Album Notes

THE MILLENIUM'S FIRST OPENLY GAY, BLACK MALE POP ARTIST
"ASS" The First Single From Anthony Antoine's Anticipated CD

Official Release October 19th

"I make music for "the kids," especially gay children who scream for music representative of our lives and lifestyle. My new single "ASS" is a passionate, unapologetic celebration of being a gay male and an independent artist with the freedom to record songs for and about a neglected audience in popular music. "The kids" have historically supported a music industry afraid of supporting us, denying parallel opportunities for openly gay artists while explicitly and not always tastefully exploring all aspects of heterosexuality and heterosexual sex. It's a "don't ask, don't tell" policy in a music industry full of closeted gays and lesbians oppressed by an untested theory of CD buying audiences not being ready.
My music challenges this theory. Ready or not, here I come!"
-Anthony Antoine

ATLANTA (Sept. 15, 2004) - "ASS The Single & Remixes" is the first single from Anthony Antoine's long awaited first full-length effort "Closets On Fire" due out later this year. In conjunction with In The Life Atlanta's (ITLA) "Black Gay Pride" weekend, attendees got their first taste of "ASS" after a rare Anthony Antoine performance kicking off the annual celebration. A single packed with "musical activism," Anthony Antoine sings "...and for conservative politicians who believe abstinence is the only way, this is for your momma who still believes you're straight and not gay" with a flirtatious melody borrowed from Prince's "Lady Cab Driver" ending "The Booty Remix" of "ASS." Not neglecting his supportive and equally hungry white gay audience, he remixes "ASS" with the spirit of R. Kelly, changing lyrics and melody for what ultimately are completely new songs called remixes. This spirit is most apparent in the "Whiteboi-Got-ASS" mix for the techno/club music lovers.

Independently produced, "ASS The Single & Remixes" has been described as "having some of the steamiest pillow talk since Prince's "Do Me Baby," expressed in the Labor Day issue of Clikque Magazine in which Anthony Antoine is featured. Arguably "ASS" is Anthony Antoine's most promising effort in a career in music that spans well over a ten years, taking us from London to now Atlanta based. The CD's highlights include a Ludacris influenced hip-hop flow over "DONTUEVA," Antoine's contribution to an undeniably growing and relevant gay hip-hop movement, a song about someone telling Anthony not to be openly gay in his music. Anthony Antoine responds with wrath. The single also moves to what he describes as "HIV prevention at its best" with "BARE" that communicates a feeling of being empowered to make a decision of one night of "...sex with no fear." Certainly not wanting to be misunderstood for advocating irresponsibility, Antoine directs the listener to the lyrics, "...the most accountable of decisions informed by all knowing and still saying yes." The same spirit, Anthony muses, that is often diminished in HIV prevention and would allow many a parallel feeling of empowerment to make the ultimate decision of regularly using condoms during sex. It's revolutionary!!

"The machine of the music business will eventually catch the gold mind in me and other openly gay artists. I plan to pick up where Sylvester left off, in meetings with major labels, pushing them to finally promote an openly gay artist with regard for our having supported the industry with our artistry, loyalty and dollars since the music industry's beginning," Anthony explains with passion. "There's not a music business to exist without our contributions."

"ASS The Single & Remixes" is produced by Anthony's longtime friend and producer Jimmy George of Wave Motion Sound Recording Studio www.geocities.com/thewav1.geo and parades steamy cover pictures photographed by fellow Adodi Muse (www.adodimuse.com) performance poet and business partner Malik ML Williams of Brotha Love Images www.brothaloveimages.com. The CD package was designed by www.emdesignsgroup.com and the entire project executive produced by Michael Smith.

"Ass" is a steamy tale about boy meets boy with greater booty that features some of the hottest pillow talk since Prince's "Do Me Baby."
- Craig Washington, Activist, Writer