my dressing room weeping and backstage sort of weeping before I went on, trying to get myself together. Like, 'this is not gangster.' But it was because my mom was there. My oldest friends were there. There's no way I would've been able to do it without them."

His brother and a friend woke him up on the morning of the Tony Award nominations. Diggs told Couric: "They broke into my house and jumped on my bed. And we drank champagne at 9:00 a.m... like, some classy dudes."

Watch a clip below, and click HERE to watch the full interview!

The new musical Hamilton, which just nabbed a record 16 Tony Award nominations, has book, music and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also plays the title role. The musical is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and music direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. Hamilton is inspired by Ron Chernow's biography "Alexander Hamilton."

The cast of Hamilton is comprised of Lin-Manuel Miranda (Alexander Hamilton), Daveed Diggs (Marquis De Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), Christopher Jackson (George Washington), Rory O'Malley (King George), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler, Maria Reynolds), Javier Muñoz (Hamilton alternate), Okieriete Onaodowan (Hercules Mulligan, James Madison), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Aaron Burr), Anthony Ramos (John Laurens, Philip Hamilton) and Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton).

HAMILTON is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions. During his life cut too short, he served as George Washington's chief aide, was the first Treasury Secretary, a loving husband and father, despised by his fellow Founding Fathers and shot to death by Aaron Burr in their legendary duel.