Anye Elite
Encyclopedia
Anye Elite aka Anye Ellis, is an American
singer-songwriter
and LGBT
activist. He is best known for his contributions to Atlanta
, Georgia
’s gay community.
father, Bruce Jonathan Perry. Growing up Elite had little contact with his father. His mother’s drug abuse led Philadelphia’s department of human services to place him into the custody of his maternal grandfather, Cornelius Ellis. Elite began singing and community organizing relatively early in his life, ages 7 and 16 respectively. On 31 August 1993, Elite’s seventh birthday, his grandfather purchased his first cassette tape, Mariah Carey
’s Music Box. During a chaotic childhood Elite found strength in the lyric’s message of perseverance. Inspired by Carey’s voice and songwriting abilities, Elite began writing and singing his own music. At sixteen, and in high school, he became Mainland High School
’s first openly
gay
homecoming
king and around the same time began working with regional community improvement campaigns.
in south Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until relocating to the southern United States where he continued performing and writing. In 2004, Elite began singing in central Florida
nightclubs. The Other Place, The Groove, and Zeba are all Daytona area clubs that Elite frequently played. He has also featured at Orlando
’s Parliament House. In late 2006, Elite relocated to Atlanta, Georgia and began working on his debut album GAY 101. Due to a promotional tour of the black gay pride circuit that included Boston's New England
Black Gay Pride, Houston
Splash, and Jacksonville
Black Pride. With the death of his grandfather, GAY 101’s production was delayed, Elite, however, gained exposure with underground releases, "Everytime We Make Love" (2006), "What You’ve Been Missing" (2007), and "They Love It" (2008).
On 27 February 2008, "Just In Case", a song about the effects of violence and homophobia
on gay, black Americans, was released with a corresponding video. The song was inspired by three recent hate crimes. Simmie Williams, Jr., a 17 year-old gay
male gunned down in Broward County
, Florida
, United States
on 22 February 2008.
Michael Sandy
, a 28 year-old gay male hit by a car after trying to outrun his attackers in Plumb Beach, an area of Brooklyn, New York
. Lawrence King
, a 15 year-old student of E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard
, California
who was shot by another student, Brandon McInerney, because King asked McInerney to be his valentine. This song has become an anthem in Atlanta’s gay scene. Elite has performed "Just In Case" at various events and venues including Atlanta nightclub, Sugarhill, Atlanta’s queer music festival, Mondo Homo, and House of Integritea. Elite has also performed with black gay music pioneer, Tim’m West
. His with Tim’m have received critical acclaim.
On September 4, 2009 Anye Elite debuted his latest single "I Got Him" at Atlanta's Gay Black Pride, the largest event of its kind in the world. The song was generally received positively. On February 2, 2010 Anye released his first full length project titled "Sneak Preview".
’s Relay for Life
in Miami
, Florida. After witnessing the epidemic of new HIV
infections in the Miami-Dade
area, Elite started working with the University of Miami
’s Future Leaders of the World (F.L.O.W.) program. There, he toured the area educating youth about the dangers of unsafe sex in a performance art
piece he helped create. In October 2006, Logo
’s hit show, Noah’s Arc
, inspired him to influence unity and progress in the black, gay community. He decided to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia, an area considered by many to be the black, gay Mecca. Elite has volunteered at AID Atlanta, the largest AIDS service organization in the southeastern United States, in programs such as The Deeper Love Project and Evolution Project.
In February 2007, Elite helped organized, Phyre, Atlanta’s first weeklong celebration of black gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender history. Phyre includes the controversial, Question homoPhobia media campaign. Elite was a spokesmodel for the campaign and was featured in a February 2007 edition of Atlanta’s gay publication, Southern Voice, where he outlined the importance of the arts and their relationship to social equality. In the spring 2007 edition of Clik magazine, Elite shared his coming out experience as an inspiration for people who are struggling with their sexuality. Elite’s maternal grandfather shared his take on the experience as a way to support those coming to terms with the coming out of a family member. Presently, Elite continues to work with the community to foster education and to empower gay people to live independent and fulfilling lives. His most recent work has included aiding in finding and establishing quality care for GLBT youth.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
activist. He is best known for his contributions to Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
’s gay community.
Early life
Elite was born to an African-American mother, Robin Monique Ellis, and an Afro-DominicanDominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
father, Bruce Jonathan Perry. Growing up Elite had little contact with his father. His mother’s drug abuse led Philadelphia’s department of human services to place him into the custody of his maternal grandfather, Cornelius Ellis. Elite began singing and community organizing relatively early in his life, ages 7 and 16 respectively. On 31 August 1993, Elite’s seventh birthday, his grandfather purchased his first cassette tape, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
’s Music Box. During a chaotic childhood Elite found strength in the lyric’s message of perseverance. Inspired by Carey’s voice and songwriting abilities, Elite began writing and singing his own music. At sixteen, and in high school, he became Mainland High School
Mainland High School
Mainland High School is a public high school located in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is attended by 1,979 students of grades nine through twelve. The mascot is a Buccaneer and strongly resembles the old logo of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Daytona Public School:...
’s first openly
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
king and around the same time began working with regional community improvement campaigns.
Music career
In 2003, Elite started his student career at Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing ArtsPhiladelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts
The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts is a magnet school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Students major in one of six areas: Creative Writing, Instrumental Music, Visual Arts, Theater, Dance, and Vocal Music...
in south Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until relocating to the southern United States where he continued performing and writing. In 2004, Elite began singing in central Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
nightclubs. The Other Place, The Groove, and Zeba are all Daytona area clubs that Elite frequently played. He has also featured at Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
’s Parliament House. In late 2006, Elite relocated to Atlanta, Georgia and began working on his debut album GAY 101. Due to a promotional tour of the black gay pride circuit that included Boston's New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Black Gay Pride, Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
Splash, and Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
Black Pride. With the death of his grandfather, GAY 101’s production was delayed, Elite, however, gained exposure with underground releases, "Everytime We Make Love" (2006), "What You’ve Been Missing" (2007), and "They Love It" (2008).
On 27 February 2008, "Just In Case", a song about the effects of violence and homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
on gay, black Americans, was released with a corresponding video. The song was inspired by three recent hate crimes. Simmie Williams, Jr., a 17 year-old gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
male gunned down in Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 22 February 2008.
Michael Sandy
Michael Sandy
Michael Sandy was an African-American man from Brooklyn, New York, who died after being hit by a car while trying to escape four attackers who attempted to rob him because he was gay.- Background :...
, a 28 year-old gay male hit by a car after trying to outrun his attackers in Plumb Beach, an area of Brooklyn, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Lawrence King
E.O. Green School shooting
The E.O. Green School shooting was the February 12, 2008, killing of Lawrence "Larry" Fobes King who was a 15-year-old gay student at E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard, California, United States...
, a 15 year-old student of E.O. Green Junior High School in Oxnard
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
who was shot by another student, Brandon McInerney, because King asked McInerney to be his valentine. This song has become an anthem in Atlanta’s gay scene. Elite has performed "Just In Case" at various events and venues including Atlanta nightclub, Sugarhill, Atlanta’s queer music festival, Mondo Homo, and House of Integritea. Elite has also performed with black gay music pioneer, Tim’m West
Deep Dickollective
Deep Dickollective was a black and queer hiphop group based in Oakland, California that helped launch the homohop genre of openly queer/LGBT artists including the PeaceOUT World Homo Hop Festival.-History:...
. His with Tim’m have received critical acclaim.
On September 4, 2009 Anye Elite debuted his latest single "I Got Him" at Atlanta's Gay Black Pride, the largest event of its kind in the world. The song was generally received positively. On February 2, 2010 Anye released his first full length project titled "Sneak Preview".
Community activism
In early 2006, Elite began his role as an activist by lending his talents to community initiatives including the American Cancer SocietyAmerican Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
’s Relay for Life
Relay For Life
Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Florida. After witnessing the epidemic of new HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
infections in the Miami-Dade
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
area, Elite started working with the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
’s Future Leaders of the World (F.L.O.W.) program. There, he toured the area educating youth about the dangers of unsafe sex in a performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
piece he helped create. In October 2006, Logo
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
’s hit show, Noah’s Arc
Noah's Arc (TV series)
Noah's Arc is an American cable television dramedy. The series, which predominantly features gay black and Latino characters, focused on many socially relevant issues, including same sex dating, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenthood, HIV and AIDS awareness, infidelity, promiscuity, homophobia, gay...
, inspired him to influence unity and progress in the black, gay community. He decided to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia, an area considered by many to be the black, gay Mecca. Elite has volunteered at AID Atlanta, the largest AIDS service organization in the southeastern United States, in programs such as The Deeper Love Project and Evolution Project.
In February 2007, Elite helped organized, Phyre, Atlanta’s first weeklong celebration of black gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender history. Phyre includes the controversial, Question homoPhobia media campaign. Elite was a spokesmodel for the campaign and was featured in a February 2007 edition of Atlanta’s gay publication, Southern Voice, where he outlined the importance of the arts and their relationship to social equality. In the spring 2007 edition of Clik magazine, Elite shared his coming out experience as an inspiration for people who are struggling with their sexuality. Elite’s maternal grandfather shared his take on the experience as a way to support those coming to terms with the coming out of a family member. Presently, Elite continues to work with the community to foster education and to empower gay people to live independent and fulfilling lives. His most recent work has included aiding in finding and establishing quality care for GLBT youth.
Singles
- “Everytime We Make Love” (2006)
- "What You’ve Been Missing" (2007)
- "Try To Understand" (2007)
- "Thank You For Tonight" (2007)
- "They Love It" (2008)
- "Just In Case" (2008)
- "I Got Him" (2009)