Chris Hamilton鈥檚 latest EP is about struggling and triumphing over drug addiction, a topic the Comox Valley-raised rapper is qualified to tackle as a current outpatient at Nanaimo鈥檚 Edgewood Treatment Centre.

Hamilton, who goes by the stage name Ill Tone, unveiled Up in my Head earlier this month. The six-song EP, recorded and self-engineered at home 鈥� 鈥渨hich I wouldn鈥檛 recommend to any other artists out there because we鈥檙e our own worst critics,鈥� Hamilton said 鈥� is the rapper鈥檚 first release in four years after taking a break from touring and recording due to his chemical dependence.

鈥淚鈥檝e gotten the urge to create again and to get back into the music scene and what a perfect place to do it on Vancouver Island,鈥� he said.

Hamilton鈥檚 been living in Nanaimo for the past year undergoing treatment and he said he 鈥渏ust fell in love with the city,鈥� its outdoors and 鈥渢he strength of the recovery community.鈥� He鈥檒l be staying in Nanaimo as he completes Edgewood鈥檚 outpatient program.

He said he鈥檚 been through some 鈥渄ark stuff鈥� struggling with chemical dependency and depression but has managed to overcome that adversity and 鈥渃ome out on the other side鈥� by creating music and staying connected with his peers in recovery. He said the Up in my Head track Clubs and Drugs discusses the difficulties of trying to be part of the music scene while grappling with addiction and being in recovery.

鈥淚 just wrote from personal experience with things like that,鈥� Hamilton said. 鈥淚t has a darker sound to it but the themes are more about the triumph aspect from my perspective.鈥�

Hamilton said he doesn鈥檛 find it difficult to be open about his experiences in his music. He said treatment and recovery programs encourage sharing and candour, explaining that 鈥渋f we don鈥檛 vocalize our struggles, then it can feel like we are alone.鈥�

鈥淲hat it teaches us to do is to be open about our struggles because if we鈥檙e closed off about them they sit beneath the surface and simmer,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd they can sink us pretty quickly if we don鈥檛 put them out in the open to talk about them and gain validation from others who have struggled from the same things.鈥�

He said he鈥檚 hoping the record can serve a similar function to comfort those living with addiction.

鈥淭o instil people who are struggling with similar issues with hope is certainly a factor there as well,鈥� he said.

Up in my Head is available .

arts@nanaimobulletin.com
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