Anthony Hamilton

Hailing from Charlotte, N.C., Anthony Hamilton began singing in church and local talent shows before moving to New York in the early 1990s and signing with Uptown Records. After the label folded, he bounced to MCA and released his debut album, XTC, in 1996. Sporting a classic vocal style different from the neo-soul crooners who were then coming into vogue, the LP got good reviews but failed to generate much hype. Hamilton soon started writing songs for artists like Donell Jones, toured with D'Angelo and sang on records by Eve and Tupac, among others. He finally hit the big-time in 2002 after teaming up with Nappy Roots for their single "Po' Folks" and earning a Grammy nomination in the process. Hamilton then hooked up with Jermaine Dupri, who signed him to So So Def and produced Comin' From Where I'm From in 2003. A steady stream of records followed, including the archival collections Soulife and Southern Comfort, and 2008's The Point of It All.