Meet Anthony Antoine

The premiere jewel of unsigned and independent artists, Anthony Antoine is taking his music and mission to another level with the release of his groundbreaking CD Closets On Fire. Newark, New Jersey native Anthony Antoine , which is his birth-given first and middle name is delivering a compelling first full-length effort that celebrates themes of unabashed sexuality and empowerment all while encouraging dance to overcome adversity. The result is radio and club ready hits sure to lead to major Billboard success.

On Closets On Fire and the EP supporting the CD, Songs From My Closet , Anthony Antoine tackles a host of issues and boldly promotes experiences often not addressed in popular music. With influences including the songwriting skills of Babyface to the courage and musical activism of Me'Shelle Ndegeocello or Madonna, Anthony 's music has been described as a voice for a silenced community, a substantial record buying community who want to hear songs that reflect the morale and spirit of which they live.

Currently living in Atlanta, Anthony has been producing music now for over ten years and "performing since birth" he laughs and has had time to develop his craft while establishing a personal internal integrity that now reflects within his songs. In the hip-hop era of "keepin' it real" and against scores of new artists that are mere reproductions of other artists, Antoine "keeps it real" like too few artist before him. Anthony Antoine has found his audience by self-producing and distributing his own music without record label dollars and support. The result is an unfiltered truth and innovation of popular music clearly ready for major label distribution and sales.

The self-proclaimed child of eighties music began his industry career after a gutsy move to London, England at the age of seventeen. "I wanted to create a story to tell for my life similar to young Madonna's move to New York." His move, what Anthony considers his "college years", placed him immediately in the heart of London's music scene where Anthony became a top session vocalist. Anthony worked with some of London's best including Paul Hardcastle, producer of the Billboard Top 20 hit "19" and Anthony 's first single, "Swing" by The Deff Boyz featuring Tony Mac: one of Anthony 's pseudonyms derived from players of the European music scene insisting that the American boy with the American accent in London should rap. "Swing" became an international dance club hit charting Top 40 on Billboard's Dance Chart and broke Top 40 on numerous European charts.

Over the next few years, Anthony lived much of his dreams of pop stardom becoming a recognizable artist in Europe releasing two more singles under the pseudonym Truth Anthony: his first, independent ZYX Record's EP release What's Goin' Down , and the jazz influenced, Island Records' single "Under Your Spell" with London based international jazz artist Ronny Jordan. With songs in radio rotation, videos on MTV and a strenuous European tour schedule including opening act for C&C Music Factory, Anthony considers these years of his career as laying the foundation for his home in the music industry today.

After six years in Europe, Anthony returned to the United States where these "college years" in London, and his subsequent graduating with honors from The Art Institute in Dallas, laid the seeds for the artist he is today. The initial capture of Anthony 's new outlook in life and song became most apparent in his fourth and most ambitious effort "Dante's Got A Man Too." Similar to the spirit that energized James Brown, Aretha Franklin and so much music that paralleled the Black Struggle in the 60's, Anthony's fourth release plays like a soundtrack of triumph in the face of his experienced life adversity. That spirit continues with the already released Songs From My Closet and the spring 2004 release of Closets on Fire , Anthony Antoine 's dream CD three years in the making.

Closets On Fire 's opening song "Raise" encourage listeners to grab the freedom that will release oppression in one's life. "The Consequence" asks a deceptive girlfriend what should be the consequence of cheating as he suggests making her body disappear forever as did his hopes and dreams of their now-failed relationship. Anthony's favorite on the CD, "Curiosity and The Hennessey" plays with a lover that uses intoxication, not sexuality as an excuse for habitual sex drive-bys. A highlight of the CD is the throw-back and infectious grove, "I Got The Moves". Anthony recorded this song with his baby's momma and lifetime best friend Dana Lee singing the vocal hook, and their daughter Vogue Ashley doing an impressive guest rap vocal. It's a family affair jam and a testament to the integrity of Anthony Antoine as a man and an artist.

"I'm recording the album that I've always wanted to record: energetic, empowering, emotional and hit songs from start to finish." Anthony Antoine proudly explains this project as "me on CD. I'm using music to tell my story. Everyone, regardless of our differences, will be able to find something that resonates with him or her on this project."

If music is the universal language then this not-so-new artist Anthony Antoine speaks it fluently with Closets On Fire , the innovative CD revealing songs cleverly designed to find its unique space in music history but packaged and promoted in a way that is accessible to today's sophisticated music consumer.