TEAM RNS PRESENTS

TITLE: Smoke Free

0hr 47min total- 68.1mb

RELEASE DATE: 2003-07-14
RIP DATE: 2003-07-14

13 Champaign (Backyard Mix)       3:52

Anthony B (born Keith Blair) is the
living personification of
Afrikan consciousness in Reggae.  His
single "Nah vote again"
was a major factor in making the
Jamaican elections of
December 18 1997, the most peaceful one
since the insidious
cancer of gun violence was introduced in
West and Central Kingston,
prior to the elections of 1967. Like
his hero, Peter Tosh, the most
revolutionary of the Wailing Wailers, he
is an uncompromising Pan
Afrikanist, in the tradition of Marcus
Mosiah Garvey, Jamaica's first
national hero and the founder and
leader of the largest Afrikan
organization ever, the Universal Negro

and Afrikan Communities League,
U.N.I.A. and A.C.L.

The traditional route of most Afrikan
singers is via the church and
Anthony B is no exception. Growing up
in Clarks Town in the
parish of Trelawny (a parish noted for
the heroic Afrikan freedom
fighters, the Maroons, who defeated the
English military), his
Revivalist grandmother and Seventh Day
Adventist mother, immersed
him in the singing, call and response
and clapping mechanics of rural
Jamaica. In this rural environment
that Afrikan culture is best found
and preserved in Jamaica, not Kingston
nor urban St. Andrew. Like Bob Marley,
Peter Tosh, The Maytals, Justin Hinds &
The Dominoes, Twinkle Brothers,
the Clarendonians and countless other
Jamaican Stars, Anthony B honed
his vocal skills in the church and
school choirs and then entered the

world. His deejaying debut was on the
local sound system Shaggy Hi-Power.
Moving to Portmore in the parish of St.
Catharine in 1988, the musically keen
teen hooked up with other aspiring
teenage deejays, Determine, Mega Banton,
Ricky General and Terror Fabulous on
Lovers Choice Sound. Other Portmore
acts that he knew or flexed with were
Little Devon, Agony Polish, Cobra,

Wayne, Grindsman, Ronnie Thwaites,
Professor Nuts and others. He
steadfastly refused to deejay girl
lyrics when they were ruling the roost
in the early nineties.

Patience is a virtue and good things
come to those who wait. In
combination with Little Devon (the
Half Pint sound-a-like singer)
he made his debut single "The living is
hard" on the Wizard label
in 1993. Anthony B tried King Jammys,
Black Scorpio and other
studio producers after but none saw fit
to help plant musical corn
of the budding genius. Undeterred he was
looking for a break at
Black Scorpio studio one day when
Little Devon introduced him to
Afrocentric producer of Garnett "Mama
Africa" Silk fame, Richard
"Bello" Bell of Star Trail Label fame.
The rest is history or blackstory !

Recordings and releases followed quickly
and his first hit was "Repentance time".
The bigger hits "Fire pon Rome",
"Rumour" and "Raid di barn" followed

pursuit and his landmark debut album
Real Revolutionary was released to

acclaim in 1996. Late 1997 his second
worldwide album "Universal Struggle"
was released and again excellence is
consistent. The album is one of the best

Reggae for 1997 and 1998. Lyrically,
thematically and rhythmically

album encapsulates Afrikan consciousness
and the Peter Tosh-like deliveries and
clarity of vocals are indelibly present

He was the most devastating deejay at
Reggae Summits 1997, at Catherine Hall

Montage Bay, Jamaica - a consummate
performer. Anthony B, indeed another
Reggae king in full musical swing !!
Y father use to make it up as a drink in

Enjoy the new Anthony B album right here

ain't smoke free!!!