Outside the Box Artists: Charles Hamilton

Charles Hamilton (born November 10, 1987) isn't even much older than me. Born in Cleveland and raised in Harlem, Charles Hamilton is considered part of the new "freshman class" of hip-hop along with J. Cole, Wale, Kid Cudi, Drake, and others. Charles Hamilton is definitely one of the more controversial members of the freshman rappers and after getting dropped from his Interscope Records deal it seemed unclear whether he would "make it". I think Kanye showed us all that being a college dropout can work out. However, fortunately I don't think Charles Hamilton needs to worry about failing out of the "Freshman Class" of the genre just yet. I think he has a lot to offer as an artist and is not even close to hitting his peak.

Known for his obsession with Sonic the Hedgehog and the color pink, Charles Hamilton definitely has an "out-there" type of style. He can come across arrogant and I think that adds to the controversy of his music. He has a personality that reminds me of a young Kanye West in the sense that you can tell he is extraordinarily creative and he knows (or thinks he knows) that he has something special. Also like Kanye, Charles Hamilton is a great producer which slightly over shadows his rapping ability. Sometimes his hooks weaken his songs (just my opinion) and lyrically he is hit or miss (but he has the capability to kill it lyrically).

In Charles Hamilton I see a kid who is still struggling with his emotions and anxieties and is still trying to figure out how to channel those creatively into music. He still hasn't had that big breakthrough like Kid Cudi's debut mixtape "A Kid named Cudi". I expect big things from Charles Hamilton in the future. He has already made a lot of great music that is definitely worth checking out.

Here are a few of my favorites:
(What especially impresses me about Charles Hamilton in the first two songs is his ability to sample when making beats. Sampling is what makes artists like Kanye and 9th Wonder great and it shows a bright future for Charles Hamilton if he can continue to utilize this talent)