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Anthony B is the stage name of Keith Blair (born March 31, 1976, Clark's Town, Trelawny, Jamaica), a Jamaican 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'".
Blair grew up in rural Clark's Town in the northwestern parish of Trelawny in Jamaica.
Anthony B
Biography -
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.