Once every generation, a unique voice emerges that defines the genre and changes the landscape of modern music. Most artists grind through years of rejection. Charles Hamilton is that type of talent, capable of uniting hip-hop after years of dissension and fighting. The mastermind behind "The Binge," Hamilton is capable of producing beats at an unprecedented rate. An A&R exec recently exclaimed that this kid had "it," but when Hamilton left his office, said exec sat on his hands and allowed sub-par production and politics to prevent his signing. Remaining fiercely independent isn't Charles' goal, but he's a different kind of cat. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Charles Hamilton was exposed to music at an early age. "My mother was an entertainment journalist for the Cleveland Call and Post, so she would take me with her to events when I was just a baby." His mother always made sure he had different kinds of instruments in the basement of their Cleveland home. Naturally, he gravitated toward the keyboard, "At first, I was just playing the rhythm of the songs I would hear," says Hamilton. "The older I got, the more proficient I got at hearing the notes." For most of his life he has been self-taught, picking up lead and bass guitar in his teens, while dabbling on the drums and harmonica. He says listening to other genres of music and being exposed to different cultures helped mold his musical sound and added to his life experience, something is crucial to strong songwriting. Most of Hamilton's songs are sample-driven. He catches quite a bit of heat for his sampling, but insists it is for the good of music, "When I sample, I'm not just doing it to sound good. I'm trying to tell a story, to convey an emotion. If I sampled it, there is a reason I sampled it. I believe that music is based on moments, and that there are some moments that people may have missed back in the day. They may have even missed it a year ago, even a month ago. When I sample, I'm giving the artist their respect, while simultaneously creating something new." His influences are an eclectic mix of new and old, classic and contemporary artists. "I'm a huge Incubus fan. I love Incubus, Eminem, N*E*R*D, Jay-Z, Modest Mouse, Korn, Dr. Dre, Thelonius Monk, Aerosmith, 50 Cent, Marilyn Manson, Alchemist, The Isley Brothers, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, Hi-Tek. I just love good music; good music that tells a story." His debut solo album, "The Pink Lavalamp," is his vision for the future of music. "It is, without question, a hip-hop album," says Hamilton. "At the same time, I embody different genres of music to express different feelings and emotions that I feel in my everyday life. My music is always based on my life. My happiness, my sins, my heartbreak, my anger, my quirkiness, everything is given in my music. The music I grew up listening crafted a strong narrative. I'm taking the music I grew up with, as well as my story to bring about a new sound. If my life were to a movie, it would be the Antoine Fisher story all over again, but with a killer soundtrack and without a military background."------------------------
Charles Hamilton - Brooklyn Girls
Charles Hamilton - Toy Story
Charles Hamilton - Down (Produced By Dr. Dre)
Charles Hamilton - Sun Music
Charles Hamilton Feat. Cory Gunz - Neh Neh (Produced By Green Lantern)
Charles Hamilton - Just A Musician
Charles Hamilton - Where My Fuckin Genesis
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