Embattled rapper Charles Hamilton wanted to end his own life at the height of his mental illness troubles more than three years ago.

The hip-hop star was once a promising new artist, but his psychological struggles stalled his rising career as he battled undiagnosed bipolar disorder and began acting erratically.

Clashes with label bosses at Interscope led to him being dropped in 2009, but instead of telling him directly, he found out he was no longer employed via an article online, and the shock plunged him into a depression.

He reveals, "I just didn't trust anybody. I didn't leave my house, I just made music all the time. I was fighting depression - I shut myself in... I locked myself in my house with the lights out and a turntable turning with no record on it. I was depressed, paranoid and confused."

In 2010, Hamilton checked himself into a mental health facility in New York to help him deal with his issues, but he ran into legal trouble months later when he was arrested for allegedly attacking a police officer in Cleveland, Ohio.

A judge ordered him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine if the case should go to trial, and it was only then that medics pinpointed his bipolar disorder and were able to prescribe him drugs to keep it under control.

The charge was eventually reduced to a misdemeanour, but Hamilton claims the whole label and legal drama took a toll on his mental stability and he was ready to die.

He tells Billboard.com, "I wanted to commit career suicide, physical suicide, spiritual suicide - I didn't care anymore."

He has since managed to land a new deal with Republic Records, thanks to his managers at Turn First Artists, who have worked with Hamilton to make sure he stays on the path to recovery.

He will feature with singer Rita Ora on an upcoming episode of new hip-hop drama series Empire and is expected to release an album later this year (15).