R&B wouldn’t be where it is now if it weren’t for the soulful tunes we grew up listening to. Some artists focus on the modern formula of singing with fast tempos, raunchy lyrics, and sub par vocals, while other artists remind us of the good ol’ days.

Anthony Hamilton is one of those artists that have walked us down memory lane with his heartfelt lyrics and his soulful grooves reminiscent of your favorite classic R&B legends like Al Green and Bill Withers.

The North Carolina native effortlessly delivers melodies true R&B lovers look for through songs like “Where Did It Go Wrong,” “Coming From Where I’m From,” “Can’t Let Go,” “The Truth,” “Never Love Again,” and his rendition of “I Cry.” Also playing a bridge between R&B Soul and Hip-Hop, Anthony Hamilton has been a hot commodity rappers seek as the perfect touch to songs such as Jadakiss’ “Why,” Young Jeezy’s “Everything,” and The Game’s “Hustler’s Dream.”

Hamilton’s road to success hasn’t been an easy one. In the beginning of his career, he was signed to Uptown Records, a label that once housed Jodeci, Guy, and Monifah. Just as Anthony was getting his turn at fame, the label folded, leaving the crooner stagnant.

Hamilton never lost sight of his path as he sung background for D’Angelo’s “Voodoo” Tour and appeared on Xzibit and Eve’s albums as a featured artist. With hard work, he started to gain momentum in his career with his Nappy Roots’ collaboration “Po’ Folks” which landed him his very first Grammy nomination.

If you’re a huge fan of his past projects like Coming From Where I’m From, Soul Life, and Ain’t Nobody Worryin’, then the six Grammy nominated artist has another treat for you. Out with a brand new single featuring David Banner, “Cool”, Hamilton is giving his fans what they all have been waiting for.

Setting the platform for another joyous ride through the storyteller’s soul is Hamilton’s newest project slated for a December 2^nd release called The Point Of It All. Although the project is in its final stages, his collaboration with songwriters and producers like Mark Batson (“Coming From Where I’m from” and “Charlene”) and Jack Splash (Alicia Keys’ “Teenage Love Affair” and Jazmine Sullivan’s “Need U Bad”) The Point Of It All is destined to bring in the holiday with absolute pleasure.

AllHipHop.com Alternatives: You released a couple of albums in your career so far and I know it can be exhausting when releasing a new album and releasing a new single. What does that do for you as an artist?

Anthony Hamilton: Well, you have the anticipation of getting it out and getting it to the people and making sure it’s the same quality work as it was before or even better, but you have your times when it is difficult. You record a million songs and you fall in love with most of them, and you don’t want to leave anything out or leave anybody out. It has its good and bad, but for the most part it’s beautiful. You have another chance to show another side of yourself.

AHHA: You had some struggles in the past with Uptown Records and you survived so far. How does that make you feel about your career right now? Are you where you want to be?

Anthony Hamilton: I feel like I’m where I am supposed to be. Even with the bad record deals—I’m not even considering it a bad record deal. It’s just the timing, the mistiming. Actually, everything is designed how it is supposed to be, to be honest with you, and I’m a firm believer of that. I feel like it has allowed me to grow musically and has positioned me in a place to where now I feel like, “Okay, I can make it through it.”

If anything goes wrong or if anything seems to be a little shaky, I know how to have patience and work through it and work around it, so I won’t get so flustered. It’s definitely made me more appreciative with where I am and what I have and I know nobody gave me anything. It was just hard work and divine timing that allowed me to get where I am at, so I can feel good about being dedicated to something for so long and really loving what it is I’m doing. And then I see it pays off.

AHHA: You’ve co-written some songs in the past, so have you been diligently doing that now?

Anthony Hamilton: Actually yes, I have a song that I co-wrote. [It’s] with Jeezy called “Everything.” I co-wrote two songs for Al Green and I have a duet with Al Green on this new [album]. I co-wrote on “Lay It Down.” I had co-written with T-Pain, Musiq, and Raheem DeVaughn on this one song called “Reality Show.” I don’t think they are going to use it, but I still did the work.

AHHA: Speaking of Al Green, I know you sang “I’m So Tired Of Being Alone” on the BET awards. You did justice to that song. Sometimes singers touch a song like that and don’t do justice to it at all. Did Al Green tell you his thoughts about your performance?

Anthony Hamilton: I was in the studio with him and he just appreciates what I’ve been doing and what I’m bringing to the table. He knows that I’m a big, big fan of his and I’ve learned a lot just listening and watching him. He just told me I did a great job. He loved it. He was dancing and singing along. We just had a great time. He really appreciated it.

AHHA: You recently performed with Lalah Hathaway and Angie Stone. What was it like being on stage with them?

Anthony Hamilton: Me and Angie did a whole tour together called “Silk & Sandpaper” Tour. Of course I’m sandpaper because of the scratchy voice and she has the silky voice. It was a successful tour, it was really amazing. Lalah Hathaway, I think we shared the stage somewhere before doing a tribute to her father in Cleveland, Ohio at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

It’s always good to be around your peers, especially with that much talent. I can appreciate what it is they do and they can appreciate me, so we go out and have a good time. I also did a tribute to Bill Withers in Philadelphia about a month ago at the Kimmel Center. It was his first time singing in 20 years. It was pretty much like he’d do it if I’d do it. That’s an honor for someone to really respect a young cat like me who does Soul music and put that much faith in me.

AHHA: In the past you had a popular hit with Jadakiss and now you’re coming out with David Banner with your new single, “Cool.” What do you think it is about you that rappers who have a rough sound gravitate to you for their music?

Anthony Hamilton: They don’t have to pay for sample clearances and I sound just like the old records. [laughs] Actually, my voice mimics those feelings that they heard coming up as a child and that I heard coming up as a child and it’s genuine. They can tell when it’s real. When I’m hitting it, I’m hitting it from a place not about being commercial, not about being seen or heard, but it’s about being felt. And that’s what some of those records need and I give that unapologetically.

AHHA: You and Nappy Roots have a good relationship as well when it comes to music. What is it like working with Nappy Roots?

Anthony Hamilton: I think the country chemistry, [similar] personalities, and the kinship kind of blends well. We have the same common goal. We have to be good and do well in music, and just enjoy life.

AHHA: What other collaborations did you do for your album?

Anthony Hamilton: Actually, I’m still in the process of finishing it up. I don’t know as of yet who will it be. We’ve thrown names around such as Mary, Robin Thicke, Jennifer Hudson, everything from Kanye to David Banner, Ashes Clay, who’s the original writer on “Cool.”

AHHA: What do you want your listeners to get out of your records, especially The Point Of It All that’s coming out in December?

Anthony Hamilton: I want them to feel like, Man, out of all the records they didn’t want to buy that this one is definitely well worth it, that it means something and makes a difference in their life, and when they’re riding they are listening to them. I want them to feel like nothing else matters. Not the bills, not the gas prices, none of that stuff matters. I feel good right now and I feel like I can make it through anything.

AHHA: Tell us what the title of your album, The Point Of It All, means to you.

Anthony Hamilton: I think the The Point Of It All is the set up to figure out why you do what you do. Why you react, why you grow, why you cut your hair, why you shave, why you allow yourself to fall in love, to fall out of love, why do you protest, why do you vote, anything!

The reason we do what we do is to find love at some point in our life and I think it’s all about love. The ultimate reason we do what we do is because we love somebody, you’re in love with something, or you’re searching for love, or you’re madly in love. It’s all for love.

AHHA: You’ve worked with so many artists already, but if you had a choice who would you work with?

Anthony Hamilton: Oh man! I think I would love to get in with Mary J. Blige. I think we can do something really special. I think Prince and I could do something amazing. I would do something with the Rolling Stones. Prince, Rolling Stones, Mary J. [Blige], and Bill Withers.

AHHA: Your album, The Point Of It All, comes out December 2, 2008. Should we expect any performances?

Anthony Hamilton: Yes, I’m going on a promotional tour right after we vote. It’s on November 5^th, I start out. It’s six weeks straight hitting it and quitting it. I’m getting a band and all that stuff together right now.