Sobriety isnB次元官网网址檛 a word typically associated with hip hop music. Drugs, alcohol or both tend to be a recurring theme in the music and the lives of the talent that occupy this space.

This is true of Chris Hamilton B次元官网网址� or at least it was true.

B次元官网网址淚 grew up in the Comox Valley and I always used the excuse, B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 from a small town, thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing to do, so this is what I do,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� the 26-year-old says of his past, having started drinking at 10 B次元官网网址� stealing it from his parents B次元官网网址� and smoking pot at 12.

By his mid-teens, heB次元官网网址檇 moved on to ecstasy and cocaine. And in his 20s he was taking B次元官网网址減retty much everything you could think of, short of anything involving needles.B次元官网网址�

Through it all, though, Hamilton wrote music.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been writing lines since I was about 12 years old. It didnB次元官网网址檛 get serious for me until I was about 21 when I moved over to Vancouver,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淪eeing an actual studio (in Vancouver) motivated me to start writing. Writing rhymes became writing songs. I went back to school and learned how to engineer and produce my own music.B次元官网网址�

But drugs and alcohol were still playing an active role in his life.

In January 2012, Hamilton was ready to exorcise his demons, and went to rehab for the second time. (He went once before at age 19, but admits he wasnB次元官网网址檛 ready to quit everything, hence having returned to old habits almost immediately upon release.)

B次元官网网址淟ifeB次元官网网址檚 changed for the better (since rehab),B次元官网网址� he says, now one year sober. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e reestablished a lot of old relationships with friends and family, IB次元官网网址檓 not always broke and complaining about stuff, and itB次元官网网址檚 just a more positive way to live.B次元官网网址�

Hamilton admits he was concerned at first about what impact sobriety would have on his music, but itB次元官网网址檚 been nothing but a positive experience.

B次元官网网址淚 noticed my thought process is a lot quicker. Songs get written a lot quicker, beats happen a lot quicker. And thereB次元官网网址檚 definitely more positivity, for sure,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚t takes a lot of energy to maintain (a drug- and alcohol-fuelled) lifestyle, so being able to channel that energy into music as a creative outlet has been great.B次元官网网址�

Hamilton, a.k.a. Ill Tone, performs March 7 at Lucky Bar. HeB次元官网网址檒l open for Masta Ace on the Western Canadian dates of his cross-country tour. On Feb. 27, Ill ToneB次元官网网址檚 debut album, BringinB次元官网网址� the Hope Back will be released.

The album is some three years in the making, meaning the music is more of a reflection of HamiltonB次元官网网址檚 past life. HeB次元官网网址檚 already working on his next album, which wonB次元官网网址檛 be full of songs written during B次元官网网址渢he depths of all my crap.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲hen a personB次元官网网址檚 in the depths of their addictions, theyB次元官网网址檙e not going to be saying too many positive things,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚 still write the occasional heavy song, because I think about that life that I lived to write about it and get it out in the open. But definitely IB次元官网网址檓 a lot happier B次元官网网址� that will show with my next album.B次元官网网址�

Visit illtonemusic.com.

Tickets ($18) to the adult-only show at Lucky Bar are available at LyleB次元官网网址檚 Place, Ditch Records and TicketWeb.ca