Anthony Hamilton | 4GEMZ 💎

1. Anthony Hamilton, “Charlene”

💿 Comin’ From Where I’m From • 🏷 RCA / Jive • 📅 2003

“God knows I love her / Didn’t mean to hurt her.”  Woo – the plight of L-O-V-E! There’s a reason why 💿 Comin’ From Where I’m From earned 🎙 Anthony Hamilton a platinum certification from the RIAA: 🎵 “Charlene.” After struggling to gain his footing in the music biz, “Charlene” was the breakthrough Mr. Hamilton had sought for a long time.  Honestly, it’s one of the preeminent records of the neo-soul movement that still packed a sizable punch in the early aughts.  Notably, “Charlene” peaked at a respectable no. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 2004.

“Baby I’ll be
Sitting here waiting on you to come home again
I won’t leave
Promise I’ll be here to the very end
By your side
To protect you and to love you and to be with you for life
Come on home to me Charlene.”

Da-yum, that chorus is iconic! Hamilton spends the entirety of “Charlene” trying to win her back knowing he “forgot about loving her” and “Damn the money, diamonds, and pearls” – those material things that ultimately don’t win affection.  This crowning achievement was written alongside 🎼✍ 🎛 Mark Batson who also produces. 

2. Anthony Hamilton, “Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens”

💿 Comin’ From Where I’m From • 🏷 RCA / Jive • 📅 2003

Yes, the song to beat on 💿 Comin’ From Where I’m From is 🎵 “Charlene” – no questions asked.  That said, the album was stacked with gems. One such gem is 🎵“Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens.” R&B had a different sound in the early aughts, but still, a funky, neo-soul song that references food is novel to say the least. “I knew just what I had to be / When I heard you say what you said to me,” 🎙 Anthony Hamilton sings on the first verse, continuing, “To every dude in sight / Look like you working up an appetite for the night, check it.” Clearly, “Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens” isn’t really about a sick southern meal filled with fat and calories, but rather, sex.  This girl is trouble, and Anthony knows it, hence why he says, “Best off being a friend to me… Don’t know what I might do.”

Among the best lines from the song occurs on the second verse, where Hamilton spots her game without a hitch:

“Now tell me do you really think
You can walk around like your shit don’t stink
I’m on to you
Oh, baby girl, I’m on to you (I’m watching you).”

So, she’s totally got these guys thinking with their pants, and while Anthony is ‘woke’ to it, I’m not convinced he won’t indulge.  The chorus, of course, is the crowning achievement:

“Cornbread, fish, and collard greens
I’ve got what you need
If you want it (cause I’m a pimp, babe)
If you want it (I’m a pimp, girl)
Cornbread, fish, and collard greens
I got what you need (what you need)
If you want it (I can rock your world)
If you want it (I’m bigger juice than Jheri curl).”

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Time to Eat – Dinner is Served!
🔗 🎧 10 Not-So-Nutritious Songs Associated with Veggies

3. Anthony Hamilton, “Can’t Let Go”

💿 Ain’t Nobody Worryin’ • 🏷 Arista • 📅 2005

When it came time to follow-up 💿 Comin’ From Where I’m From, 🎙 Anthony Hamilton needed another electrifying single.   Honestly, a 🎵 “Charlene” only comes around, say, once in a lifetime.  The good news for Mr. Hamilton, however, is the fact that he showcased a level of consistency only a select few musicians have.  His 2005 album, 💿 Ain’t Nobody Worryin’, matched the quality of Comin’ From Where I’m From, and yielded a moderately successful neo-soul hit in 🎵 “Can’t Let Go.”

By moderate success, I’m referring to the performance on the Hot 100, peaking at no. 71, not the quality of the song itself.  In my eyes, “Can’t Let Go” is on that same, elite level as “Charlene,” even if “Charlene” packed more of a punch on the pop charts (peaked at no. 19).  What makes “Can’t Let Go” exceptional is the throwback soul, channeled vocally as well as instrumentally (🎛 Mark Batson is behind the boards).  The use of organ within the production comes directly from black gospel music – the chuuuch – giving the record a spirited vibe.  Here, Mr. Hamilton asserts, “No matter what the people say, I’m gonna love you anyway / You are my life, I can’t let go.” Matters of the heart and Hamilton are interlocked for sure.

4. Anthony Hamilton, “Real Love”

Ft. Rick Ross

💿 Love is the New Black • 🏷 My Music Box / BMG Rights Management • 📅 2021

Three of the 4GEMZ 💎 from 🎙 Anthony Hamilton’s illustrious career arrived between 2003 and 2005.  Between 2005 and 2021, there are plenty of standouts as well.  That said, I wanted to celebrate Mr. Hamilton’s 2021 album, 💿 Love is the New Black, which arrived after a five-year hiatus. Among the best songs on Love is the New Black is 🎵 “Real Love” featuring 🎙 Rick Ross.    

“Real Love” provides a brilliant balance between old-school and new school.  The neo-soul is firmly in play, amplified by an interpolation of 🎵 “Swahililand” courtesy of 🎙 Ahmad Jamal (💿 Jamal Plays Jamal, 1974). Those syncopated, jazzy chords are nothing short of awesome – epic to the nth degree! Besides that kick ass jazz sample, the beat provides a more contemporary anchor, while also recalling the hip-hop soul of the 90s.  As always, Anthony Hamilton is locked in, blessing the soulful, love-oriented track with his anointed, distinct pipes. As for Ross, he excels at a soulful, old-school beat, so like Anthony, he’s in his zone. “Real Love,” produced by 🎛 9^th Wonder, is ‘really’ good, NO CAP!

Also appears on 🔽:
🔗 🎧 Real: 5ive Songs No. 80 (2021)
🔗 🎧 Awesome Songs That Tickled My Fancy: September 2021