Vibe.com, December 13th, 2005
In this day and age the new era of what classifies as R&B;/ Soul music has completely manifested. The caliber of music that comes from rhythm and blues or soul artists has changed. A particular soulful artist that stands out amongst the rest is So So Def/ Jive recording artist Anthony Hamilton.
Hamilton began chasing his dream in 1993 when he made the decision to leave his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina and made a new life for himself in New York City. “Well I knew that I had to sacrifice family and go off to the wild. It’s like go hunting, I had to go out there and get it. I had to hunt game, learn the game and bring the game home.” After thirteen years he has finally reached a level where his name has become branded.
Like most artists, Anthony was faced with various obstacles and hardships, which carried him to numerous different label homes. He started out at Uptown Records from ’93-’95, followed by his debut release of XTC on MCA Records in 1996. He then went to [Andre Harrell’s] Harrell Entertainment where he recorded an album that was never released, and then inked with Mark Sparks and Chris Dawley’s label, Soulife Records in 1999.
In 2003, Hamilton released Coming From Where I’m From on So So Def Records. And most recent, he put out another chapter of himself in Soulife on Atlantic/Rhino Records earlier this year. “I had an interesting journey, it had its highs and lows, a lot more lows in the beginning through the unfortunate label inner turmoil I got caught up in that kind of left me naked. But I took the bitterness and the sweet and rolled with it, and look where I’m at now—somebody loves this baby.” Hamilton has now grown to be a well respected singer, songwriter and musician amongst industry professionals, label execs and fans.
His fame reached a new height when he collaborated with the Nappy Roots on the hook of their smashing hit “Po’ Folks,” which was off of their critically acclaimed Watermelon, Chicken and Grits album. It was Hamilton’s work on this same song that marked as a milestone in his life. He was nominated for the “Best Rap/Song Collaboration” at the 2003 Grammy’s for his work on “Po’ Folks.” While at a Grammy bruncheon in Los Angeles he met music veteran Michael Mauldin, Jermaine Dupri’s (J.D.) father. Coincidentally, it was because of this encounter that he was able to meet and ink a deal with J.D.’s imprint.
Significantly so, “Po’ Folks” also holds special meaning for Hamilton. He speaks on his favorite song he’s been a part of thus far, “‘All my life I’ve been poor, but it really don’t matter no more’ [the] Nappy Roots [song] ‘cause it was just the closest thing to what I know I am—a poor rich man.”
Since breaking through on “Po’ Folks,” Hamilton has lent his soulful voice to a couple of songs that have significant meaning to him, such as Nick Cannon’s “Can I Live” and Jadakiss’ “Why.” And for each these songs he sings with his entire mind, body and soul. “Icepick, who was Jadakiss’s A&R;, had an idea that they wanted my vocals on. But the song needed a voice that was as powerful as the message behind it. I heard the song and loved it. I went in and listened to the song and wrote it on the spot. I let God speak through the pen: ‘All that I’ve been given, is this fame that I’ve been living. They got me in the system, why they want to do me like that. Tryin’ to make it my way, but they send me up the highway. Oh why, why they gotta do me like that.’ It’s life, it’s just defining time.”
Anthony’s forthcoming project, Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ will mark as his fifth album but fourth release. The combination of his prior albums introduced the rest of the world to the “industry’s best kept secret.” He’s become known for delivering music that touch our hearts, but moreover creep into our souls such as “Charlene.” Hamilton adds, “The new album is not about heartache anymore. I’ve moved on, it’s another learning session. On this new album I’m free and I wanted to say that there’s love after the storm.” Anthony worked with James Poyser, Chris Pottinger, David Balfour, Mark Batson, who did “Charlene,” and Raphael Saadiq on his new project.
Hamilton prides himself in making good music for good people. “I describe it as good everyday people music. It’s pure, raw and organic. I’m not hiding behind a bunch of machines. It’s just a man, a boy and an instrument. It’s definitely soulful, like a gospel chapter. Listening to music when I was coming up back in the day, I liked the expression [in music], and it just stayed with me.”
Anthony Hamilton’s Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ LP will be in stores today, December 13th.
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