S. Samuel
In response to recent news of Charles Hamilton's comeback, SOHH spoke with the rapper's producer Omen to find out about the new project.
Omen claims Hamilton has begun clocking in more studio time with producers and artists.
“I’ve been working with Charles for a couple months,” Omen told SOHH. “He’s working on this project and basically it’s an independent situation and he’s collaborating a lot more now with other producers and artists. Before, it was a lot more him producing, I guess the label had a lot of restraints on him of what to put out and what not to put out. He’s a work horse, like, with Charles, if you give him 14 hours, he’ll probably come out with 14 songs. Charles can take a bunch of songs and ideas balled up into one human mind. Once he gets in the studio, he’s pretty much all out.” (SOHH)
O also believes Hamilton’s recent struggle with Interscope Records has helped him become a legend to rap newcomers.
“Basically, I think artists seen him and a lot of them looked up to him because he had such an ill situation with Interscope,” O added. “And when he had that [XXL Magazine] Freshmen cover, people were like ‘He’s ill, he’s one of them dudes,’ and then it never really amounted. So it’s like, he’s looked at as the legend. Even though he’s looked at as a freshman, a lot of artists that got on the blog sites, starting to come up now, they’re like, ‘Yo, Charles Hamilton is ill, he had a mixtape every month.’ He’s a beast, he was like an urban legend kind of deal but still they still respect and pay homage. He has fun doing what he does.” (SOHH)
Last January, Hamilton inked an open letter discussing being dropped from Interscope.
“When the news broke about me being released from the label, I wasn’t mad. Just frustrated at the fact I would be asked a million pressing questions about it. My emotions were already numb at personal stuff, and I knew that being the (insert adjective here) of the music business would make me a humor target. Whatever I thought. All I wanted to do was release my music to the masses and be heard on the scale of legends…I am appreciative, and I am working on making this year and every other as progressive and CALM as chances allow.” (Nah Right)
Recently, the rapper spoke on finding new life and interest in music.
“While all this is going on, I’m on a very serious spiritual journey,” Hamilton revealed in an interview. “Everything that is to come, is TBA (to be announced) because, like, what it all boils down to is, if I’m not satisfied with who I look at in the mirror, both as an artist and as a public figure, you’re just not gonna see me. So interviews and everything, I love them, this is great, the spotlight is great…this time out, I’m letting everybody know, because I take music and art so serious, there’s a chance I’ll be scarce just to get music and I feel like I needed to say that now. The projects aren’t TBA, it’s just how long I’m gonna be in the limelight and this isn’t to sound like I’m threatening to leave or trying to stay or anything like that, there’s a bigger picture and a lot of artists hit this crossroads — I’m so dedicated to my art that we’ll talk about any project it’s just that I need to make sure I’m right, within, first and that goes out to any and every aspiring artist or whatever it is that you do. Make sure you are right, within, before you go out and say that music or your art form — this experience is a lot bigger for me than selling some records and performing in front of a crowd.” (YRB Magazine)
Charles Hamilton’s debut, The Pink Lavalamp, was a digital-only release which dropped December 2008.
Check out a recent Charles Hamilton interview below:
YRB TV: Charles Hamilton (Part 1) from YRB Magazine on Vimeo.
