Anthony B
Encyclopedia
Anthony B is the stage name
of Keith Blair (born March 31, 1976, Clark's Town
, Trelawny
, Jamaica
), a Jamaica
n musician
and member of the Rastafari movement
.
Talking of his faith and music, Anthony B commented, "When we say 'burn fire' we don't mean take a match and light somebody, we are saying 'get rid of these things that are no good for humanity'".
of Trelawny in Jamaica. His deeply religious family life (his mother was a Seventh-day Adventist
and his grandmother a Revivalist) imbued him with a profound spirituality. During his youth, his favorite singers were reggae
legends Bob Marley
and Peter Tosh
, musicians who strongly influenced his own style. Peter Tosh's influence can definitely be heard in Anthony B's vocal delivery and revolutionary stance.
Anthony B adopted Rastafari movement
beliefs as a teenager, a decision which was not well-received by his family. The stubborn and determined Anthony B refused to give up his new religion and his dreadlocks
and moved to the home of his aunt and uncle in the Kingston
suburb, Portmore. He is a member of the Bobo Ashanti
branch of the movement. "Bobo Dreads", as they are known, are recognizable by their long robes and turbans. The strong Afrocentric
pride and the other Rastafarian beliefs (or "overstandings" as Rastafarians prefer to call them) are reflected in his songs.
While attending high school, Anthony B debuted as a deejay
for the local sound system, Shaggy Hi-Power. In 1988, he befriended reggae artists such as Determine
, Mega Banton
, Ricky General and Terror Fabulous
.
At this point in the reggae industry, singing "slack" songs about women was the popular thing to do. Anthony B did not believe in degrading women and chose to pen politically-slanted songs instead. He collaborated with Little Devon and made his debut single "The Living is Hard" on the Wizard label in 1993. Anthony B tried many different producers
before joining with Richard Bell
, creating hits such as "Fire Pon Rome", "Raid Di Barn", "Rumour", and "Repentance Time". Anthony B's 1996 debut album entitled Real Revolutionary in the UK
and So Many Things in the US
was highly acclaimed in the reggae community. In late 1997, Anthony B released Universal Struggle, followed by a large number of albums since including 1999's Seven Seals, 2003's Street Knowledge, 2004's Untouchable which featured collaborations with artists including Wyclef Jean
, Snoop Dogg
& Bone Crusher
, 2005's Black Star plus My Hope, and more recently, Life Over Death (2008).
Anthony B tours extensively in Europe and North America.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of Keith Blair (born March 31, 1976, Clark's Town
Clark's Town, Jamaica
Clark's Town is a settlement in Jamaica....
, Trelawny
Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
Trelawny is a parish in Cornwall County in northwest Jamaica. Its capital is Falmouth. It is bordered by the parishes of Saint Ann in the east, Saint James in the west, and Saint Elizabeth and Manchester in the south.-History:...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
), a Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and member of the Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
.
Talking of his faith and music, Anthony B commented, "When we say 'burn fire' we don't mean take a match and light somebody, we are saying 'get rid of these things that are no good for humanity'".
Early life
Blair grew up in rural Clark's Town in the northwestern parishParishes of Jamaica
Administratively, Jamaica is divided into fourteen parishes. They are grouped into three historic counties, which have no administrative relevance :...
of Trelawny in Jamaica. His deeply religious family life (his mother was a Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
and his grandmother a Revivalist) imbued him with a profound spirituality. During his youth, his favorite singers were reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
legends Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
and Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh , was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers , and who afterward had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, an illegitimate child to a mother too young...
, musicians who strongly influenced his own style. Peter Tosh's influence can definitely be heard in Anthony B's vocal delivery and revolutionary stance.
Anthony B adopted Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
beliefs as a teenager, a decision which was not well-received by his family. The stubborn and determined Anthony B refused to give up his new religion and his dreadlocks
Dreadlocks
Dreadlocks, also called locks, a ras, dreads, "rasta" or Jata , are matted coils of hair. Dreadlocks are usually intentionally formed; because of the variety of different hair textures, various methods are used to encourage the formation of locks such as backcombing...
and moved to the home of his aunt and uncle in the Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
suburb, Portmore. He is a member of the Bobo Ashanti
Mansions of Rastafari
Mansions of Rastafari are branches of the Rastafari movement. Mansions include the Bobo Shanti, the Niyabinghi, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and others. The term is taken from the Biblical verse in John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many mansions."-Bobo Shanti:Prince Emanuel Charles Edwards...
branch of the movement. "Bobo Dreads", as they are known, are recognizable by their long robes and turbans. The strong Afrocentric
Afrocentrism
Afrocentrism is cultural ideology mostly limited to the United States, dedicated to the history of Black people a response to global racist attitudes about African people and their historical contributions by revisiting this history with an African cultural and ideological center...
pride and the other Rastafarian beliefs (or "overstandings" as Rastafarians prefer to call them) are reflected in his songs.
Career
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
for the local sound system, Shaggy Hi-Power. In 1988, he befriended reggae artists such as Determine
Determine
Determine , was a multiple stakes winning American Thoroughbred race horse. By Alibhai . Determine's dam was Koubis, born with a cleft palate. Her breeder, Dr...
, Mega Banton
Mega Banton
Mega Banton is a Jamaican dancehall deejay who came to prominence in the early 1990s.-Biography:Williams was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1973...
, Ricky General and Terror Fabulous
Terror Fabulous
Cecil Campbell , better known as Terror Fabulous is a Jamaican dancehall deejay, who had success in the 1990s.-Biography:Campbell was introduced to producer Dave Kelly after completing a course in electrical engineering. His recording career began in the early 1990s, with singles such as "Gwaney...
.
At this point in the reggae industry, singing "slack" songs about women was the popular thing to do. Anthony B did not believe in degrading women and chose to pen politically-slanted songs instead. He collaborated with Little Devon and made his debut single "The Living is Hard" on the Wizard label in 1993. Anthony B tried many different producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
before joining with Richard Bell
Richard Bell (record producer)
Richard "Bello" Bell is a Jamaican record producer and label-owner who launched the Star Trail label in around 1989 along with Garnet Dalley. He began by producing artists such as Beres Hammond and Hugh Griffith, but had his greatest successes in 1992 with Garnett Silk's "Hello Africa", Yami Bolo's...
, creating hits such as "Fire Pon Rome", "Raid Di Barn", "Rumour", and "Repentance Time". Anthony B's 1996 debut album entitled Real Revolutionary in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and So Many Things in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was highly acclaimed in the reggae community. In late 1997, Anthony B released Universal Struggle, followed by a large number of albums since including 1999's Seven Seals, 2003's Street Knowledge, 2004's Untouchable which featured collaborations with artists including Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
& Bone Crusher
Bone crusher
A bone crusher was a device for crushing animal bones. Bones obtained during slaughter were cleaned, boiled in water and dried for several months. After that, they were suitable for crushing with the special machine into a relatively dry gritty powder which was used as fertilizer.The machine,...
, 2005's Black Star plus My Hope, and more recently, Life Over Death (2008).
Anthony B tours extensively in Europe and North America.
Albums
- Predator & Prey (1996, Alpha Enterprises)
- Real Revolutionary - UK / So Many Things - US (1996, Greensleeves)
- Universal Struggle (1997, VP Records)
- Seven Seals (1999, VP Records)
- That's Life (2001, VP Records)
- More Love (2001, AO ! Records)
- Live On The Battlefield (2002, Jahmin' Records)
- Street Knowledge (2003, VP Records)
- Judgment Time (2003, 2B1 Records)
- Smoke Free (2003, Bogalusa Records)
- Voice Of Jamaica vol. 2 (2003, Nocturne)
- Wise Man Chant (2004, Black Scorpio)
- Justice Fight (2004, Nocturne)
- Untouchable (2004, Togetherness Records)
- Powers Of Creation (2004, Nocturne)
- Black Star (2005, Greensleeves)
- My Hope (2005, AL.TA.FA.AN. / Minor 7 Flat 5)
- Confused Times (2005, Penitentiary)
- Gather and Come (2006 Penitentiary)
- Suffering Man (2006 Tad's Records)
- Higher Meditation (2007 Greensleeves)
- True Rastaman (2008 Penitentiary Records)
- Life Over Death (2008 Trendsetter)
- Rise Up (2009)
- Rasta Love (2011)
Compilations
- Chanting Down Babylon (1997, Power Play); live, with Buju BantonBuju BantonBuju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
- 2 Strong (1998, Star Trail/VP Records); with SizzlaSizzlaSizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla in are de reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his above-average prolificacy...
- Anthony B & Idren (1998, Jamaican Vibes)
- Anthony B & Friends (1998, Rhino Records)
- Nazarene Vow (1999, Records Factory); with Junior Timba
- 3 Wise Men (1999, J&D); with Sizzla and Luciano
- One Mission (1999, J&D); with CapletonCapletonCapleton is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman and The Prophet. His record label is called David House Productions...
- Saddle To The East (2001, Brick Wall); with Jah MasonJah MasonAndre Johnson , better known by his stage name Jah Mason, also known as Iron Mason and Fire Mason, is a reggae singer/deejay from Jamaica, active as a recording artist since 1991.-Biography:...
and Steve Machete - 4 Rebels (2001, VP Records); with Sizzla, Luciano, and Yami BoloYami BoloYami Bolo is a Jamaican reggae singer and performer.-Biography:Rolando Ephraim McLean, better known as Yami Bolo, is a Jamaican reggae singer, musician, artist, and performer. He was born on October 1, 1970 and grew up in Kingston 13...
- The Five Disciples (2001, Penitentiary / Jet Star); with Sizzla, Luciano, Junior KellyJunior KellyJunior Kelly is a reggae singer known for his commitment to the faith of the Rastafari movement and its Bobo Shanti mansion...
, and Capleton - We Three Kings (2001, AO ! Records); with Sizzla
- We Three Kings (2002, Navarre); with Capleton and Luciano
- Four The Hard Way (2002, City Hall); with Capleton, Sizzla, and Luciano
- Kings Of Zion (2002, Jet Star); with Capleton, Sizzla, and Junior Kelly
- Reggae Max (2002, Jet StarJet StarJet Star was a United Kingdom record distribution company that grew out of Pama Records in 1978. It was one of the largest distributors of reggae music, the company themselves claiming the title "the world's largest reggae distributors".-History:Jet Star was formed in 1978 by the Palmer Brothers,...
) - 5 Blazing Fires (2002, Fire Ball); with Admiral Tibbett, Sizzla, Capleton, and Michael Fabulous
- Five Disciples Part II (2003, Jet Star); with Capleton, Luciano, Sizzla, and Jr. Kelly
- Kings Of Zion vol. 3 (2005, Charm); with Capleton, Sizzla, and Turbulence
- Jah Warriors vol. III (2005, Penitentiary); with Luciano
- Encore (2010)
- NYC-2-Africa (2010, Suatomic Sound); with Subatomic Sound SystemSubatomic Sound SystemFounded in 1999, Subatomic Sound System brought together musicians, producers, DJs and visual artists from a variety of backgrounds and traditions primarily based in New York City and Brooklyn to form a record label and collective that built on a combination of new music technology and traditional...
, Nomadic Wax, Jahdan Blakkamoore, and Bajah