For singer/songwriter Pierre Anthony music was always a perfect escape. Growing in the rough Brightmoor area of Detroit, he was surrounded by violence and crime. Yet, he still managed to attend and graduated from Detroit School of the Arts where he was a standout vocalist. His talent even earned him a partial scholarship. But, his dreams were deferred when he was convicted of a felony while trying to hustle for the rest of money he needed to attend school. Yet, Pierre Anthony refused to accept that a return to prison would ever be his fate. “I’m labeled a black felon and that’s it,” he explains, “Companies don’t want to hire people like me. Thank God I’m able to make a living off my talent…because I’m never going back to the streets.” Instead, on his debut album, Pierre Anthony pours his heart, mind, and soul into his music. Inspired by Dave Hollister, Andre 3000, James Brown and Green Day—Pierre Anthony presents a deep, inspiring and intriguing collection of songs on To Know Me. The album is less of a romantic R&B album than a creative offering of emotion. It’s timely, topical, and still catchy. Yet, the subject matter also speaks to wide audience. “I went where the beat took me,” Anthony says, “This album is sort of a vibe, a jam session that became a full project.” On “40 Acres,” he crafts a perfect anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement by confronting police violence head on. “As we coasting down this avenue/I’m seeing bright lights/I’m fearing for my life/the policeman is killing us/literally killing us/and you telling me to get over it. That’ll be the day/the day that I/see my 40 acres and a mule.” On “Constellation” he sings to a dream girl, “she says she’s never been to outer space before/well I’m a star and on my way/so get on board.” To Know Me is Pierre Anthony’s first solo effort after a video of him making music for middle schoolers went viral on YouTube. The video shows him singing his song, “You Don’t Love Me Like You Say You Do,” while creating the beat with just his hands a pencil and a lighter. The viral video garnered millions of views and presenting him to a global audience. “You Don’t Love Me Like You Say You Do,” will be Pierre’s first single. “I have had some experiences that I can’t forget and put them all into this music.
By: Bibathediva
