Anthony Cornelius Hamilton, born on January 28, 1971, is a highly talented American singer and songwriter who hails from Charlotte, North Carolina. He embarked on his musical journey by signing with Uptown Records, a label under MCA Records, to work on his debut studio album XTC in 1996. Although the album was initially set for release, it was unfortunately shelved due to the lack of success of its singles. Hamilton’s breakthrough came with his guest appearance on Nappy Roots’ hit single ‘Po’ Folks’ in 2002, which reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. This success led him to join forces with Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Recordings, a subsidiary of Arista Records.
Hamilton’s music career flourished with the release of his second studio album, ‘Comin’ from Where I’m From,’ in 2003. The album achieved platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and garnered four Grammy Award nominations. One of the standout tracks from the album, ‘Charlene,’ peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004. Subsequent albums, ‘Ain’t Nobody Worryin” (2005) and ‘The Point of It All’ (2008), both achieved success by reaching the top 20 of the Billboard 200 chart and receiving gold certifications from the RIAA. Transitioning to RCA Records, Hamilton continued to captivate audiences with his fifth and sixth albums, ‘Back to Love’ (2011) and ‘What I’m Feelin” (2016). His musical prowess earned him a Grammy Award out of 12 nominations, and his composition ‘Freedom’ (with Elayna Boynton) for the soundtrack of the 2012 film Django Unchained stands out as a remarkable achievement in his career.