By almost any measure, Charles Hamilton is in the midst of a comeback. A few years ago the perilously prolific Harlem rapper began stumbling publicly with a weirder-than-usual streak of out-of-character behavior that peaked with his getting punched in the face by a now-former girlfriend on video.
Shortly after, Hamilton was arrested in Cleveland for punching a police officer and then bounced back and forth between the legal system and mental health institutions for several months. During that time he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
More than three years later, Hamilton has just debuted a new song with Rita Ora called “New York Raining” and, proving the viability of his resurgence, the track was noticeably featured on the final episode of the first season of Empire.
Speaking with HipHopDX’s Ural Garrret, Hamilton reflected on the past few years and asked his fans not to judge his mistakes.
“It’s kind of difficult to talk about,” Hamilton said in a clip that debuted as a part of today’s DX Daily. “I wasn’t aware the entire time that I had a mental disorder. But, you know, everybody wants to be taken serious, especially if they rap. I guess, you know, if you can have a heart—I guess I’m asking Hip Hop to have a heart. Don’t be so quick to judge just because I have a mental disorder.”
ʟᴀsᴛ ᴛʜᴜʀsᴅᴀʏ I ɢᴏᴛ ᴀ ɢᴏʀɢᴇᴏᴜs ᴠᴏʟᴠᴏ sɪɴᴄᴇ I ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴇᴀʀɴɪɴ $6162 ᴛʜɪs-ᴘᴀsᴛ/ғᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴇᴇᴋs ᴀɴᴅ-ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀ, 10 ɢʀᴀɴᴅ ʟᴀsᴛ-ᴍᴜɴᴛʜ . ᴛʜɪs ɪs ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴏʟᴇsᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋ I’ᴠᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴅᴏɴᴇ . I ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ɴɪɴᴇ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜs/ᴀɢᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ɢᴏᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴍɪɴɪᴍᴜᴍ $78 ᴘᴇʀ ʜᴏᴜʀ .
ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛʀʏ ᴛʜɪs ᴏᴜᴛ
►►►►►►—- FOX81.COM
I hope that he makes it through his situation and uses music as an outlet to sooth his pain and suffering. best of luck Charles Hamilton..
Keep your head up Charles, looking forward to hearing your new music!
He’s always been odd, but I never understood why he got so much heat for getting punched by a girl. Would you have punched her back? He calmed her down like a real man
As someone who is also bipolar, I fully support Charles Hamilton. Mental health is highly ignored in all aspects of media and I’m glad he’s bringing it into a positive light for more awareness.
i would of turned bi polar to if i had a viral video of a bitch beating my ass