Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Anthony Hamilton sits down with Ray Daniels to give his R&B Mount Rushmore, tell the real story of how Jermaine Dupri and Michael Mauldin signed him to So So Def, and explain why chasing hits kills a career. Plus Kanye, D'Angelo, Al Green and the truth about male R&B.
Anthony Hamilton has been running a marathon for 20-plus years. He signed to Uptown/MCA in 1993 with Andre Harrell, bounced through Atlantic, and nearly quit before Isaac Hayes introduced him at Londell McMillan's Grammy brunch. Michael Mauldin pulled him aside that night and called his son Jermaine Dupri. JD then fought L.A. Reid to keep the trucker hat, the beard and the flannel exactly as they were.
He gives his male R&B Mount Rushmore - EJ out of Jacksonville, K-Ci over JoJo, Bill Withers, Al Green and D'Angelo - and his female four: Aretha Franklin, Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan and Gladys Knight, plus Le'Andria. He talks winning a Grammy with Al Green, cutting "Coming From Where I'm From" with Mark Batson, and how he did not want "The Best of Me" on the album at all.
Ray and Anthony also get into Charlotte and the 704, Mark Sparks, Jodeci, Petey Pablo, DaBaby, Kanye's "Bully," Rapsody, Pharrell's Skateboard P branding, church and John P. Kee, autotune and T-Pain, therapy, grits, and the Hulk Hogan lesson every artist needs.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Ray Daniels Welcomes Anthony Hamilton
1:38 Running a Marathon, Not a Sprint: 20 Years of Longevity
3:16 Alicia Keys, 50 Cent and the Power of a Second Chance
4:56 "Slide," the 704 and Being the Face of Southern Soul
5:42 Calvin Richardson, Jermaine Dupri and the So So Def Signing
7:19 Grammy Brunch: Isaac Hayes and Michael Mauldin
8:57 Why Male R&B Can't Be Toxic
10:34 Male R&B Mount Rushmore: EJ, K-Ci, Bill Withers, Al Green
12:11 Winning a Grammy With Al Green and Remembering D'Angelo
13:02 Female Mount Rushmore: Aretha, Fantasia, Jazmine, Gladys
14:35 Making "Coming From Where I'm From" With Mark Batson
15:23 Jermaine Dupri Fought L.A. Reid Over Anthony's Look
17:05 "The Best of Me": the Record He Didn't Want on the Album
20:19 The Wood and Amistad: Characters He Relates To
21:51 Jeezy and Fabolous Rhyming His Name, Plus Kanye's "Bully"
25:05 Out of the Carolinas: Jodeci, Mark Sparks and Uptown MCA
27:27 Nelly, Petey Pablo and Small Towns Rooting Against Their Own
29:50 "You Have to Be Louder": Boosie and Bon Jovi
30:40 Korea, BTS and Artist Development Buildings
32:15 Rappers He Still Wants and Ray's Album Idea
33:49 Is R&B Better or Worse Than 20 Years Ago?
35:27 Invisible Gatekeepers and Singing in Odd Places
38:42 Pharrell "Skateboard P" and the Money in a Nickname
40:19 The Regular Era: Why Larger Than Life Is Over
41:10 Jay Coming at Drake and Nicki, Plus R&B Beefs
42:53 Church, John P. Kee and Those Haunting Hardwood Floors
45:17 Bryan Michael Cox, Johnny Gill and K-Ci & JoJo
47:40 Grits, Salmon Croquettes and His Go-To Meal
50:04 Fans as Content Creators Reigniting Old Records
51:40 Therapy and the Chase Foundation
53:21 Advice for Artists: Pattern the Hits and Learn Melody
54:09 Caviar Today, Cold Grits Tomorrow: the Hulk Hogan Lesson
The Raydar Report is Ray Daniels' weekly breakdown of the music business, hip-hop culture and Atlanta - hosted by a 20-year music executive, not a journalist. New episodes every week.
Like this video? Become a channel member for more content or join our Patreon!
patreon.com/c/RayDanielsPresents
Subscribe on YouTube - bit.ly/RayDanielsYouTube
Watch full episodes of The Raydar Report - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLykiYt2yLGSiC5tGLmI-d4bkbBdgyytD4
Follow:
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Anthony Hamilton sits down with Ray Daniels to give his R&B Mount Rushmore, tell the real story of how Jermaine Dupri and Michael Mauldin signed him to So So Def, and explain why chasing hits kills a career. Plus Kanye, D'Angelo, Al Green and the truth about male R&B.
Anthony Hamilton has been running a marathon for 20-plus years. He signed to Uptown/MCA in 1993 with Andre Harrell, bounced through Atlantic, and nearly quit before Isaac Hayes introduced him at Londell McMillan's Grammy brunch. Michael Mauldin pulled him aside that night and called his son Jermaine Dupri. JD then fought L.A. Reid to keep the trucker hat, the beard and the flannel exactly as they were.
He gives his male R&B Mount Rushmore - EJ out of Jacksonville, K-Ci over JoJo, Bill Withers, Al Green and D'Angelo - and his female four: Aretha Franklin, Fantasia, Jazmine Sullivan and Gladys Knight, plus Le'Andria. He talks winning a Grammy with Al Green, cutting "Coming From Where I'm From" with Mark Batson, and how he did not want "The Best of Me" on the album at all.
Ray and Anthony also get into Charlotte and the 704, Mark Sparks, Jodeci, Petey Pablo, DaBaby, Kanye's "Bully," Rapsody, Pharrell's Skateboard P branding, church and John P. Kee, autotune and T-Pain, therapy, grits, and the Hulk Hogan lesson every artist needs.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Ray Daniels Welcomes Anthony Hamilton
1:38 Running a Marathon, Not a Sprint: 20 Years of Longevity
3:16 Alicia Keys, 50 Cent and the Power of a Second Chance
4:56 "Slide," the 704 and Being the Face of Southern Soul
5:42 Calvin Richardson, Jermaine Dupri and the So So Def Signing
7:19 Grammy Brunch: Isaac Hayes and Michael Mauldin
8:57 Why Male R&B Can't Be Toxic
10:34 Male R&B Mount Rushmore: EJ, K-Ci, Bill Withers, Al Green
12:11 Winning a Grammy With Al Green and Remembering D'Angelo
13:02 Female Mount Rushmore: Aretha, Fantasia, Jazmine, Gladys
14:35 Making "Coming From Where I'm From" With Mark Batson
15:23 Jermaine Dupri Fought L.A. Reid Over Anthony's Look
17:05 "The Best of Me": the Record He Didn't Want on the Album
20:19 The Wood and Amistad: Characters He Relates To
21:51 Jeezy and Fabolous Rhyming His Name, Plus Kanye's "Bully"
25:05 Out of the Carolinas: Jodeci, Mark Sparks and Uptown MCA
27:27 Nelly, Petey Pablo and Small Towns Rooting Against Their Own
29:50 "You Have to Be Louder": Boosie and Bon Jovi
30:40 Korea, BTS and Artist Development Buildings
32:15 Rappers He Still Wants and Ray's Album Idea
33:49 Is R&B Better or Worse Than 20 Years Ago?
35:27 Invisible Gatekeepers and Singing in Odd Places
38:42 Pharrell "Skateboard P" and the Money in a Nickname
40:19 The Regular Era: Why Larger Than Life Is Over
41:10 Jay Coming at Drake and Nicki, Plus R&B Beefs
42:53 Church, John P. Kee and Those Haunting Hardwood Floors
45:17 Bryan Michael Cox, Johnny Gill and K-Ci & JoJo
47:40 Grits, Salmon Croquettes and His Go-To Meal
50:04 Fans as Content Creators Reigniting Old Records
51:40 Therapy and the Chase Foundation
53:21 Advice for Artists: Pattern the Hits and Learn Melody
54:09 Caviar Today, Cold Grits Tomorrow: the Hulk Hogan Lesson
The Raydar Report is Ray Daniels' weekly breakdown of the music business, hip-hop culture and Atlanta - hosted by a 20-year music executive, not a journalist. New episodes every week.
Like this video? Become a channel member for more content or join our Patreon!
patreon.com/c/RayDanielsPresents
Subscribe on YouTube - bit.ly/RayDanielsYouTube
Watch full episodes of The Raydar Report - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLykiYt2yLGSiC5tGLmI-d4bkbBdgyytD4
Follow:
Instagram - instagram.com/raydaniels
Twitter - twitter.com/raydaniels
TikTok - tiktok.com/@ray.daniels
#raydaniels
#raydarreport
