THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH OF CHARLES HAMILTON

The long-tail process of genuine artist development has become more difficult than ever in the modern music business; labels can't always be the incubators they long were. However, new-era management companies—the smart ones anyway—have evolved during this same period to become a driving force of artist cultivation. This could certainly be said of Turn First CEO Sarah Stennett , whose careful rehabilitation and reinvention of Charles Hamilton is destined to be one for the history books.

The story begins in 2008, when the piano-playing rapper/songwriter was scouted to Interscope Records by Jimmy Iovine himself, made the cover of XXL mag’s annual Freshman issue--typically an indicator of impending mainstream success--and recorded with the legend Eminem. The blogosphere was in a rapture over Hamilton's mixtapes; a strange new star was born, with compositions that were potently different.

The realness "behind the music." however, was much more drama. Hamilton had long been dealing with undiagnosed bipolar disorder; he finally snapped under the weight of all that accompanied his newfound fame. Everything collapsed. By 2010 Hamilton was living in an abandoned warehouse and threatening to jump off Macomb’s Dam Bridge in Harlem. His mother institutionalized him against his will.

In 2012, a phenomenal five-hour comeback show at S.O.B.’s in NYC led to his introduction to Stennett, whose immediate focus wasn’t on demos or brand development but proper medical diagnosis, a stringent medication schedule, and network support. The goal was to help Hamilton heal before making any new career moves. This careful regimen worked; he began to hit his stride again creatively.

The setup began in early 2014, when Stennet arranged for Hamilton to play his first single, “NY Raining,” at the iHeartRadio New Music Summit, which culminated in an amazing performance at the Sayers Club. A derby ensued, with Republic inking the resurrected star.

On 3/18, Hamilton will command one of the most coveted spots possible for a new artist: a guest performance on the season finale of the hottest show in years, Fox's pop culture and ratings phenom Empire. Worked into the storyline by producers as a hot new label talent, Hamilton will be performing “NY Raining” with Turn First stablemate Rita Ora, who kills it on the hook. It's worth noting that Hamilton's personal odyssey is echoed on the series, on which a key character is struggling with bipolar disorder.

On 3/7, Hamilton dropped another fabulous music snippet, "Correct," to set up his impending album. The Original Soundtrack for Season 1 of Empire (Turn First/Twentieth Century Fox/Columbia) hits retail this week, with first-week projections around 100k; the album (which is Top 10 at iTunes) includes "NY Raining." Hamilton's own Republic solo debut, produced by the Invisible Men, is due later this year.