Charles Hamilton caps off his comeback year with the release of The Black Box EP. Originally scheduled to drop in September, the project was pushed back and features four tracks, including the lead single "Down The Line" featuring Laurel.

After breaking out in the late 2000s thanks to a successful string of mixtape releases, Hamilton was named a XXL Freshman in 2009. The Brooklyn native's deft lyricism helped him ink a deal with Interscope and the young MC looked to be on the precipice of a successful career in rap.

Unfortunately for him, the rapper fell into a cycle of depression, suicidal thoughts, run-ins with the law and drug use. The rapper spent the last six years in a state of flux, but popped up earlier this year with a blog post proclaiming that he was ready to get his life and career back on track. Sine then, he has done exactly what he said he was going to do and signed a deal with Republic Records.

The Black Box EP is available to stream below.

On Thursday (Dec. 10), the Harlem rapper stopped by the XXL offices and freestyled live for 30 minutes. Showing the lyrical ability that put him on the map in the first place, Hamilton proved that he is still one of the nicest pound-for-pound MCs in the game. Take a look.

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