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)
Respect To Jamaican Dons
Anthony B Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When it nice we say play it twice
Pull up dat! pull up dat!
Rudebwoy business start by jamaican, jamaican, jamaican
Badman business start by jamaican, jamaican, alright, cho!
Verse 1:
Herbs dem a bun dem caan bun it like us
Have place fi run dem caan run it like us
Fun inna di sun dem have nuh sun like us
Lotta money and woman, not like us
Platinum pon yuh two hand, not like us
Hypnotic dem a sip pon, not like us
Hood off yuh car or yuh van, yuh haffi show
Chorus:
Respect to jamaican don dadda
Some bwoy seh dem bad but man badda
Man will slaughter yuh infront yuh modda
Ratta, ratta, ra ta ta ta ta ta!
Respect to jamaican don dadda
Some bwoy seh dem bad but man badda
Man will slaughter yuh infront yuh modda
Ratta, ratta, ra ta ta ta ta ta!
Verse 2:
Hey! jamaican teach dem how fi hardcore
Jamaican teach dem how fi explore
We show dem how fi drive drop top four
If yuh diss jamaican body leff pon floor
Cho! we buss guns, mo′ jeans and clocks booty
Mi learn bout dat from mi a yutie
Original showers and spanglers pon duty
Dem nuh laugh and dem quick joke
Chorus:
Respect to jamaican don dadda
Some bwoy seh dem bad but man badda
Man will slaughter yuh infront yuh modda
Ratta, ratta, ra ta ta ta ta ta!
Respect to jamaican don dadda
Some bwoy seh dem bad but man badda
Man will slaughter yuh infront yuh modda
Ratta, ratta, ra ta ta ta ta ta!
Verse 3:
A jamaican yute buss di hustlin
In di front page numba one inna di jugglin
Run dung ganja place inna di smugglin
Alright what a ting
A we show dem how fi dress and how fi bling
A we show dem how fi ride pon riddim
A we show dem every ghetto man a king
Show dem how fi dance and how fi wine and how fi swing
Alright cho!
Chorus:
Respect to jamaican don dadda
Some bwoy seh dem bad but man badda
Man will slaughter yuh infront yuh modda
Ratta, ratta, ra ta ta ta ta ta!
Respect to jamaican don dadda
Some bwoy seh dem bad but man badda
Man will slaughter yuh infront yuh modda
Ratta, ratta, ra ta ta ta ta ta!
The song "Respect To Jamaican Dons" by Anthony B is a tribute to Jamaica and the influence it has had on the world. The lyrics speak of the pride and toughness of the Jamaican people, both at home and abroad. The use of patois language reflects the cultural pride and the desire to express themselves in their own unique way. The song celebrates the achievements of Jamaicans in music, fashion, and crime.
In the first verse, the lyrics speak of the uniqueness of Jamaica and the things that cannot be replicated. The lines "Herbs dem a bun dem caan bun it like us" and "Fun inna di sun dem have nuh sun like us" highlight the importance of Jamaica's culture in shaping the lifestyle of its people. The second verse speaks of how Jamaicans are responsible for bringing hardcore music, driving top-down cars, and being independent thinkers. The third verse celebrates the Jamaican hustle and the contributions the country has made to the world of fashion.
The chorus, "Respect to Jamaican don dadda, some bwoy seh dem bad but man badda," is a nod to the Jamaican dons, who are notorious for their power and influence in Jamaica's criminal underworld. The song acknowledges that there are many who claim to be bad, but true power and respect come from living an authentic life and staying true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
When it nice we say play it twice
If something is good, we want to hear it again
Pull up dat! pull up dat!
Stop the music and play it again from the beginning
Rudebwoy business start by jamaican, jamaican, jamaican
Jamaicans created the culture of Rudebwoyism
Badman business start by jamaican, jamaican, alright, cho!
Jamaicans started the culture of being bad and dangerous
Herbs dem a bun dem caan bun it like us
We smoke marijuana better than anyone else
Have place fi run dem caan run it like us
We know the best places to run to escape danger
Badman yuh buss di gun dem have nuh gin like us
We are very skilled at handling and firing guns
Fun inna di sun dem have nuh sun like us
We know how to have fun and enjoy ourselves in the sun
Lotta money and woman, not like us
We have more money and women than anyone else
Platinum pon yuh two hand, not like us
We have platinum jewelry that we wear on both hands
Hypnotic dem a sip pon, not like us
We drink Hypnotic, a type of alcoholic beverage, better than anyone else
Hood off yuh car or yuh van, yuh haffi show
We take the hood off our cars or vans and show the engine to show off our vehicles
Respect to jamaican don dadda
We pay tribute to the leaders of the Jamaican culture
Some bwoy seh dem bad but man badda
Some people claim to be bad, but we are truly dangerous
Man will slaughter yuh infront yuh modda
We are capable of killing someone in front of their mother
Ratta, ratta, ra ta ta ta ta ta!
The sound of gunfire
Hey! jamaican teach dem how fi hardcore
We teach others how to be tough and hardcore
Jamaican teach dem how fi explore
We show others how to explore and navigate new territories
We show dem how fi drive drop top four
We teach others how to drive expensive convertible cars
If yuh diss jamaican body leff pon floor
If you disrespect a Jamaican, you will end up dead on the floor
Cho! we buss guns, mo′ jeans and clocks booty
We frequently use guns and wear expensive jewelry and clothing
Mi learn bout dat from mi a yutie
I learned about that when I was young
Original showers and spanglers pon duty
We are always prepared with our weapons and ready to take action
A jamaican yute buss di hustlin
A young Jamaican was the first to start hustling
In di front page numba one inna di jugglin
We are the best at DJing and music mixing
Run dung ganja place inna di smugglin
We know the best places to smuggle and sell marijuana
A we show dem how fi dress and how fi bling
We taught others how to dress stylishly and show off expensive jewelry
A we show dem how fi ride pon riddim
We taught others how to dance to the beat of the music
A we show dem every ghetto man a king
We taught others to respect themselves and take pride in being from the ghetto
Show dem how fi dance and how fi wine and how fi swing
We taught others how to dance, move, and have fun
Writer(s): Keith Anthony Blair, Richard Anthony Browne, Bobby Konders
Contributed by Kylie D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
H R Mannerfrid
I´ve been lookin for this on here for a while. Thanks 4 uploading. Ahhhh memories.
Annie Swalef
song mi like mi seh
Cins Mc'Indu
when it mhaaaaaaaadddddddd play it 2wiiiiiicccceeeeeeeeee !!
H R Mannerfrid
Wiiicked