Charles Hamilton Gets Personal in “Down the Line” Video

It's been quite the journey for Charles Hamilton since his days as a XXL Freshman. The Harlem rapper receded into obscurity shortly after the feature, but has been making a comeback of sorts this year. He told XXL earlier this year that he's nervous about his reentry into music but arrives today with a new song and video for "Down the Line."

The track addresses Hamilton's rocky past as well as his struggle with bipolar disorder. Hamilton even references that 2009 Freshman issue, revealing that he once dissed his fellow classmates and going on to name drop XXL Editor-in-chief Vanessa Satten.

"I dissed the others on the XXL cover/But it was unheard, boy I got some nerve/I seen Vanessa Satten in Harlem, she loves me/She said I'm glad to see you back because it's ugly/She wanna know what's up with me/I said I don't really know if y'all fuck with me"

The video and song are somber and feature Hamilton in a reflective mood. The rapper spoke to Fader​ about the video saying, "[It] represents me transitioning through the world seemingly alone, struggling to make sense of the pain and darkness I had frequently experienced,"

"Down the Line" can be found on Hamilton's upcoming project, The Black Box, due out later this year.