’I’ve publicly stated that he’s one of my favorite artists, so I went to work with him,’ MC says of Em-produced track ’I Don’t Care.’
Charles Hamilton debuted his most recent mixtape, Ill Doesn’t Meen Classic, back in July, and it included the track «I Don’t Care,» with a production credit from Eminem. Hamilton tells MTV News that he actually got studio time with Em to produce the single, but the collaboration was part of a «bargaining chip» with Interscope Records.
Charles Hamilton Describes Working With Eminem
«The thing about that track is, it was part of a bargaining chip. The real war came down to Warner Bros. and Interscope,» Hamilton explained. «Jimmy Iovine basically said, ’Do you wanna work with Eminem?’ and I was said, ’Sure.’ [But] I had my poker face on. I’m not gonna go, ’Oh, goodie goodie!’ [But] I get to work with Em. I’ve publicly stated that he’s one of my favorite artists, so I went to work with him. [It was a] very cool situation.»
Instead of simply trading material via email, Hamilton sat down in the studio with the Shady Records CEO to craft the song. «He laid the drum pattern down, I played the instruments, wrote my lyrics, wrote the hook and did a piano solo,» he said, going on to reference the «Wayans Brothers» theme song. «We didn’t sit back like ’We’re brothers! We’re happy and we’re singing and we’re colored!’ We were just cool. We had a very interesting conversation, and in that conversation, I had a decision to make, whether or not I’m going to take the road Em traveled or if I’m going to do my thing.»
After that conversation, Hamilton clearly chose to make his own path («I definitely didn’t take the road Em took»), and when asked if he still keeps in touch with the Detroit legend, things got a little confusing. «There is the id and the superego, the conscious and the subconscious,» he replied. «In the subconscious world, you can speak telepathically. … In the subconscious realm, yes, Em does reach out. In the conscious realm, the last time he reached out and spoke about me was in 2009 on XXL. So once again, it depends.» See his full explanation in the video above.
The Harlem-bred rapper has been providing fans with a steady stream of music since his release from jail in early 2011, but he admitted that he’s faced some harsh criticism since then.
