After performing as a backup singer on the neo-soul leader D'Angelo's Voodoo tour, the Charlotte-born Anthony Hamilton sought the spotlight himself by appearing on tracks with the hip-hop artists 2Pac and Nappy Roots in the early-'00s. That profile boost helped secure a deal with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label and the release of 2003's platinum Comin' From Where I'm From. With a redemptive streak running through his voice, Hamilton's subsequent releases have resonated with fans as his emotional honesty hits home.