Posted on 02/06/2009
Neo Soul stars all see the same living room. They see the same intimate cluster of grown folks, parents, aunts, uncles, and family friends, gathered by the turntable drinking cold ones in the evening after work. They see the same haloed stack of records—it includes Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly,” Al Green “Simply Beautiful,” or maybe Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour.” With their own eyes, they witness the same joy, laughter, tears, and pain, which these cherished songs bring to this party of adults over and over again. These Neo Soul stars, from the time they utter their first note, share the same dream: to someday sing, die, and morph into one of those records that people enjoy, embrace, and need.

It so happens that one of these stars is from North Carolina and his name is Anthony Hamilton. This sentiment oozes from his music. “There will always be records that are never dated,” says the 38 year-old singer, “I want to feel that kind of love.” “Comin’ From Where I’m From,” from Hamilton’s debut album of the same name, is perhaps one of the most defining songs of the Contemporary R&B era. With lyrics that address hustling and absent fathers, “Comin’ From Where I’m From” cements Hamilton as Neo Soul’s angelic hood forecaster.

Hamilton’s newest album, The Point Of It All, aims to be more than just edgy Soul. With this third album, Hamilton seeks admission into the annals of the same R&B sainthood that continues to spin on family turntables across America.

In order to prepare himself for longevity, Anthony Hamilton has made one key alteration this year, whether he will admit it or not. He graces the cover of The Point of It All, not as the scruffy-haired troubadour that he introduced us to in his debut, but a well shaven, universal vocalist. He unveiled his new choirboy transformation in front of a packed crowd at the BET awards for his rendition of Al Green’s “Tired of Being Alone.”

Hamilton’s quest for the timeless look and sound seeps into his everyday conscience. When asked about his future in music, he says, “Imma do it until I’m the last man standing.” On stage, he strives to be a combination of “Bill Withers, Bootsy Collins, and James Brown.” The place he would be most honored to hear his music, is “in heaven.” The Point of It All is a manifestation of that outlook. The album’s title track, which sounds more like a gospel song of praise than an R&B piece, produces a slower tempo than most of the songs in Hamilton’s catalogue. Yet, the slower rhythm places more of an emphasis on his rich voice as the song becomes less about the melody and more about Hamilton’s vocal inflection. With every note, Hamilton makes his delivery that much more distinctive and inimitable.

“Soul’s On Fire” displays Anthony Hamilton’s ability to channel pure emotion into his lyrics. When he sings, “I’m heading down the wrong way/ It’s getting hard for me to breathe/ Oh please won’t somebody please stop me,” it’s not the words that grab the heart, but the melismatic rendering of them. He switches to Daddy Smooth with David Banner on “Cool,” Hamilton’s contribution to Soul music’s baby-making catalogue, and “Fallin’ In Love” balances out the album’s otherwise mellow tempo with a fast-paced piano tune.

To Hamilton, it is not just important for fans to see The Point of It All as a great album, but also to embrace it as another brilliant chapter of his legacy. To demonstrate that he is looking at the big picture, The North Carolina native recalls cuts on his debut album XTC (1996) that he is still fond of. “I think there’s that appeal on there that people will really like on any album,” he says.

Although the former barber knows the wonderful kind of transformation a person can make with just a few snips of the shears, he has acknowledged that the ultimate change is that of mentality. Somewhere along the line, Anthony Hamilton realized that the sum of his catalogue is greater than its individual parts and that only a complete artist makes it to that beloved turntable.

- Sidik Fofana

Make sure you pick up Anthony Hamilton's The Point Of It All, in stores now and also on iTunes.


Watch the video for Anthony Hamilton's "Cool" below.