Anthony Cornelius Hamilton (born January 28, 1971),[1][2] is an American singer and songwriter. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, he signed with Uptown Records, an imprint of MCA Records to record his debut studio album XTC; scheduled for release in 1996, it was ultimately shelved due to its singles failing to chart. He then gained recognition for his guest performance on Nappy Roots' 2002 single "Po' Folks," which peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings, an imprint of Arista Records.
Anthony Hamilton | |
|---|---|
 Hamilton in December 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anthony Cornelius Hamilton |
| Born | January 28, 1971 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Discography | Anthony Hamilton discography |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | The Soultronics |
| Spouse |
Tarsha McMillan
(m. 2005; div. 2015) |
| Website | www |
Hamilton's second studio album, Comin' from Where I'm From (2003) received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), earned four Grammy Award nominations, and spawned the 2004 single "Charlene", which peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] His third and fourth albums, Ain't Nobody Worryin' (2005) and The Point of It All (2008), both peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and received gold certifications by the RIAA. He then parted ways with So So Def in favor of RCA Records to release his fifth and sixth albums, Back to Love (2011) and What I'm Feelin' (2016).[4]
Hamilton has won a Grammy Award from 12 nominations,[5] and is also known his song "Freedom" (with Elayna Boynton) which he co-wrote and performed for the soundtrack album to the 2012 film Django Unchained.[6]
Career
editA Charlotte native, Hamilton began singing in his church's choir at age 17.[7] He attended South Mecklenburg High School, where he performed as part of in their award-winning choir directed by Mark Setzer. In 1992, he met producer Mark Sparks, who encouraged Hamilton to leave Charlotte and head to New York City, where he signed with Andre Harrell's Uptown Records.[7] In 1996 he recorded the album XTC for MCA records which has remained unreleased.[8][9]
Hamilton co-wrote the 1999 hit "U Know What's Up" for singer Donell Jones.[10][11] In 2000, he joined soul singer D'Angelo's international tour in promotion of the Voodoo album, where he featured as a backup singer.[12]
Nappy Roots
editHamilton was first introduced to mainstream audiences with after performing the chorus to Nappy Roots 2002 single "Po' Folks", which earned a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" in 2003.[13][14] "Po' Folks" is the second single from the debut album, Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz (2002).[15] Hamilton further collaborated with Nappy Roots on their songs the songs "Sick & Tired", "Push On", and "Organic" from their second studio album for Atlantic Records: Wooden Leather (2003); he also guest performed on the lead single—"Down N' Out"—to their third album, The Humdinger (2008).[16][17] Nappy Roots and Hamilton both guest performed on Mark Ronson's 2003 song "Bluegrass Stain'd" from the latter's album Here Comes the Fuzz.[18]
2002–present
editHamilton made a guest appearances on Tupac Shakur's posthumous album Better Dayz (2002)—on the album's second disc version of "Thugz Mansion".[19]
In 2003 he released his debut album Comin’ From Where I’m From that featured the hit single "Charlene".[20]
He guest featured on Jadakiss' 2004 single "Why",[21] which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.[5]
After MCA had failed to give XTC proper release, Hamilton signed with the Chris Dawley's Soulife Records.[22] In the period 1999 - 2001Prior to his 2003 offical debut, Hamilton's first compilation album, Soulife was released in June 2005 and was composed of songs recorded .[23] After the record company went bankrupt the recording were shelved. Arista asked Hamilton to revisited the material and with parts re-recorded, a selection was released as Soulife in June 2005. Ain't Nobody Worryin', his third studio album, was released on December 13, 2005 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Hamilton guest appeared on a song from The RH Factor's 2003 album Hard Groove—"Kwah/Home". He appeared on Angie Stone's "Stay For A While" in 2004. He made a guest appearance on blues singer-guitarist Buddy Guy's 2005 album Bring 'Em In, contributing vocals to a cover version of Bob Dylan's 1969 "Lay Lady Lay," which featured Robert Randolph.
At the 2006 BET Awards, Hamilton won the BET J "Cool Like That" Award. Comedian Dave Chappelle had Hamilton as a musical guest on his show Chappelle's Show in episode 6, Season 2 that premiered on Comedy Central. In later 2006, he guest performed on Tupac Shakur's "Dear Mama (Frank Nitty Remix)." He made a guest appearance on the UPN show All of Us in Season 2. Hamilton made a cameo as a soul singer in the film American Gangster, to whose soundtrack he contributed. During the 2008 BET Awards, Hamilton performed Al Green's "Tired of Being Alone" during a tribute to Green's career. Later in 2008, he was featured on Jeezy's album The Recession, which peaked atop the Billboard 200.[24]
In July 2011, Jill Scott released her single "So In Love" featuring Hamilton. The song spent 19 weeks at number one on the Urban adult contemporary charts. In 2012, Hamilton made guest appearances two successful releases for Def Jam Recordings artists: Big K.R.I.T.'s Live from the Underground and Life Is Good by Nas, the latter of which debuted atop the Billboard 200.[25] Hamilton also co-performed on the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained with his the song "Freedom", a duet with soul singer Elayna Boynton. British DJ Ben Pearce sampled vocals from Hamilton's song, "Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens" in his 2013 song, "What I Might Do".
In February 2015, Hamilton made a cameo appearance on the television series Empire, where he performed "Point of It All" as part of main character Luscious Lyon's proposal to his girlfriend.[26] The episode aired February 4, 2015. In August 2015, Hamilton made a guest appearance on the song "That One", the first single from Teedra Moses' second album Cognac & Conversation.
On February 24, 2016, Hamilton performed at the last "In Performance at the White House" hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle as part of a tribute to singer Ray Charles.[27] On March 25, he released his sixth album What I'm Feelin (2016), which he describes as an "emotional" cleanse reflecting on some of the hurdles he has faced.[28] The album features guitarists Gary Clark, Jr. and Vince Gill, and songs produced by Mark Batson, Salaam Remi, and James Poyser, among others.[29][30] Hamilton worked with the background singers the HamilTones,[31] who often perform soul renditions of hip hop tracks.[32][33] That same month, Hamilton partnered with Cracker Barrel Old Country to release a deluxe version of the album sold online and in their stores.[34] On March 28, 2016, Hamilton performed on NPR's critically acclaimed Tiny Desk Concerts, where he performed his the singles "Amen," "Best of Me," "Cool," and "Charlene."[35] Chris Brown recruited Hamilton to perform on the "Legends" remix of his single "Back to Sleep," which was released on April 10, 2016.[36] On April 21, 2016, Hamilton embarked on a nationwide tour with Fantasia.
In 2017, Hamilton co-performed on the song "Carnival" for the virtual band Gorillaz from their fifth album Humanz. On May 15, 2020, Hamilton released the single "Back Together" featuring Rick James through Hamilton's label My Music Box, in partnership with BMG. The song was co-written by Hamilton and Ed D. Kane, and produced by 9th Wonder. It served as the lead single from his seventh album, Love Is the New Black, released on September 24, 2021.[37]
Personal life
editHamilton has six sons.[38]
Dating since 2003, he married his background singer Tarsha McMillan in 2005.[39][7] On November 2, 2010, Hamilton and his wife Tarsha welcomed twin boys.[40] On his official Facebook page on June 11, 2012, Hamilton announced the birth of another son. The couple announced on June 20, 2015, after 10 years of marriage, that they were getting a divorce.[41]
Discography
edit- Studio albums
- XTC (1996)
- Comin' from Where I'm From (2003)
- Ain't Nobody Worryin' (2005)
- The Point of It All (2008)
- Back to Love (2011)
- Home for the Holidays (2014)
- What I'm Feelin' (2016)
- Love Is the New Black (2021)
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Anthony Hamilton | Best New Artist | Nominated |
| Best Male R&B Artist | Nominated | ||
| 2005 | Nominated | ||
| "Why" (with Jadakiss) | Best Collaboration | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Anthony Hamilton | BET J Cool Like Dat Award | Won |
| Best Male R&B Artist | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Do You Feel Me" | Best Song | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Comin' from Where I'm From" | Best Traditional R&B Performance | Nominated |
| "Comin' from Where I'm From" | Best R&B Song | Nominated | |
| "Comin' from Where I'm From" | Best Contemporary R&B Album | Nominated | |
| 2005 | "Charlene" | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | Nominated |
| 2009 | "You've Got The Love I Need" (with Al Green) | Best Traditional R&B Performance | Won |
| 2010 | "Soul Music" | Best Traditional R&B Performance | Nominated |
| "The Point Of It All" | Best Male R&B Vocal Performance | Nominated | |
| "The Point Of It All" | Best R&B Album | Nominated | |
| 2013 | "Back To Love" | Best R&B Album | Nominated |
| "Pray For Me" | Best R&B Song | Nominated | |
| 2014 | "Best of Me" | Best R&B Song | Nominated |
| 2017 | "What I'm Feelin' (featuring The HamilTones)" | Best Traditional R&B Performance | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Anthony Hamilton | Outstanding New Artist | Nominated |
| 2005 | Anthony Hamilton | Outstanding Male Artist | Nominated |
| "Charlene" | Outstanding Song | Nominated |
2022
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Himself | Best Reggae | Nominated |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Comin' From Where I'm From" | Favorite Male R&B/Soul Single | Nominated |
| Comin' From Where I'm From | Favorite Male R&B/Soul Album | Nominated | |
| 2005 | "Charlene" | Favorite Male R&B/Soul Single | Nominated |
| 2006 | Soulife | Favorite Male R&B/Soul Album | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Harrington, Richard (May 5, 2006). "Anthony Hamilton: Concerts and Music Events". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 6, 2009.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "Anthony Hamilton Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
- ^ https://youknowigotsoul.com/rare-gem-anthony-hamilton-nobody-else-featuring-mr-cheeks-remix/amp [bare URL]
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
- ^ a b "Anthony Hamilton | Artist | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
- ^ Zoladz, Lindsay. "Various Artists: Django Unchained OST". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
- ^ a b c Holliday, Jarvis (2006-05-31). "Anthony Hamilton: Based on a True Story". Charlotte Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
- ^ Bowser, Edward (2021-03-30). "Ranking the Best Anthony Hamilton Albums". Soul In Stereo. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ "Rare Gem: Anthony Hamilton "Nobody Else" featuring Mr. Cheeks (Remix)". YouKnowIGotSoul.com. 2015-12-28. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ "Tag Archives: Anthony Hamilton". article. rnbchronicles.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-31. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
- ^ "No. 1 Song Credits". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 48. 27 November 1999. p. 50.
- ^ Leight, Elias (2021-09-24). "Anthony Hamilton Is Keeping Southern Soul Alive". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton Biography | the Official Anthony Hamilton Site". Archived from the original on January 27, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
- ^ "093 Gnarls Barkley go "crazy"". SPIN. 26 (4): 108. May 2010.
- ^ Rynne M. Cowham (2013-02-07). "Black History Month: Grammy Award-Winning Anthony Hamilton to Lecture, Perform - University of the Pacific". Calendar.pacific.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-06-07. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton | Credits". AllMusic. 1971-01-28. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ Toke, Daily. "Nappy Roots Feat. Anthony Hamilton – "Down 'N Out"". Smokingsection.uproxx.com. Archived from the original on 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ Hall, Rashaun (20 September 2003). "Album review Here Comes The Fuzz". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 38. p. 46.
- ^ Leight, Elias (2016-09-13). "Anthony Hamilton Reminisces About Posthumous Tupac Collaboration 'Thugz Mansion'". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ Hellerbach, Miki (October 11, 2023). "20 Years On From His Platinum R&B Debut, 'Comin' From Where I'm From,' Anthony Hamilton Reflects - Okayplayer". www.okayplayer.com. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ Leight, Elias (2016-03-24). "Anthony Hamilton on Covering Drake, Staying Relevant". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ Mitchell, Gail (October 21, 2001). "Indie label Soulife Aims to Expand on Soul Legacy of Motown, Stax". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 43. p. 27.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan (May 27, 2005). "Rhino Revives Hamilton's 'Soulife'". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum - February 25, 2011". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
- ^ "Nas, Life Is Good - XXL". Xxlmag.com. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
- ^ "'Empire' Recap, Episode 5: 'Dangerous Bonds'". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "Watch Full Episodes Online of In Performance at The White House on PBS | Smithsonian Salutes Ray Charles: Preview". PBS. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "Interview: Anthony Hamilton Opens Up About 'What I'm Feelin' Album". Vibe. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton Reveals Fifth Album 'What I'm Feelin'': Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "K. Michelle Earns Second No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, While Anthony Hamilton Scores His Highest-Charting Effort Ever". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "Must See: Anthony Hamilton and the Hamiltones Give Gospel Spin to 2 Chainz's 'Watch Out'". Essence.com. 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton Explains Why He Loves To Do Trap Covers, Talks Being A Hip-Hop Head, & More". Global Grind. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ Thomas, Dexter. "Put some 'respeck' on Anthony Hamilton's name because he deserves it". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
- ^ "GRAMMYAward-Winning Soul R&B Singer-Songwriter Anthony Hamilton to Release Exclusive Deluxe Album at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store". www.crackerbarrel.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ Carter, Bobby (28 March 2016). "Anthony Hamilton: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "Chris Brown, Tank, R. Kelly, & Anthony Hamilton "Back To Sleep (Remix)" (NEW MUSIC)". Global Grind. 11 April 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton Shares New Song 'Back Together' Featuring Rick James". 15 May 2020.
- ^ "Singer Anthony Hamilton to Be a Dad!". UsMagazine.com.
- ^ "Where Did Our Love Go? Anthony Hamilton's Wife Talks Motherhood & Marriage In New Book". MyBrownBaby.com. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton and Wife Tarsha Welcome Twin Boys". Essence.com. 2010-11-03. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
- ^ Yolanda Sangweni; Charli Penn (2015-07-21). "Anthony Hamilton and Wife Divorce, Hamilton Responds to Divorce". Essence.com. Retrieved 2016-04-06.