Blair grew up in rural Clarks Town in the northwestern parish of Trelawny. 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, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, 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 Rastafarian 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.
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 rather than so-called "gyal chunes." He hooked up 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 many different producers but found that none of them fit his style of music. Finally, Anthony B teamed up with Richard "Bello" Bell, creating hits such as Fire Pon Rome, Raid Di Barn, Rumour, and Repentance Time. Anthony B's 1996 debut album Real Revolutionary was highly acclaimed in the reggae community. In late 1997, Anthony B released Universal Struggle which showed that Anthony B had a consistent, high-calibre talent. Anthony B has released a large number of albums since that time including 1999's Seven Seals and 2004's Untouchable which featured collaborations with artists including Wyclef Jean.
Anthony B tours extensively in Europe and North America and is known for his fiery, high-energy performances.
Anthony B is a member of the Bobo Ashanti branch of the Rastafarian 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) which Anthony B holds are reflected in his songs.
Discography
* Predator & Prey (1996, Alpha Enterprises)
* Real Revolutionary / So Many Things (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)
* Reggae Max (2002, Jet Star)
* Street Knowledge (2003, Nocturne)
* 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)
* Power Of Creation (2004, Nocturne)
* Black Star (2005, Greensleeves)
* My Hope (2005, AL.TA.FA.AN. / Minor 7 Flat 5)
Be Wise
Anthony B Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ITS ANTHONY B AND LUKIE D
The facts of life
coming straight at you, brother man
Be wiseeee
Be wiseeee
claim you dont see when its infant to rise
Be wiseeee
soon you gonna get the elemental surprise
Be wiseeee
wiseeeeeeeeee
Earthquake and storm
come blow us down
you made it so
when you mess around
even though you fail
you try again
on the play ground
you and your friends
some things in life
best leave it aloneee
trying to pull me under his
but you run, your aroun'
great mysteries, stories unknown
jah made it so
He made it so
why start man a deal with
pover struggle and them foolish des we no agree with
that we a deal with
teaching to my frien
and a di woman da we sleep with
at time fi we wise upknown
righta a san ya know when u 'ise upknown
tired an di ballin and di popopo
and di politics war between po an' sho
set upon di hand soo
set upon di mess
a leave des a only on a run dem succes
na spen' no time pon a balla dem res'
no workfloo to kill all di burnin' aress
look how much hurt wi av
look how much time
them no be attention to look no way a gwaan
poverty arise starvation turn on
na way bi for one great to come
The morning stars
fishes in the sea
he made them all
for you and me
when you pull out the air
that we breathe
how will we live
how will we live
Be wiseeee
Stop polluting the earth and skies
Be wiseeee
claim you dont see when its infant to rise
Be wiseeee
soon you gonna get the elemental surprise
Be wiseeee
wiseeeeeeeeee
why start man a deal with
pover struggle and them foolish des we no agree with
that we a deal with
teaching to my frien
and a di woman we sleep with
at time fi we wise upknown
righta a san ya know when u 'ise upknown
tired an di ballin and di popopo
and di politics war between po an' sho
some things in life
best leave it aloneee
trying to pull me under his
but you run, your aroun'
great mysteries, stories unknown
jah made it so
He made it so
Be wiseeee
Stop polluting the earth and skies
Be wiseeee
claim you dont see when its infant to rise
Be wiseeee
soon you gonna get the elemental surprise
Be wiseeee
wiseeeeeeeeee
The song "Be Wise" by Anthony B and Lukie D is a call for people to be wise in their actions, especially when it comes to the environment. It starts with a warning that the facts of life are coming straight at the listener, urging them to be wise and stop polluting the earth and skies. The song emphasizes that we shouldn't ignore the signs of impending disasters, even if they are just in their infancy, because soon we will face the elemental surprise. The lyrics suggest that the cause of natural disasters like earthquakes and storms is due to human destruction of the environment, and even if we fail to protect it, we should continue trying to make a change.
The song also touches on social issues such as poverty, struggles, and political conflict. The artists argue that we should let go of foolish desires and stop dealing with poverty and struggles. Instead, we should educate ourselves and those around us, and work towards success without harming others. The lyrics suggest that those who focus on material possessions and power will miss out on the greater good that can come from helping others.
Overall, "Be Wise" is a powerful message to the listener to think beyond personal gain and look to positively impact the world.
Line by Line Meaning
The facts of life
coming straight at you, brother man
We're about to talk about the realities of life, my friend
Be wiseeee
Stop polluting the earth and skies
You should be smart and stop damaging our planet
Be wiseeee
claim you dont see when its infant to rise
Don't act like you don't see the problems that are only going to get worse
Be wiseeee
soon you gonna get the elemental surprise
If you don't wise up, you'll face the consequences of your actions
Earthquake and storm
come blow us down
you made it so
when you mess around
Natural disasters happen because of our own actions
even though you fail
you try again
on the play ground
you and your friends
Even if you mess up, keep trying with your friends
some things in life
best leave it aloneee
There are some things in life that are better to not get involved in
trying to pull me under his
but you run, your aroun'
great mysteries, stories unknown
jah made it so
He made it so
You shouldn't let others drag you down, there are many things in life that we may never know that God has already planned
why start man a deal with
pover struggle and them foolish des we no agree with
that we a deal with
teaching to my frien
and a di woman da we sleep with
Why do we even bother with things that we don't agree with and even teach them to our friends and partners?
at time fi we wise upknown
righta a san ya know when u 'ise upknown
tired an di ballin and di popopo
and di politics war between po an' sho
It's time for us to wise up and recognize what's really important instead of getting caught up in politics and material things
set upon di hand soo
set upon di mess
a leave des a only on a run dem succes
na spen' no time pon a balla dem res'
no workfloo to kill all di burnin' aress
Focus on making positive changes and success, don't waste time on negative people or things that only lead to trouble
look how much hurt wi av
look how much time
them no be attention to look no way a gwaan
poverty arise starvation turn on
na way bi for one great to come
We need to pay attention to the suffering and poverty around us and work towards a better future
The morning stars
fishes in the sea
he made them all
for you and me
when you pull out the air
that we breathe
how will we live
how will we live
God created everything for us, but if we destroy the air we need to breath, we won't be able to survive
Contributed by Camden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kevin
on Waan Back
Wrong lyrics...c'mon,post genuine lyrics