Club Shay Shay - Anthony Hamilton Part 1

Summary

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Club Shay Shay – Anthony Hamilton Part 1

Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Anthony Hamilton
Release Date: November 12, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this soulful and candid episode, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe sits down with Grammy-winning R&B artist Anthony Hamilton for a unique blend of live performances and deep conversation. The episode weaves together Hamilton’s most iconic songs with honest discussions about heartbreak, work-life balance, family, forgiveness, and staying authentic in the music industry. Hamilton’s journey from North Carolina to international stardom is on full display, as both men reflect on the sacrifices made in pursuit of greatness and the enduring power of R&B.

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Performance & Conversation Structure

• Anthony Hamilton performs several hit songs live, each followed by a reflective conversation with Shannon Sharpe about the story and emotion behind the music.
• Topics range from personal struggles, fatherhood, forgiveness, music industry realities, and the evolution of R&B.
• The tone is heartfelt, humorous, and at times, deeply vulnerable.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Story Behind “Charlene”

Performance: [05:16]
Discussion: [08:51 – 13:00]

• Hamilton reveals “Charlene” is based on a real relationship, though the name was changed to protect privacy.
• He discusses the challenge of sacrificing personal relationships for a career in music:

  “Sometimes it’s not good enough to be successful in your business, and home suffers. So a series of events happened. We broke up, and, you know, heartbreak created a song, a staple song for me.” — Anthony Hamilton [09:20]

• Sharpe notes the difficulty of finding balance outside of a traditional 9-to-5:

  “Work, life balance is 9 to 5. But when you trying to get it like you were trying to get it, there is no balance.” — Shannon Sharpe [09:55]

• Both reflect on how partners and children make sacrifices that the world doesn’t always see.

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2. Work-Life Sacrifice and Parenthood

[13:01 – 16:37]

• Hamilton discusses being a father to six sons, and how his older boys felt the brunt of his demanding schedule.
• He tries “to go harder now for my last three.”
• Both men reflect on the guilt and trade-offs that come with chasing dreams:

  “My ex wife had to come pick [my kids] up last night because I, you know, I had to be here…To do this. I ain't gonna miss the club. I'm gonna miss it again.” — Anthony Hamilton [13:45]

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3. Endurance in the Face of Industry Setbacks

[16:37 – 18:53]

• Hamilton details a ten-year journey from his first record deal in 1993 to mainstream success in 2003.
• He almost gave up after repeated disappointments but was sustained by small wins:

  “God gave me something…little things to keep me going. Yeah. It's like, nah, I got something better for you, so just stay the course.” — Anthony Hamilton [17:45]

• Humorous take on hustling as a barber to make ends meet during tough years:

  “The haircut’s $10, right? You got 450 and a nickel bag. That ain’t gonna work.” — Anthony Hamilton [18:53]

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4. “Coming Where I’m From” – Roots, Pain, and Resilience

Performance: [23:32]
Discussion: [26:32 – 31:39]

• “Coming Where I’m From” draws on personal childhood adversity: parental absence, adoption, striving for identity.
• Hamilton shares how pain and instability shaped his grit:

  “That unstable situation in my life…it made me work harder. It put a little pain in there, a little grit. I probably would’ve sounded like Barry Manilow had that not happened.” — Anthony Hamilton [27:46]

• His relationship with his father was strained, but they reconciled before his father’s passing thanks to a push from Hamilton’s then-wife.

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5. Family, Reconciliation, and Loss

[31:40 – 35:23]

• Hamilton recalls healing old wounds with both parents, finding forgiveness as his mother was dying and after reconnecting with his father.
• On letting go of resentment:

  “Life is…Was it hard to let it go? Yes. Because sometimes people hold on to things…You sometimes you got to learn from somebody else's mistake.” — Anthony Hamilton [34:32]

• Discovery of additional siblings at his father's funeral underscored the complexities of family:

  “It’s hard meeting somebody in your 50s, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m your brother.’” — Anthony Hamilton [33:18]

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6. The Evolution and Integrity of R&B

[35:49 – 39:04]

• Hamilton weighs in on the claim that R&B is “dead”:

  “I ain’t never been to no funeral…The core of R and B and the core soul music, it's in every rap song you ever heard, every country song, every church record. I don't think it’ll ever go anywhere.” — Anthony Hamilton [36:29]

• He bridges the gap with younger artists via collaborations, noting his unique sound can’t be sampled without coming to him first:

  “Certain voices you can’t duplicate. If you want that sound, you got to come to me.” — Anthony Hamilton [38:49]

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7. Songwriting and Personal Growth (Her Heart)

Performance: [41:15]
Discussion: [49:18 – 54:21]

• “Her Heart” is about repeated mistakes in love and genuine remorse. Hamilton admits to “bowlegged” living but recognizes maturity is uneven:

  “Maturity in different areas of your life come at different times. When you’re not sure of who you are, you don’t know how to be the best version of yourself.” — Anthony Hamilton [51:08]

• Reflections on vulnerability, male emotional expression, and why men are reluctant to cry:

  “I think it’s a sign of freedom. If you free, you can express yourself. Whether you’re weak for a moment, that’s fine.” — Anthony Hamilton [56:33]

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8. Community, Upbringing, and Soul Food

[58:03 – 76:17]

• Hamilton and Sharpe reminisce about community discipline and how today’s youth miss out on collective guidance.
• The importance of food and family in North Carolina:

  “Cornbread, it’s the foundation…solid…Collard greens, keep things clean around there. And that fish, you learn how to move right.” — Anthony Hamilton [61:24]

• Hilarious exchanges about Sunday dinner, favorite Southern dishes, and culinary traditions (“You want it fried…come right about the grease.” — Shannon Sharpe [73:22])
• Hamilton explains he stopped eating red meat, pursued veganism, and now seeks balance in diet and life.

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9. Music Journey: From Backup Singer to Leading Man

[76:17 – 86:11]

• Hamilton’s stint as a backup singer for D’Angelo was transformative:

  “I didn’t go to a four-year college, but I felt like that was a university that you couldn’t even pay to get in…For me to learn what true musicianship is.” — Anthony Hamilton [76:35]

• He put aside ego to “learn how to lead from learning how to follow.”
• The episode closes with a tribute to D’Angelo—Hamilton recounts his personal connection, the regret of missing D’Angelo’s last phone call, and meditations on loss.

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10. Men’s Health & Early Detection

[86:42 – 89:32]

• The gravity of health concerns in the Black community is addressed, especially regarding cancer screenings.
• Both share their journeys in getting tested and encourage listeners to prioritize health.

  “If you catch something early enough, there's a chance you can beat it…We got a better chance.” — Anthony Hamilton [87:04] “I was called prostate cancer early… I started getting tested at 35.” — Shannon Sharpe [87:22]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On love and sacrifice:
  “Sometimes it’s not good enough to be successful in your business, and home suffers. So a series of events happened. We broke up, and, you know, heartbreak created a song, a staple song for me.” — Anthony Hamilton [09:20]

• On pain and artistry:
  “I probably would’ve sounded a little bit like Barry Manilow had that not happened.” — Anthony Hamilton [27:55] (on his tough upbringing)

• On bridging generations of R&B:
  “They want to be a part of that soul world, and they know where to come and get it…Certain voices you can’t duplicate.” — Anthony Hamilton [38:49]

• On emotional honesty:
  “I think it’s a sign of freedom. If you free, you can express yourself.” — Anthony Hamilton [56:33] (on men crying)

• On learning from others:
  “A wise man learns from others' mistakes. A fool has to learn from his own.” — Shannon Sharpe [52:42]

• On food and culture:
  “Cornbread, it’s the foundation…Collard greens, keep things clean around there. And that fish, you learn how to move right.” — Anthony Hamilton [61:24]

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Selected Timestamps for Key Segments

• “Charlene” Performance: [05:16]
• Behind “Charlene” Meaning: [08:54 – 13:00]
• Industry Struggles & Early Hustle: [16:37 – 18:53]
• “Coming Where I’m From” Performance: [23:32]
• Family & Forgiveness: [31:40 – 35:23]
• R&B's Evolution & Legacy: [35:49 – 39:04]
• “Her Heart” Performance: [41:15]
• Emotional Expression & Masculinity: [49:18 – 56:33]
• Food, Upbringing, & Community: [58:03 – 76:17]
• Backup Singing for D’Angelo: [76:17 – 86:11]
• Men’s Health & Early Detection: [86:42 – 89:32]

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Club Shay Shay is a rich, multi-layered conversation propelled by honest dialogue and stirring performances. Anthony Hamilton gives listeners a window into the struggle, artistry, and humanity behind his timeless songs, while Shannon Sharpe’s probing empathy and humor make for a deeply engaging listen. Together, they champion resilience, authentic self-expression, and the importance of roots, both musical and familial.

To continue the conversation, check out Part 2, available now on all podcast platforms.

Transcript

[Jason Timf]

Hey, Jason Timf here. The NBA on Prime is back this Friday with another exciting Emirates NBA cup doubleheader. First Bam and a bio in the Heat take on Jalen Brunson in the Knicks. Then Steph Curry and the warriors square off against Wemby and the Spurs. If you're not a Prime member, just sign up for a 30 day free trial. Heat, Knicks Warrior spurs Coverage starts at 6:30pm Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

[Lenovo Pro Announcer]

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[Total Wireless Announcer]

I turned off news altogether.

[PayPal Announcer]

I hate to say it, but I.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Don'T trust much of anything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's the rage bait.

[Anthony Hamilton]

It feels like it's trying to divide people. We got clear facts. Maybe we could calm down a little.

[Shannon Sharpe]

NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News Reporting for America.

[PayPal Announcer]

This is Colin Coward from the Colin coward podcast on Fox 1. Now you can stream your favorite live sport so you can be there live for the biggest moments. That means NFL Sundays and college football games, nascar, Major League Baseball, postseason and more. With Fox one, you get it all live, edgier seat plays, high octane moments, and that feeling like you're right there in the action. Fox 1 We live for live streaming now. This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Okay, let's talk holiday shopping. When you want to make the most of your Money, head to PayPal's app before you check out. They give you the flexibility to pay in four no fees, no interest. And this is big. Bigger than the 12 foot snowman on your lawn right now. You can get 5% cash back when you pay later with PayPal. So whether it's the must have merch or for that signed jersey you've been eyeing, PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Save this offer in the PayPal app.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Expires 1231 see paypal.com promoterms Subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com payinfor PayPal Inc. NMLS 910457 how does it be?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Also someone you were very close to. Angie Stone you sung at the funeral.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Took em both of them. I'd never seen anybody laid to rest looking so peaceful and she had a smirk on her face. Like I told y' all, I'm serious. Mad in all Angie Stone fashion.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Out of deep breath.

[Total Wireless Announcer]

All my life been grinding all my.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Life Sacrifice hustle, paid the price wanna slice got to roll a dice that's why all my life I be grinding all my life look all my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice hustle, paid the price wanna slice got to roll a dice that's why all my life I've been grinding all my life.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hello. Welcome to another episode of Club Shay Shay. I am your host, Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay. So stopping by for conversation on a drink today. This has been a long time in the making. Seven, eight years in the making. And we're making it happen today. He's one of R&B's most distinctive and relatable voices. One of the last soul superstar singers that's had an impact on modern culture. They say he sounds like he was born in a pot of collard greens. The national treasure, a narrator of love, a Grammy award winning singer, a multi platinum selling songwriter, soulful storyteller, intergenerational artist, renowned musician, phenomenal producer, a veteran entertainer, an actor, an author and a publisher. He sold over 50 million albums worldwide. A Charlotte bred hitmaker and a local music legend. He's in the North Carolina Music hall of Fame, A gift to our generation. A staple in the R and B community. Here he is from North Carolina, a country boy, Mr. Anthony Hamilton. Good evening.

[Jason Timf]

How you doing?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hi, bro.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Good to see you, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

This show is gonna be a little different. What we're gonna do, we're gonna go in between. Anthony will perform a song, he'll come sit on the chair, tell us about the song, what he was thinking when he wrote the song, what the song actually means. Because I'm sure there of people out there that think these songs are about them. And he's going to set the record straight. So here he is to perform his first song. Charlene.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Woke up this morning Found a letter that she wrote she said she's tired that I'm always on the road Too hard to swallow the end alone she needs a morning night that she could hold she must have told me thousand times more Silent Christ I used to ignore God knows I love her didn't mean waiting on you yeah and I'll be by your side.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And the.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Love you went to be with you for life Come on. She knows. I really love this, your music thing. Since I was a child it's been my dream. I can't support her, treat her and spoil her, you know, by her to find nothing But I forgot about loving her Damn the money, diamonds and food. What about the hard days she had with the babies? All she need is for me to love Sitting here you and I promise I begin Promise I can live without her God knows I need another.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

You see sometimes said I hurt so bad that she's going yeah God knows I pray she'll come home one day hey in my life oh, now say baby waiting on Sit here. Said I'm waiting down sometime say I cry Charlene, if you're listening, could you call on me? Cause I'm on Clay Call me live out his baby.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Come on, have a seat. Come on. Have a. Come on, have a seat. We got to talk about this.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Let's talk about. Oh, man. Don't start, Shannon. Don't start.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We got to talk about this one, bro.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Hey, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Thank you, man.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Good to be here, man. Yes, sir. Absolutely.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So is this a re. Is this a real story that someone actually say, anthony, you working to. Bro.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know what? It is a real story. Her name is not Charlene.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay. So you protect it. You wanted to protect the energy, you.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Know, the little money I was getting in. I wanted to keep it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

But, yeah, it was a relationship, you know?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And just working, being focused on what I was born to do, man. Sing and go get it. And sometimes it's not good enough to. To be successful in your business. And home suffers. So a series of events happened. We broke up. And, you know, heartbreak created a song, a staple song for me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But when you. The old saying, you'll lose a lot of money chasing women.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you won't lose a woman chasing money. That's not true. You're telling us, like, how do you find a balance? Because when you're trying to achieve something great, people say, oh, it's work, life, balance. Work, life balance is 9 to 5. But when you trying to get it like you were trying to get it, there is no balance. And you need to have someone that's in your life that can understand that.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. I think a lot of times, you know, people think their life's going to be structured, you know, like you said, the 9 to 5. But music business is not structured. One minute you hot, and the next minute you may not be. You'll be home for a couple months, and the next thing you know, you turn around, you got a hit record, and you gone three, four months at a time.

[PayPal Announcer]

And.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And you're in the Studio, late nights. Right. Well, you can be close to the house, but never make it at home, you know, so, you know, people with that expectations of, were you here, why you not at the house? Right. But I'm working.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you could theoretically be at home. Yeah, but your mind is a thousand miles away and you're thinking about something that you need to get done.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. I'm at home laying with you, and I'm thinking about these 16 balls in my head, you know, man. So it's, you know, you have to compromise.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

In these kind of relationships, and you have to have a woman or a person or whoever, puppy or whatever, who understands that lifestyle, and they can. They can handle it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Everyone said me being the next professional athlete and I've had relationships that I can. I'm fine being number two until they actually have to be number two. That training and meetings and working out and the way you eat is first. But you said you can handle it. Well, I thought I could because. And I'm sure they probably say, well, oh, man, I'm a support you. I pushing you. That ain't you walking. I'm pushing you. But when it actually happens and you have to be gone or you have to be in the studio, because when an idea hit, it hits. You can't just like, well, okay, I get up and do it in the morning.

[Anthony Hamilton]

No, it hits.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Then I gotta go. Right. Then I gotta go, you know, do what I need to do. How difficult is that to get them to understand I'm not a 9 to 5 type of a guy.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And what you're accustomed to or what you've been used to is far from that.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I think it's two. Two ways to it. A lot of times, you know, men or women or whoever will train them in a way to make them comfortable because you want to secure it, because, you know, this person is special.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

But then when the real life sets in, it's just like, wow, I didn't train you on this behalf on this part here. So now, you know, I may seem like I'm unbalanced and I'm out of. Out of character, but ultimately, this is what I'm supposed to be doing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes, that's your calling.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, it is. And so you just have to let him know, like, hey, there's gonna be some nights I'm gonna have to get out of this bed and go. Like, the other night I was working at Busta Rhymes Call, he needed a hook real fast. I had to, you know, had to.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Get up and go get it.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Even though I was by myself this time. But they had to go, right, kids, y' all hold it down. Don't let nobody in the house. But you have to go. And. And that's another way, you know, you suffer when you have children.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, have to sacrifice time with them as well.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do the kids understand? Cause I was very neglectful in that aspect. I would promise my kids I was gonna do something, but I had run myself into exhaustion. I had lifted myself into oblivion, and I was too tired to do what I had promised them that I was gonna do.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And they had to make sacrifices that no other kids had to make.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, that's hard. That's a hard one. Because, you know, I think my first three, I have six sons, so my first three, my older boys, Anthony and Romero and Tristan, they. They got more of the sacrifice time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, I was there, but, you know, I missed a lot of the school dance.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You. You missed the football practices and you missed all that. The basketball and the PTAs and all the stuff.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So I go harder now for my. My last three. Okay, Go hard. I'm at the football games, but still then, like, they were at the house. My ex wife had to come pick him up last night because I, you know, I had to be here, right. To do this. I ain't gonna miss the club. I'm gonna miss it again.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I appreciate that we talked about this because Anthony and I, we would been DM and we've. This thing goes back seven, eight years.

[Anthony Hamilton]

It does, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you. When it. When they came to my. And I was talking to my producer, cj, I said, man, we need to get Anthony Hamilton, but not just for a sit down, but to have him perform. C.J. was like, yeah, that'd be a. And we just kept going, kept going. And it took seven, eight years and it finally happened. And man, I'm so excited because, look, everybody knows coming where I'm from, and Charlene and I cry and her heart, all that. I mean, we grew up. We grew up. We grew up. But now you old school too. Cause it's like, man, the OGs used to be Luther.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And Teddy P. And Dottie Hathaway and. And Barry White. Now you. That's you.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. If it ain't that, it's Unk. But I think I'm. I think I don't age that an Unk.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now, you know, they aged out of.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Now I think I'm. What am I? Og. Triple og.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Triple og.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I still outrun a lot of Them, though, I still outrun them. Still outrun them.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So how long. What's the expectation, having been married and having been in this music industry? Cause you gotta move around. You might be in Raleigh and then you in Charlotte, and then you're in Atlanta, and then you in. In Florida, and Jack from Jacksonville, Orlando, so forth and so on. How long do you think? I mean, it's hard for you to say, but for a woman to say, okay, this man is chasing his dreams.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How long do you think is a realistic expectation for her to support you?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I think it happened. I think, you know, I've met some really amazing women since my. Since my divorce right now, I've been talking and seeing someone who's pretty special.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I think she kind of gets it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And so I'm willing to do the work to try to see where. Where it goes, balance it out. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because, you know, the thing is, is that sometimes I feel women want a finished product.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The house is already built.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Everything is already done. But in your life. But when you were coming up, you're trying to build a house, you're trying to lay a foundation. The stronger the foundation. It can't be broken, it can't be shook. But if the foundation is not solid.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. You know, and that's. Women have taught, you know, a man is supposed to be the security and all that stuff. And sometimes the security don't look the same as it. As it does with somebody else.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Correct.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, I'm a provider. I'm there. I'm making sure that certain things are done. But when I leave, I'm gonna make sure that things are taken care of. So when I get back, you'll feel as if my presence was there. And I think if you try to do that, you can have a better outcome.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How hard was it for you to trace your dreams? Did you ever feel like, man, this issue ain't gonna happen, man. Damn. It seems like every time. I mean, I feel like I'm so close. I know this is my calling.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But how long were you willing to stay on this path? Had you not? Because I think it was with the nappy roots that when they heard you and they.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This guy special, you know, I had been signed. I got signed in 93. I used to open up for Jodeci. Okay. When a freaking you came out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And I was signed to Uptown. Andre Harrell really believed in me. And Uptown and Andre Harrell and. And mca, they fell out. So here I am, left dangling in.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Between paper they leave you hanging.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So I'm left paperwork. And so from. From 93. It wasn't until 2003, when Jermaine.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Daniel.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Jermaine put me out, that that success started to happen. But in between that, I was signed to Soul Life, right. Job Records. So many different labels. And after about three or four of those, you. You want to kind of throw it. Throw your hands up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Throw your hands up.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. But then God gave me something like he gave me the Tupac record or the Nappy Roots or I wrote. Co wrote say what for Donnell Jones. So give me a little things to keep you going. Keep me going, man. Yeah. It's like, nah, I got something better for you, so just stay the course.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Was it hard to continue to chase your dream when you didn't have a whole lot of money coming in?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, you know, being a barber, you know, I can make a couple dollars, get a couple pieces of pizza. You know what I mean? Get a couple pieces of pizza here and there and some water. But, you know, my landlord was like, anthony, I need my money. You know, Ms. Ryan, I appreciate you up there in Harlem. But, you know, and she believed in me. But still, the shame you feel not being able to hold your part of the bargain up can kind of weigh on you a little bit as well.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because it's a situation like, if I had provided a service, I'm gonna want my money. I ain't trying to hear that. Well, hey, hey, you know, it's tight this month. You know, hey, just bear with me. And so I understand, you know, people like, well, you know, money's tight. I still got a mortgage to pay on this building. So, you know, you talking about it's tight. How does that impacts me?

[Anthony Hamilton]

It does, man. You know, you come and get a haircut, somebody I ain't got, I got about, you know, the haircut's $10, right? You got 450 and a nickel bag. That ain't gonna work. They ain't gonna work, man. Come on, man. Go get rid of that.

[Jason Timf]

Hey, Jason. Tim Fear. The NBA on Prime is back this Friday with another exciting Emirates NBA cup doubleheader. First Bam and a bio in the Heat take on Jalen Brunson in the Knicks. Then Steph Curry and the warriors square off against Wemby and the Spurs. If you're not a Prime member, just sign up for a 30 day free trial. Heat Nicks Warrior. Spurs Coverage starts at 6:30pm Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

[Lenovo Pro Announcer]

Pro drivers live for race day. But for small business owners, every day is race day. That's why going pro with Lenovo Pro matters one on one advice IT solutions and customized hardware powered by Intel Core Ultra processors. Keep your business on the right track. Business goes pro with Lenovo Pro. Sign up for [e-mail] pro.

[PayPal Announcer]

This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Okay, let's talk holiday shopping. When you want to make the most of your Money, head to PayPal's app before you check out. They give you the flexibility to pay in four no fees, no interest. And this is big. Bigger than the 12 foot snowman on your lawn right now. You can get 5% cash back when you pay later with PayPal. So whether it's the must have merch or for that signed jersey you've been eyeing, PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Save this offer in the PayPal app.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Expires 1231 see paypal.com promoterms Subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com payin4paypal inc.nmls910457 Today's.

[Degree Cool Rush Announcer]

Episode is brought to you by a scent that's made a legendary comeback degree Original Cool Rush the OG is back and better than ever. Cool Rush isn't just a scent. It's a movement fan favorite. It's the kind of fragrance that guys remember, ask for by name and rave about online. It's bold, fresh and delivers all day sweat protection with that cool, crisp vibe that made it a legend. Whether you're heading to the gym, the office, or just trying to stay fresh on a long day, Cool Rush has your back. It's the go to for millions and for good reason. So if you haven't tried it yet, or if you've been waiting for a sign, this is it. Head to your local Walmart or Target and grab degree Cool Rush, the fan favorite scent from the world's number one antiperspirant brand.

[Total Wireless Announcer]

This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. So when you're streaming the fight or sharing those takedown highlights, you need a wireless provider that keeps you close to the action. With Total Wireless, you're covered by the Verizon 5G network, so you don't have to worry about your connection being knocked out at the biggest moments. It's not something you can usually say about a wireless provider, but Total Wireless really has your back. They're in your corner every second of the day, so you never miss a thing. They keep you covered for just $25 a month with four lines without sacrificing the essentials like speed. With Total, you get unlimited 5G data so you can stay ahead of the action and keep up with every knockout. Total Wireless understands you can't afford surprise blows any more than your favorite fighter can. That's why the price is guaranteed for five years, taxes and fees included. The best fighters don't make it to the Octagon alone. They have all in support along the way. And it shouldn't be any different for you. So visit totalwireless.com or visit your local Total Wireless store to learn more about how Total Wireless can be in your corner. 5G access requires a 5G capable device and a 5G service area. Monthly rate on the Total Base 5G Unlimited plan for new subscribers applies only to the monthly rate for your plan. Additional terms apply. See website for details.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Bring me my money.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So that'll be nice. I'll be show 50 show.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. All right. We work it out. Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You're going to perform. The next song that you're going to perform is coming Where I'm from. So we're gonna take a listen to that, and then you come back over here and talk to us about it.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Let's do it, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Let's do it.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Y' all ready? Let's do sitting here.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Guess I didn't make bell. Got time and a story to tell Started when I was nine years old Woke up and daddy was gone I started hustling and couldn't tell me nothing Run in the hood trying to be somebody My soul is on empty I was searching for something I try to be good I try to keep from trouble Living too fast and trying to make good on a hustle.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They don't.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Want to die My family.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Sometimes you.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Gotta moan yeah Sometimes you gotta cry a little bit louder Sometimes I think I breathe a little bit too.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Little blues, little blues on the.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Come on. Come on back. Let's talk about this one.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. This one right here. Yeah. We might have to go in on this one. Yeah, man. Ah. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You seem like you wrote this from a place of personal knowledge.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And some of the best songs come. You look at Gloria Gaynor. She went through something to say, I will survive. Lenny Williams, he was really hurt. People don't remember when the TV used to go off at midnight.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It wasn't no mistake.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You talking about sometimes you gotta do things. You gotta cry a little harder when you come from where you come from.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did. Were there some circumstances that put you in a situation that you probably shouldn't have been in.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely, absolutely. You know, and you know, my dad, we ended up bending our relationship for at least a good 20 years, but wasn't around like I needed him to. And I felt, I felt betrayed. And, you know, he broke my heart. And some things he said to me and so on, that when that happened to me, I was on a quest to. To make something, make him see that he messed up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And so I grounded a little harder. Then my mom and I, we had some situations. I ended up getting adopted when I was like 14.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Into a family. So that unstable situation in my life, it, you know, it made me work harder. It put a little pain in there, a little grit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So, you know, I probably would have sounded a little bit like Barry Manilow had that not happened.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, that was, that was, that was pain. You mentioned your father wasn't around. So how old were you when he stopped coming around or was he ever around?

[Anthony Hamilton]

He was around. I do remember, you know, a couple outfits. And, you know, I spent the night a few times, but I was 16. I wanted to go hang out. I wanted a few dollars.

[Degree Cool Rush Announcer]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, he just told me he didn't have time for, you know, whatever. And at that moment, I took it upon myself to make a decision. It's like, you know what? I'm gonna take myself out the equation.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And, you know, wasn't until I was about to get married, my. My ex wanted to meet him. So she's big on family. So I called him, she's like, you gonna call your daddy and invite him?

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

I said, uh huh.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I wasn't planning on it, not really.

[Anthony Hamilton]

But you know, I did. He was working at this. He was working at a golf course. And I went over, end up getting in contact with him, went over and I asked him, you know, hey, about to get married and you know, she wanted to know if you would be around. I don't know, I might have something to do.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Anthony Hamilton]

That's what he said. And so even that, I was like, all right, here we go.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Well, so we talked a little bit and I told him when it was. And he was on the golf court, he was driving off. And for whatever reason, I said, I love you. I said that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And hadn't seen him in a while.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And he rolled for a little minute. Love you too. And from that he came to the wedding.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And we've been cool. We were cool ever since. He just passed away last year. He was 81.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Sorry to hear that.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So I was there yeah, absolutely. But he lived, you know, a great life and I was there, you know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I didn't never question him about why, whatnot, why wasn't he there? No, I. I think that's, you know, I didn't need it. It wasn't going to make me better. Wasn't going to change anything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can't get up a lost time. We can just move forward from this point and move forward. I can't go back and get back what was lost.

[Anthony Hamilton]

No, you can't. And I didn't want to waste the time trying to figure out something that neither one of us had the answers to.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is that what you really wanted to hear from your dad? You wanted your dad to tell you he loved you? You wanted to know that he loved you?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I. I think so. I think because at that moment I felt like a little kid again. You know what I mean? And I didn't expect to say it, right. No, absolutely not. I was like, what are you doing?

[Jason Timf]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, But I'm glad I did.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And it was. Had you not been getting married, had your soon to be wife not pushed you to go ask your dad, would he be attending the wedding, would you have made, would you have contacted or made the connection?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I don't think it would have been the same if I had. It probably would have been probably at a funeral or something. But probably not in the same manner. Right. And maybe not. Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You said your mom. You ended up getting adopted at 14.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So was your mom. So what happened in that situation that led you to be adopted by another family?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Just my mom taking the wrong man. I thinking that, you know, took her off her square. So she wasn't her best self for a little while. And so I needed to be somewhere stable. Cause I knew I had to be this Anthony Hamilton that people hear now. And so I just prayed hard and God delivered the family I needed to be in.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you always have this voice? Did you always know you wanted to be a singer? You always wanted to be an artist? Is that what you knew? You always. It wasn't football, it wasn't basketball, it wasn't anything else. God gifted me this voice.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know what, When I was little, five, four, five years old, I always said, I'm gonna be famous singing. But I didn't know what fame was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I just knew I wanted to do music. Right. Whether it be. I thought being on a train, I was like. I always thought about getting on the train because I was fascinated by Amtrak.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I'm gonna go on a train. I'm just gonna go to different places. I'm gonna sing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And I just never stopped believing in that. And I just stayed with it and put in the work. Actually, my dad was almost signed to Motown.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Really.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So I get my voice from my dad and my. And my mom's side of the family, my uncles. I went to a funeral, man. And you talking about singing. So Casey and JoJo are my family as well.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So you talking about some singing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did y' all eat anything at the family union or just sing? Listen, who could I.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Look? I think I was so fascinated by the voices, I forgot I was hungry. So when I hit the road, my.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Stomach was growling like Johnson Family Vacation. How they got Steve Harvey. I think that was that said entertainment.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do you have siblings?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yes, I do. My mom had three of us. I'm the middle, my brother the younger. My sister's the older, and I have three brothers on my. On my other family.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Actually just met two other. Another set of siblings. My dad, at his funeral, there was a. A young lady and a. And a. And a man that came over and said, hey, I'm your brother. And they had a birth certificate with my dad's name on it. But I. I didn't know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I would have put him on the. I would have put him on the brochure.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Exactly. He never mentioned that to you?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I kind of remember the. The son's name.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Vaguely.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

But not. Not really.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So now we. You know, they'll call, and I'm gone a lot, and so it's kind of weird for me to kind of just embrace it all the way.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's hard meeting somebody in your 50s, and they're like, oh, I'm your brother. And you just try to pick up.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. Yeah. But there is one daughter that I keep in contact with.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Pretty. Pretty strong. But they're nice. I'm trying. I'm trying.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's it. That's it.

[Anthony Hamilton]

But it's just weird. It's just weird.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Your mom. Is your mom still alive?

[Anthony Hamilton]

No, she passed. Yeah. Cancer. Some years back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you make amends with your mom? Did you have a conversation with your mom and said, mom, I did what I did because I felt I wasn't gonna make my ultimate destination because of some things that you had around. It wasn't you. It was what you were around that caused me to do what I did.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. You know, when she was transitioning, I was there. I had. Got her. I bought a house and put in a house. Her first house with Windows in the kitchen. And, you know, she was proud of me. And I was proud of her, too. She came a long way. We all came a long way. She actually got on the plane to come see me in New York. Had never flown before.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Wow.

[Anthony Hamilton]

She got on there to come see her baby.

[Shannon Sharpe]

She got on the plane by herself. Never flown before.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Never. And came to see me. I was living in Harlem at the time, but she came. Yeah. And we stayed in the. In the city, in a hotel, and we actually went and had a beer together.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. But, yeah, I let that stuff go, man. Life is. Was it hard to let it go? Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because sometimes, you know, people hold on to things. And, you know, my grandma used to say, boy, teeth and tongues should fall out, but family never should fall out.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You're going to go through things.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you. One day you're going to wake up and your parents aren't going to be there, or a brother and sister are not going to be there, and you're going to say all the things you wish you had said that you're never going to get an opportunity to say.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, you know what? I think I've seen so many people missed that opportunity. I just didn't want to do that. You know, you. You sometimes you got to learn from somebody else's mistake. And so I was just like, I can't change it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, I'm pretty sure they went through their own. Hell.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And their own, you know, beating them, the selves up. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So who am I if I ain't God? Don't act like it. And let's just start where we are.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When you. When you get on social media and you see them got. They have tiktoks and they have videos about, man, Anthony Hamilton making songs with dudes got to walk to work.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Oh, yeah. It's funny, man. It's encouraging, too, because, you know, people not gonna talk about something if they don't. If it don't affect them.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Correct.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So they do the beer jokes and all that. I love it all. I repost it, you know?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, it's good to be special.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Flage tweeted, man, old school R and B really hits different. I'm listening to Charlene by Anthony Hamilton. Send more like this. Charlene was released in 2003. V was born in 2003. Kevin on stage said, make video for the heartbroken. I'm heartbroken. And we talk. Touched on this a little earlier. You're old school now. Like I said, it used to be Barry White, it was Katie Pendergrass, and it was all the Smokey Robinson when we were kids. That was old school. Now you're thought of in that same breath, that old school R B, because, you know, you. You hear it all the time also, man, R B dead.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I ain't never been to no funeral.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They tell you nothing about it?

[Anthony Hamilton]

No, I didn't get the. I didn't get the. I didn't get the wake time or the funeral time. I. I think the, The. The rendition or the. The style of R B that people are used to, it's in there. It's mixed in. The young kids just. They have their own way of expressing themselves. And there's some good stuff out there. You know, I just think times change and stuff moves. But the core of R and B and the core soul music, it's in every rap song you ever heard, every country song, every church record. It's. It's there. I don't think it. It'll ever go anywhere. There's nothing better.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think the R B that we're used to, because it used to be a lot of people did R B. Yeah. How about this? Will R B ever be what it once was?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I think they're coming back. I think you have some of the newer cats digging into it. They're starting to sample a lot of 90s records.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They are, they are.

[Degree Cool Rush Announcer]

And.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And I think. I think you're gonna have to go back, right? Yeah. You can't keep dating so fast. They're gonna get. They're gonna get older. They want to slow it down. When the last time I slow drag. I know.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

You know, bad.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Please, come on, slow down.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Only at a wedding. I mean, maybe eighth grade, baby. Senior, you know?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, we gotta slow down. Maybe we'll vote different if we slow down. God almighty, please. We moving too fast, boy, they moving too fast. We running past the bull, you know, man, we running past the bull.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, when you sit back and look at you, you look back like where you started and where you are now. What are some of the differences that you see? Because like I said, some of the old school guys, and now you're that old school guy. How have you tried to bridge the gap?

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know what? I've done so many rap records I've worked with, I have songs with. Wow, Drake. I just did another one with Busta Rhyme, a second one with him. Jadakiss Young, Jeezy Nle Chopper. So that keeps me bridging the gap. I sound like a sample. So they want to Be a part of that soul world, and they know where to come and get it, you know, just like the tones, right? Certain voices you can't. You can't duplicate.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They know, but they know.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, so some people, like, no matter what, man, that's such. And such.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. So I think that's an advantage I have just to sound so much like myself that if you want that sound, you got to come to me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You got to come to you.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And so I always have a job.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do. Have you ever been in a situation if somebody sampled and I asked ll, I've asked a lot of people that have had things sampled. Do you have to hear it before it comes out or you just take their word for it that they gonna do you right?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Look, I was just listening to something the other night I had never heard.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Really?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. So Prince Montana, him and the Koch boys, they did a. Since I sent you a song of mine with Jeremiah and Jeremy, I just heard that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And yeah, you. Every now and again, you'll hear it slip through. But they have to go through the label, right? If they're gonna try to sell it, right? But if they just putting it out on the mixtape, that's cool. I don't even really sweat it. You know what I mean? No, I mean, Physia, Sharon or somebody like that. I want my money, you know? You know, certain artists, you know, they may not move the needle enough for it to really matter, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

But if it's somebody gonna make some bread, I need to get a little something of that.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Oh, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I need a slice of that.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Let me get that. Justin Bieber. Let me get that. Let me get that. Jay Z. Let me get it. But nah, you can't. You gotta pick and choose what's gonna.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know, when you and I was talking and you said if I come on Club. Shay Shay, what's the one song, the one song you're gonna want me to perform?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

If I can only perform one.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. I said her heart, man. I knew that's what you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You tell, you tweet, you text me back. I knew it.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Look, that song, man, it's super huge in South Africa, okay? And even here in the States, it's just a song that was written from a real place. You know, I was cutting up. You know, I was out there. I was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You like the badass boy.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I was. Yeah, I was out there, man. And cut. You know, cutting up. Just trying to find my way, man. And, you know, not a bad person. Just didn't always.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Bad decision.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Just made some decisions that was a little little bowlegged.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All right, here he is. He go perform her heart. Anthony Hamilton.

[Anthony Hamilton]

All right. Ah yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I might, I might crown this one.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Me too.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Sam. Stand up, stand out late and get in trunk. I let you down a thousand times Broken promises It's like I ran away.

[Jason Timf]

From you hey, Jason Timf here. The NBA on Prime is back this Friday with another exciting Emirates NBA cup doubleheader. First Bam and a bio in the Heat take on Jalen Brunson in the Knicks. Then Steph Curry and the warriors square off against Wemby and the Spurs. If you're not a Prime member, just sign up for a 30 day free trial. Heat Knicks Warrior spurs Coverage starts at 6:30pm Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

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This podcast is sponsored by PayPal. Okay, let's talk holiday shopping. When you want to make the most of your Money, head to PayPal's app before you check out. They give you the flexibility to pay in four no fees, no interest. And this is big. Bigger than the 12 foot snowman on your lawn right now. You can get 5% cash back when you pay later with PayPal. So whether it's the must have merch or for that signed jersey you've been eyeing, PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Save this offer in the PayPal app expires 1231.

[Anthony Hamilton]

See paypal.com promoterms Subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com payin4paypal inc.nmls910457 Today's.

[Degree Cool Rush Announcer]

Episode is brought to you by a scent that's made a legendary comeback degree Original Cool Rush. The OG is back and better than never. Cool Rush isn't just a scent, it's a movement fan favorite. It's the kind of fragrance that guys remember, ask for by name and rave about online. It's bold, fresh and delivers all day sweat protection with that cool, crisp vibe that made it a legend. Whether you're heading to the gym, the office, or just trying to stay fresh on a long day, Cool Rush has your back. It's the go to for millions and for good reason. So if you haven't tried it yet, or if you've been waiting for a sign, this is it. Head to your local Walmart or Target and grab degree Cool Rush, the fan favorite scent from the world's number one antiperspirant brand.

[Total Wireless Announcer]

This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc, so when you're streaming the fight or sharing those takedown highlights, you need a wireless provider that keeps you close to the action. With Total Wireless, you're covered by the Verizon 5G network, so you don't have to worry about your connection being knocked out at the biggest moments. It's not something you can usually say about a wireless provider, but Total Wireless really has your back. They're in your corner every second of the day, so you never miss a thing. They keep you covered for just $25 a month with four lines without sacrificing the essentials like speed. With Total, you get unlimited 5G data so you can stay ahead of the action and keep up with every knockout. Total Wireless understands you can't afford surprise blows any more than your favorite fighter can. That's why the price is guaranteed for five years, taxes and fees included. The best fighters don't make it to the Octagon alone. They have all in support along the way, and it shouldn't be any different for you. So visit total wireless.com or visit your local Total Wireless store to learn more about how Total Wireless can be in your corner. 5G access requires a 5G capable device and a 5G service area. Monthly rate on the Total Base 5G Unlimited plan for new subscribers applies only to the monthly rate for your plan. Additional terms apply. See website for details.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

My career was my excuse until I saw you about to drown in your own tears and as you hide in my arms you woke up my heart and I saw again what I found Found in you because her heart her heart won't let me lose her.

[Anthony Hamilton]

No.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Matter how I try I just can't say goodbye and lose her when all the folks were said and done.

[Total Wireless Announcer]

You.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Were there to welcome me home I was convicted Cause your love never wavered hmm and I know you love me more than me me and you vow to love the witty thing I've never had the kind of love that was forever and as you cried in my arms you woke up my heart and I saw what in what I found in you Because I Her love won't let me lose her love won't let me lose Goodbye and Lose her no won't let me lose her Said her heart Won't let me lose no matter how no matter I can't say goodbye no, no matter how I try I just can't say goodbye and lose her no matter how I try I just can't say goodbye and lose.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Boy, I felt that one. Hey man, I felt that one.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I had to feel it for years, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, you said you had a habit of messing up. I let you down a thousand times. Broken promises in a situation like that. My grandfather used to say, promises like pie crust, they're thin and easily broken.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Good God almighty.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When you make promises like that, babe, I'm gonna do this. But then something comes up. There's only so many times she's gonna accept something came up.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You mentioned that, you know, you was acting up. You was all bow legged out there.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Bow legged at one leg, not both. With just one. Yeah, you a bad boy there.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, I was dragging that one.

[Jason Timf]

Too often.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So how do you. How do you. How do you go to. How do you go to her, Anthony.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And try to fix it after a while? I just didn't try.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You didn't?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Oh, you know what I mean? I felt like, you know, my words were in vain. You know, I let you down too many times and you know, it's probably best for me to let you be and let you get what you deserve and was it hard? Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know, after you've been. Did you try to go back? Does this person know that this song is about her?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I'm pretty sure they do. You know, the first time, first time early in the. In the relationship, you know, you try and you. Yeah, I'm gonna do better. And you do good for a long, long, long time. And you go to church and you get double baptized.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause you really try. You really trying. I really want to work, babe.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You try and I think, you know, you have to maturity in different areas of your life come at different times.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It does.

[Anthony Hamilton]

When you're not sure of who you are, you don't know how to. You don't know how to be the best version of yourself at that. At that point. So I was learning, even though I was a grown man, I was learning, you know, it was a different life. A lot throwed at you, you know, when you're in this arena, you know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So how hard was it to watch her cry and to know that you're the reason for those tears?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Pretty hard. You know, you cry, you know, you. You tie yourself to the bed and you watch the Passion of the Christ over and over again. You just try your best to just. I gotta suffer too. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, I just put it on repeat, you know, so. Yeah, it's not a good feeling, you know, especially when you, your intentions are not hurting anyone.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. But how, how does the. I'm just trying to. How you, you put that together in a song like we were talking about it earlier. Some of the best songs come from a place. Place of hurt.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. And.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And although you weren't on the receiving end, you was hurting also because the person that you cared about, you were hurting her with your actions. And damn, baby, I'm hurting you, but I can't stop doing what I'm doing. That's the, that's the, that's hard, man.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You pull another one and you just, you try to numb it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, and, and you know, that can be a problem too.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes. I was talking and I heard someone said a lesson not learned in blood is destined to be repeated.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you gotta really, really hurt. You said something very interesting that, you know, a wise man learn from others mistakes. A fool has to learn from his own.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You want to like see something. And you probably saw it in this industry, people had wives and had great relationships and messed it all up. And you probably said, man, that ain't gonna be me. It ain't gonna be me. Hey, I know what I got at home. And I'd be, damn, boy, if I didn't do the same thing that I.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Said I wouldn't let happen, you know, and that's, you know, that's why you have to humble yourself. A lot of times you do it, you, you, you, you get to a place where you feel like you're above, you know, those circumstances.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And you move carelessly. And sometime we, you know, God will try to get our attention in, in private, but sometime he have to expose us so we can really pay attention. And you know, I, I've been there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He said I was trying to get your attention. Now I got your underbo. I had to sit you down.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I said, can you turn that down? Is this thing on?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cut some of these lights off.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Can you turn that off?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You said men use career as an excuse.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Isn't that a pretty good excuse?

[Anthony Hamilton]

It is when it's, you know, genuine. But when you know, you at the studio, but you're not at the studio, that ain't.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's not a good excuse. Not a good excuse.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You look at, you look you at the light and they're at the light too. It's just nice.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, man.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Portable studio, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I mean, that's just. I just made that. That's.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, he made that up. He wasn't that reckless now.

[Anthony Hamilton]

No, no, no, no, no. Wasn't too bad. I was pretty good.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Men cry. I mean, sometimes, you know, men say, man, I can't cry. That's a sign of weakness. That's the umpteenth vulnerability. And a lot of times men have a hard time being vulnerable in front of someone they care about because they don't want the woman to use that against them.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. You know what? I've done it. I think during the Charlene days, I felt like they were taking advantage of my tears. They saw it as a sign of weakness. And the minute I was able to get my strength enough to get up and get out and get back on my feet, I had to realize, like, wow, maybe that wasn't the person I thought they were in those situations, you know? But now I cry. I'll cry on stage. I cry whenever, Right. You know, if it hits me, it hits me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is it a situation? If I tell you, it doesn't matter. Man to woman, woman to man. If I tell you something in confidence, if I tell you something that made me vulnerable, should the other person ever bring that up and use that against them?

[Anthony Hamilton]

If you have bad intentions, yeah. But if you really care about that person, I think that's. Certain things stay within the ring that you guys. Right. Created.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause you know that. Okay, So I know how he feels. I know how she feels about that. And I know if I bring that up, I know what it's gonna. I know the kind of response it's gonna elicit.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, that's control, in a way. You wanna be able to have control of their triggers so you can manipulate their emotion. And next thing you know, whatever you're gonna get out of it, you get it for as long as you can until they catch on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Till they catch on. You know what? It's funny that you say that. My grandpa used to have a saying, say, boy, you got to be careful to let people know what make you tick. They'll wind you up and make you tick when they want you to.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You ain't lying.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Like, hold on, I. I ain't want to do that. It's like, you know, what was that? Do the right thing. When mama would tell, come down, hit that dance for me, G. Hit that dance for me and get it. We hit that dance for it.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But is crying a man crying? Is That a sign of weakness or a sign of strength?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I think it's a sign of freedom. I think if you free, you can express yourself. Yeah, yeah. And whether you're weak for a moment, that's fine.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, I think we have this thing of men. You can't be weak, and you can't have a day off of being strong. And I think that's. That's why, you know, so many people blow their brains out or get on drugs or, you know, don't make it back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Because one or two days off from being, you know, from not being Superman is. It's okay, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is that a thing that men feel, that they have to be Superman? But because they have to wear that armor, they don't want someone to see them in a vulnerable state. Because, as you mentioned, sometimes people see you in a vulnerable state and they feel they can take advantage of it.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. And, you know, it's. It's looked at as weakness.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Or lack of whatever it is that makes you a man. And I don't think that's the truth at all.

[Shannon Sharpe]

In the song I Cry, mama told me that men. That man's own tears can make him strong.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, it does. It makes you strong. You start to feel alive, and you start seeing where my strengths are, where my weaknesses are, and you get to know yourself. So now you maneuver and you move a different way. And, you know, not to the beat of somebody else's drum, not to the, you know, somebody else's emotions. Like you said, they're ticking.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. So once you learn yourself, you. You move on your own.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. So. And when you were in school. When you were in school, Anthony. So what. What type of. What type of student. What type of person were you when you were younger?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I cut an absolute donkey in class, and I'm getting it back. One of mine.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What are your kids?

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, I was good. I was respectful, but I was a clown. Yeah, I'm really silly. You hear these songs. People think he's all, you know, he's just.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

He's too deep.

[Anthony Hamilton]

But now I'm a clown. I'm silly. You know, I like the attention of making people laugh. Laugh. You know, I like to make people laugh.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So what did the teacher say? Anthony, get out of class.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yep, yep. Get out. Go to the office.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, back then, you get. You get paddled.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's probably why some of the kids got bad. Cause they ain't no. Ain't no paddling and parents ain't ain't no. Oh, we talking now. We put you in time out. No time up. You've been acting a fool.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I like that. So I was. I was down in a place called Maxton, North Carolina.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Bite biker rally thingy. So my boys. I took my boys with me. And, you know, these older guys, some of them probably had been in the army, and they got the tussling and all that. So there really wasn't no kids out there. They got the tussling and that energy. Older man was like, hey, hey, now. Hey, y'.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Cut that out. All that. All that. That energy. Yeah. You know, and sometimes you. You know, you. You have to really. You have to really, really allow the. The community be. Be a part of raising your kids and raising you. And like you said, learning from your mistakes. That was the moment that they learned. I had told them already, you have to watch your energy because your energy can affect somebody else. And that at that moment, that was a teachable moment for me to let them know, like, this is what I was trying to tell you. And so it took somebody outside of the household to be that parental voice, and they didn't even know this man. But I just wanted him to feel like a sense of, like, when I grew up, how we were raised. Yeah, it took the community. It didn't have to be your parent.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nope.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Who would discipline you. It didn't have to be someone that knew you, per se. But it was just the fact that we were able to teach outside of the house. Nowadays, the kids, they'll shoot you or kill you if you say anything to them. So it's a different day and time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But it's funny that you say that, Anthony. Cause we were having a conversation. Ocho and I was having a conversation on Nightcap. How the community. If you were doing something wrong. Aren't you Mary and Barney Grand? Boys? Which one of you. You Shannon or Spanky? I'm Shannon. Hey, do they know you down here?

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All right. Stop all that cursing. Stop all that talking.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. You know, and it. And it. It shocked my boys. You know, I was like, that's old school training.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

That's how it should be. You know, the younger generation, they're missing that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You got another song. Cornbread, fish and collard greens.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I'm hungry, too.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's. That's. That. That seemed like a dish. That seemed like your favorite dish.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know what? And I don't think it. It is a. One of my favorite dish, but I think it represents different things. The cornbread. It's you know, it's the foundation.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Solid.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Got to get something to stick to.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Your reals boy and greens. Keep. Keep things clean around there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And that fish, you learn how to move right? So, yeah. You want to talk about it?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Y' all want you to perform it, then we gonna see, we gonna talk. We gonna dive in deeper.

[Anthony Hamilton]

All right. Tartar sauce. The hot sauce.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hot sauce.

[Anthony Hamilton]

All right. You all right? You all right? Coleslaw?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, no coleslaw. Oh, man, I thought you give me extra hush puppies.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Okay. You brought yourself.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Well, well, well, well, well. I knew just what it had to be when I heard you say what you said to me Every dude in a sight looking like you're working up an appetite for the night. Check it bad thing that I said at the back peeping you out the way you act every string attack you're getting out of line and I'm yanking you back in your place all is well enough stay in your place, don't be no fool, get along all right. You look like the type that would try to bite m best off been a friend to me, you don't want to offend me better play it cool don't know what I might do Cornbread fish ain't got a green I got what you need if you want it cause I'm a pimp, babe. Cause I'm a pimp, girl.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I got.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

What you need I can rock and whirl I can just enjoy.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You can.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Walk around like your shit don't sing come on to you oh baby girl I'm only a low take it slow, change the speed if it's full for thought that you really need better state your claim get with it, stay in your lane, stop swerving, take a seat and sit in the back. I don't appreciate appreciate the way you act you need to fix yourself hurry up and go fix yourself can't kill nothing, won't nothing die Everything's gonna pass you back you don't wise enough.

[Jason Timf]

Hey, Jason. Tim Fear. The NBA on Prime is back this Friday with another exciting Emirates NBA cup doubleheader. First bam and a bio in the Heat take on Jalen Brunson in the Knicks. Then Steph Curry and the warriors square off against Wemby and the Spurs. If you're not a Prime member, just sign up for a 30 day free trial. Heatniks Warrior spurs coverage starts at 6:30pm Eastern only on Prime. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com amazonprime for details.

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[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Let me take you there, baby.

[Anthony Hamilton]

If you want it Cornbread fish is time to eat, time to eat.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You said this song is about approaching a woman. I think I said, like, I forget where I read it at, but this says like only 25%. I think it's like from eight. Some kids now have never asked a woman out on a person out on a date.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you see on social media, they'll be standing right next to a person. Hey, send me this person. Who is this person? You were standing right next to the guy. Excuse me, what's your name? Excuse me, what's your name? What happened to being able to walk up to someone? We're at a different time now, so you have to be careful.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Walking up to someone and says, hey, my name is Shannon. How are you doing? What's your name?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I think social media kind of mess up the intimate part of getting to know people.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, you don't want to do the work. You want the instant gratification. So I think just pushing a button is easier than me finding out, like, what she really likes and, you know, just interacting with somebody.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, computers, I think the thing is, Anthony, also is that when you look at a person and you watch what they post, we feel after we see 15, 20 posts, we kind of know what that person like. We kind of know who that person is.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Instead of doing the deep dive and doing the homework, we just taking a snapshot of what we see. Okay. They post this. They're eating there. They're in this, they're in that. Okay. So that's what that person like to do. Have no idea. That could be a lot of this. Look, social media is not real.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. They post the best stuff. They Post the best stuff.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And the stories. You know, that story probably happened five years ago. You know, all you got to do is put it. Put a filter on it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, everybody on social media got me feeling broke. They in the Maldives. They every. Out there in South Africa. They got all these cars, they eating at these nice restaurants. I'm looking at my pocket, I say, man, I got a hole in my pocket.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Look, I say all the time, if I see one more broke person outliving me, I'm going, look, I gotta change my life, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But when? Maybe it was always like this, but we didn't have social media to be able to judge. But when did we become so obsessed with impressing the other person?

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know what? I think it goes way back before we got here, you know? You know, we. We want to be accepted. I think wanting to be accepted and feeling like you've been broken away from what's truly important. Important. And. And, you know, when you told that you. You're not this, you're not that, you're not worthy, then you want to express yourself in a way to make people feel like you got it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All right?

[Anthony Hamilton]

And that's not the case. I think you spend more time trying to show off to people that. Not even looking.

[Shannon Sharpe]

If you. If you.

[Anthony Hamilton]

They ain't really looking at you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, no, not really. If you knew how little people cared.

[Anthony Hamilton]

About you, they don't give up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You would care less than what they thought about you.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But people go out of their way because people actually think. People actually care.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

About what they do, what they say. They don't.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And if they do, it's infant. That. That quick.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Now they on to the next. Not giving the dog.

[Shannon Sharpe]

About that person being from North Carolina, obviously. Soul food. I mean, North Carolina have real. But you get a meal if somebody says, okay, Anthony, I'm. We going to cook Sunday dinner.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What you having to prepare, Shoe man?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Sunday dinner. Okay. Definitely potato salad.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

With eggs in it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay. Pecans or raisins on it, man.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Come on, Fido.

[Total Wireless Announcer]

Come here, Fido.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Fido. And get that. You know, I like turkey wing. Baked turkey wings.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And fried fish.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Catfish, whiting, mullet, croaker, Croaker.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Perch. Whiting country. Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm talking about your corn cob in an outhouse country.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. You know, I want gravy under the rice and on top of the rice.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I thought this man was gonna say, this man said whiting. This man said croaker. This man said perch.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. You know, you can get into the red snapper a little later, but.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, you don't want no sea bass, no Dover sole.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I mean, that's fine. That's. You know, you get this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But that ain't for Sunday dinner.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Not a Sunday. Not.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You want it fried. You want it come right about the grease.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Not when my socks. When them dusty socks out. I want that. I want that real deal.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So are you. You. So you're not. So you a fish type of guy. You don't. You don't eat meat. You don't eat meat. Red meat.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I haven't had red meat in some years, but I'm about to backslide and get some oxtails when I'm just. I'm just.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But they're doing too much with oxtails right now. They're putting oxtails in tacos. They're putting them in cases. You can't put oxtail in every. Everything ain't meant to have oxtails in it.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, you can't have oxtail ravioli.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, come on, now. They got oxtail and grits now. Come on. No, no, that might be good now. Come on.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Come on. I'm not just saying it's a little weird.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Shrimp and grits.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Fishy grits, all that. But you want some oxtails and grits.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I mean, oxtails so good, you can just eat. I'll put them on white bread and handlebar, hold that bread and put the knuckle. So the bread come through here.

[Shannon Sharpe]

See, I figured that's how you gonna do the fish. They come right up out the grid. Oh, I put the white bread right there. Put it right there.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I just had some down in Maxton. They put the white bread on there and the little fries. Coleslaw. I didn't get the coleslaw. I had the hot sauce. Yeah, God dog it. Mustard.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You put mustard on your fish right around the side.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Come on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, I just want hot sauce.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You gotta. Come on, try. Not just the hot sauce. Try it, man. I'm telling you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But I can't, man. I can't. I don't think I had croaker or mullet or whiting since. Nah. See that? See, they got bones in it. I don't want that. No. I almost choked on them. I just started eating fish. I just started eating fish probably about 10 years ago.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know what?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Got bone. Got me ate a whole loaf of bread. Tried to get it out. You know, you gotta eat it. You gotta eat that bread to get it out.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I had one that got stuck here When I was little and I didn't eat fish for about. At least about 10 years.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I'm back. But the other day I was at home eating a little too fast. The bone was right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Got that bread.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Well, I thought I was a golden doodle, but I was trying to get it out of there. Yeah, yeah, I did. I had to. But thank God it didn't, man. Because I was like, man, I'm enjoying fish.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, I've been through that. But it's scary, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you, you stopped eating red meat. Was there any particular reason that you stopped eating red meat?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I went vegan for two and a half years.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay. How was that?

[Anthony Hamilton]

It was good. You know, at that moment I was trying to figure out the healthier stuff to eat.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Cause everything vegan ain't good. No, that stuff got more stuff in it than anything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Exactly.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So if you're doing like raw and, you know, real stuff, then that's healthy. You know, the beyond and all that. Different burgers. It's okay to transition and have some time, but you can't make that a lifestyle either. Right. So I just wanted to clean up, clean up a little bit. I said, you can't have liquor and all the meats.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Choose what? Choose what?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Choose who I choose. Why?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can't choose. You can't have all the bad habits.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I did it, ma. You know? Yeah. You just have to pick and choose. You can't put everything. You gotta have a good balance. Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

One of your big breaks in the industry came, if I'm not mistaken, you were a backup singer for d', Angelo. Correct?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And how did that. Because I think Luther was a backup singer for Roberta Flack. And there've been a lot of people that start out as backups and they all moved to the front. How do you think that helped your career?

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know what, man? That was one of the most. Man, just most exciting and just the deepest learning I've ever done. Like, I didn't go to a four year college, but I felt like that was a university that you couldn't even pay to get in. You had Pino Paladino, you had Roy Hargrove, Jacques Schwarzbach, and Russell Gunn, all these. Dante Winslow. And so for me to learn what true musicianship is, how to control the stage, how, how the band should play, the dynamics and all the things I learned, I saw the world through, through a different. Through a different lens. And I was able to learn how to lead from learning how to follow. You know what I mean? He was a great leader. He knew. He knew music like deep, deep, like he was an alien, right? Yeah. It was just like Prince and James Brown and Cats who just come once in a lifetime. Once or twice.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

D' Angelo was one of those.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How. How did this happen? How did you go. How did it happen that you ended up being a.

[Jason Timf]

A.

[Shannon Sharpe]

A singer in this?

[Anthony Hamilton]

When I. When I was signed him uptown, I had an album called Ecstasy. Okay, they spelled it xtc, and I hated it, but it was called Ecstasy. And Kedar Maxenberg was working with him at the time, and so he would come over to Tone and Pope in the studio and play Brown Sugar, and we would play a few songs off of Ecstasy. And so it was almost like a rival. And when my album never came out, he asked, hey, what was that guy that was supposed to had, you know, come out around the time he said, man, he's not doing it. And the deal fell through and asked if I would do background. And at this moment, I was signed to Soul Life. Sunshine. Anderson had heard it all before, and it was all taking over the world. And I begged my label to let me go out. I said, it'll make me a better artist if you let me. Please let me go out and sing background. Now. I was intimidated, yeah, because, you know, my musical ear and stuff is not as. As, you know, intricate as his. And all the detailed backgrounds and the timing on it, you know, I'm just bread and water, black and white.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And so I had to learn a lot. I had to really pay attention, but it made me sharper. It just made me a better artist all around.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Why wasn't that hard? Because here you are, you. You. You own your own. You standalone, and you're wanting to go out and be a back. You wanted to be a background singer to someone else. You didn't feel that that was insulting?

[Anthony Hamilton]

No, I put my ego aside. I felt like, you know, this is some. This is a different movement, you know, to be a part of this. This is going to be history, right? A different type of history. And to be a part of that, man, I was like, only a fool would turn that down. Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You actually perform one time with him. How does it feel? Correct. You go on stage.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. Every night for over a year. We toured the whole world, Brazil, everywhere. We did a European tour for. Shoot, four, three. Four months. Two months. However long we were gone. We were gone a long time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You still kind of do a rendition of it, right?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, man. I love that guy, man. I want to make sure his music Lives in my house and everybody else's house as long as I can.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All right, you're going to perform. How does it feel? And then we'll get back and talk about d' Angelo in your relationship.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Absolutely. Let's do it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All righty. How does it feel?

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Girl, it's all of you have it your way and if you want, you can decide and if you have me I can provide everything that you decide Baby, get a feeling I feel it that I feel Won't you come closer to the baby Right where you want me girl I just wanna be your.

[PayPal Announcer]

Man.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Tell me how it feels yeah how does it feel? Doesn't raise.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, man. This episode is brought to you by prize picks. The hard hitting football action is even better with prize picks. The weather might be changing, but the feeling of being right never gets old. So keep the season rolling on prize picks by getting $50 instantly in lineups when you play your first $5. We're in the thick of football season and some of y' all might be feeling down, but don't you worry. That's why we have prize picks to keep you going for the rest of the season. Week 10 of football was something. Lots of upsets. Bills, Miami. I'm all in on Devon H. And all day, baby.

[Anthony Hamilton]

More, more, more.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Man, that guy's really special. Prize pick is the only app that offers stacks, meaning you can pick the same player up to three times in the same lineup. Want to pick more on Josh Allen's pass yards, rush yards, touchdowns. Now you can pick all of them in the same lineup only on prize picks. Prize picks is simple to play. Just pick more or less on at least two player stats. And if you get your picks right, you could cash in. Download the prize pick app today. Use code Shannon to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That's code SHANNON to get $50 in lineups AFTER you play your first $5 lineup on prize picks. It's good to be right. What do you remember about the first time that you met d'? Angelo?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I remember him being excited about me, which was. Which was kind of, you know, kind of cool, right? Seeing as he was just so, so amazing, man. And at that moment, Bilal was actually singing background with us as well.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Really?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. It was me, Bilal and Karen Bernard who were singing background. That's the first set of background singers.

[PayPal Announcer]

Damn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

D' Angelo had some hit some hitters.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, man. And, you know, just he was excited and he was just like fans of every texture that we brought to the table.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you guys remained in touch. You guys were friend. But unfortunately, you missed the last time he. Last phone call. Did you know he was sick?

[Anthony Hamilton]

No, I didn't know, man. I hadn't. I found out maybe. Ooh. I found out maybe two. Two or three weeks before. Two weeks before his passing. But he had called me like, a week prior to that. And I was in the dressing room getting ready, and I heard the phone. I said, I'll get in a minute. I went. I said, this is D. Because I put his name under something different. Yeah. I put it under D. Bully.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And I said, man, that's D. I know. That's d'. Angelo. So I called him back a few times, and he didn't pick up. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You think about what he wanted to say. Obviously, you didn't know he was sick. You didn't know this would possibly be the last time that you guys would ever talk.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You have that regret of not answering that call.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know what? It's not because we talk so much, and I just kind of know, kind of how I would probably start off. He called me Aunt Jeezy. Aunt Jeezy. And, you know, I think. I think his spirit's speaking to me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah. I think I kind of know what he would say. I don't think he would have poured all the heavy stuff on me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No.

[Anthony Hamilton]

But he would let me know, like, man, I appreciate you. I love you. And, you know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. Where were you when you got the news that he had passed?

[Anthony Hamilton]

I was. We were on the road. Yeah. I think right before. Wasn't it right before the Atlanta show? I had a show in Atlanta. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He died of pancreatic cancer. Why is it so important for black men to get tested early?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Because if you catch something early enough, there's a chance that you can beat it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[Anthony Hamilton]

You know, with proper diet and, you know, and, you know, medical attention, I think. I think some stuff. We can turn it around.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Anthony Hamilton]

We got a better chance.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes. I. I was called prostate cancer early.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So my father. My father died at 39. He had two brothers that didn't make it to 50 of cancer. So I knew based on that, I had a high probability. So I started getting tested at 35.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Wow, that's good.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Went in for a routine. It's like, you know what? You're at the age. We're going to do a colonoscopy. Okay. Nope, we don't think anything. No symptoms. PSA level was fine. Come back. My doctor, the urologist, he didn't call me. It was someone else that called. So now my antenna's up. I'm like, okay. He's always called me when everything's okay. Now I'm somebody else. Like, this is such and such. I was like, okay, okay. You feel like Mr. Sharp. We did fine. We think you're fine right now.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But we just gonna monitor it. And a couple of months later, I went in, got everything taken care of, and I've been smooth ever since.

[Anthony Hamilton]

That's good, man. You know, I just did a colonoscopy, endoscopy, got all my heart, did all.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah. Yep, yep. Ekg, all internal organs. I did all a. Yeah, yeah. What the premiums cost.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, hey, I'll be there. I'm getting everything. Hey, I'm getting my buddy work.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, you have to, man. You, you know, you know when I speak out about, you know, getting your colonoscopy and all that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, getting all that stuff checked out.

[Anthony Hamilton]

So I'm, you know, I'm getting my grown man checkups.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Anthony Hamilton]

And it feels good. You can rest because there was a moment when I wasn't going. It's like, I don't trust the doctor. I don't trust them doctors. They're trying to kill me anyway. But, you know, you have to. You have to know what. What you should be working on, if anything.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So maybe you have to change your eating habits and, you know, you know, we hard. You know, it's hard. It's hard because we've ate. You've eaten a certain way for so long. I remember my grandmother, you know, her last couple of years, she like, baby, granny gonna die anyway. Go get me some fried shrimp.

[Anthony Hamilton]

I know that's right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And so you know what I was like, you know, hey, we sneaky. Go get a prayer. She was 89 years of age.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Oh, man. She had a nice. That's a nice run, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

A great life.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Yeah, it's great life.

[Shannon Sharpe]

This concludes the first half of my conversation. Part two is also posted and you can access it to whichever podcast platform you just listened to part one on. Just simply go back to Club Shay Shay profile and I'll see you there.

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This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. When you're streaming the fight or sharing those takedown highlights, you need a wireless provider that keeps you close to the action. With Total Wireless, you're covered by the Verizon 5G network, so you don't have to worry about your connection being knocked out at the biggest moments. It's not something you can usually say about a wireless provider, but Total Wireless really does have your back. They're in your corner every second of the day, so you never miss a thing. Visit totalwireless.com or visit your local Total Wireless Store to learn more about how Total Wireless can be in your corner. 5G access requires a 5G cable device and a 5G service area. Additional terms apply. See website for details.

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[Anthony Hamilton]

No fees, no interest.

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[Anthony Hamilton]

Sculpted but pruny body.

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[Jason Timf]

12:31 see paypal.com promoter points can be.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Redeemed for cash and more.

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Paying for subject to terms and approval.

[Anthony Hamilton]

PayPal Inc. And MLS 910457 okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line, but.

[Shannon Sharpe]

First, there the last one.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes. You know what a girl's best friend is, not diamonds.

[Degree Cool Rush Announcer]

Her lawyers from executive producer Ryan Murphy comes a fiery new legal drama.

[Anthony Hamilton]

It's our own boutique women representing women.

[Degree Cool Rush Announcer]

You can't afford to miss.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Make it ring Showtime, ladies.

[Anthony Hamilton (Singing)]

Stand up straight and breeze into that room like a storm no one saw coming.

[Degree Cool Rush Announcer]

Hulu Original Series All's Fair now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for bundle subscribers.

[Anthony Hamilton]

Terms apply.