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tion to multiply right now. It’s not even about promoting.”
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harles Hamilton is on a mission. He’s on a few of them actually. “Self-control and discipline go a long way in this industry,” he sighs. He’s currently embarking on self-imposed challenge to not “go in” on any females. “Sometimes we do that when we really don’t have to, but for me, I just need to be focused and keep my mind on what it is I came to do.” And that is? “I want to be the best musician ever,” he says bluntly, mentioning that he plans on having a greatest hits album within the next three years. In an era where being the best often gets blurred with doing the most, Hamilton is working towards making them coexist. As a part of his new campaign, The Hamiltonization Process, the Interscope recording artist has been releasing a new mixtape every two weeks since the top of September. It’s an idea that he came up with on his own while most of the decision makers at his label were struggling on how to market the Clevelandborn Harlem rep. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing next, musically,” he says. “I just want to drop the music directly and let you be as judgemental as you want to be. Just know that the music will boost in quality every time. I’m in a posi-
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He uses images of video game character Sonic the Hedgehog as his calling card, so it’s not hard to tell that Hamilton waves the “90’s baby” flag proudly. His current presence on the internet via blogs and interviews is a testament to the generation where YouTube, MP3s, and file sharing are a part of life, as opposed to elder musicians who may view them as liabilities. “If Eminem was doing the same thing when I was growing up, I’d feel so much better about my life,” says Hamilton when asked about how much he shares his personal life on the web. “He laid the blueprint for the type of artist I wanted to be. I want people to feel connected to me through my music; I want people to follow me. I’m incredibly lonely.” Though that may be the case, Hamilton has already been thrust into the limelight with some pretty impressive company. His first two mixtapes were hosted by DJ Skee and DJ Green Lantern respectively and shared ciphers with Kanye West and The Game. To any other artist, experiences like those could either be overwhelming or ego boosting, Hamilton’s demeanor insists otherwise. “I ain’t intimidated by nobody,” he shrugs. “When I talked to Kanye before the cipher, I was like ‘So? ok? I know what you do, but you don’t know what I do.’ I told him don’t think he ain’t got no competition for that Grammy. I want to be the most debated artist ever. I’m on top of the world right now. That’s not even me being arrogant.” Words by Maurice G. Garland Photo by Julia Beverly