Marc Fre$co: Charles Hamilton - The Pink Lavalamp

**** 1/2

Don't let the affection for Sonic or the diss track towards Soulja Boy fool you. CH is a lyrical monster and exceptional producer that isn't given the recognition he deserves. If you're expecting a gangster-rap album or a mixtape devoted to swag, you'll have trouble understanding the content of this mixtape without reading the backstory. Being addicted to heroine and basically living on the streets would change the priority of your music. What's so special about the Pink Lavalamp is that this music was recorded from the heart. No record label pressure, advance checks, schedules, interivews, sample clearances, etc were ever present. This is one of the rare moments when an album was actually recorded about day-to-day life (word to Consequences' Don't Quit Your Day Job.)

The album begins with his ode to "Music." In this song, CH describes his purpose for music, and how music is supposed to be treated. Many other songs on the PL are about CH's past and musical expressions, including "Loser," "Latte" and "Boy Who Cried Wolf." In these songs, CH describes why his personality makes people usually not want to give him credit for his music. CH even addresses the haters on "Voices," describing how he handles negativity and how he won't let it deter his passion.

"If I had a dollar everytime I heard 'this n***a rap / the f*** this n***a got on / this n***a wack / I swear by now, I'd have a Benjamin stack / to spend it on crap / and then get it back / in 10 minutes flat / this is a fact / no matter my ability to rip on a track / and spit till I black / ball up a fist just to crack / an instrumental no fixin' it back / I guess a n***a style ain't no witness to that / favorite color is pink / favorite genre is rock /

Other songs describe his love life and his feelings for women, including the Ronald Isley sampled slow jam "Come Back To You," "Sat(T)Elite" and "She's So High." The only weak spot on this album is "She's So High," which is confusing to follow. To understand these lyrics, you would have to research CH's philosophy on life and the color pink.

One of the stand-out tracks on PL is "Shinin," CH's now defunct suicide letter. Describing how he survived through the years with music, he presents the topic of why music is supposed to be more than a means of making money. More stand-outs are the Baghdad assisted "Let Me Live" and "I'll Be Around," the follow-up to CH's suicide letter. The defining track of this album is "Brighter Days," a song about the aspirations of a better life, and escaping "the hurricane of life through music." "Sat(T)Elite" is an ode to music and his love, and how they aid him throughout day-to-day life. This song could easily get spins on the radio, as long as it will be accepted without bias.

This album follows the day-to-day life of a teenager on the streets that escapes the trials & tribulations through his love for music. Sonic The Hamilton is usually dismissed into the category of hipster, but the Pink Lavalamp is opposite of that. If music is more than a business to you, I suggest that you download this album. Charles Hamilton provides inspirational and motivational music that connects to his listeners about surviving life and the importance of music. If this album isn't accepted now, allowing this music to age will easily certify this album as classic. Just forget what the record labels push, ignore what the industry followers say, and give a llisten to great music that wasn't tampered with by industry influences.

"My ladybug says that I hide behind music / I said 'hell yeah b**** why would I do it / For any other reason, I am not stupid / you won't be on my d*** if my rhymes were not fluent"

Charles Hamilton = The Future

"This [PL] is dedicated to anyone who puts music first. If you would rather sing than breathe. If all you had left in your body was the ability to play your instrument. If so, this is for you. If you would write a song with your own blood as ink, this is for you. Music is not just an expression, it's not just an art form. It is a turnican to the bleeding heart. Music is the helicopter to save your soul from the ... hurricane of life. If music is all you got, this is for you."

- "Music"

Charles Hamilton - Brooklyn Girls
song of the year!!!