Hamilton's second book, Sugar Hill, examines the double-edged sword of assimilation facing upwardly mobile Latinos.

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After signing with Sugar Hill Records in 1997, he released his debut solo album Aloha From Nashville, which paved the path for his solo success in years to come.

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But it has one advantage over all the other lines: It's the quickest way to Harlem and the district of majestic mansions where Harlem's royalty once reigned, called Sugar Hill.

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