The Original Dream: 08-24-08

The Original Dream

Right before I left Atlanta, I had an old favorite captured moment of my life converted to DVD and posted on YouTube. It was my very first music video “Swing” by The Deff Boyz featuring Tony Mac (one of the pseudonyms I recorded under living in London). I originally had the tape converted to American format VHS tape back in 2000 but much has changed even since then. YouTube has taken America and the rest of the world by storm and if it’s not preserved on YouTube, then did it even happen?

So my goal of the past few weeks was to load some of my treasured moments to YouTube. I started with my very first music video “Swing.” More than the idea as an artist of being in a music video for one of my songs, my very first video was on regular rotation on MTV Europe. At age 17, that was a part of my wildest dream. I couldn’t have been more close to the dream than (age 21) sitting at home chillin’ and there it was, without direct prompting on my part, my video was being played. One of those times, I had enough sense to capture the moment by dropping a tape in my VCR and recording my own video being played all over the country.

Arriving here in Natal, the hotel had internet access for cheap so I decided to stay connected over the weekend. Really, internet can be a distraction from vacationing and especially a distraction from my goal of writing this week in Brazil. But I’m sooooooo happy I logged on. I posted my video “Swing” on YouTube the day I left Atlanta and already, it’s gotten so many hits. I didn’t really promote it but to a few of my friends. Its unbelievable how many people in my life didn’t realize how close I got to my original dream, one friend sending me an email back – “Wow Anthony! That was HOT! You were touching your dream.” The original dream was to be an international recording artist with hit records. “Swing” was an international dance club hit. My second release “What’s Goin’ Down” hit in Europe and my third release with London based jazz guitarist Ronny Jordan (like “Swing) made it over here to the States. There’s a tape that exist of me taping the Ronny Jordan track I’m featured on - “Under Your Spell” when it once aired on BET. It’s all very cool thinking back on it.

I write today about this because it’s been exciting to discover other posting of “Swing” even before I posted the video in which people are giving the Paul Hardcastle produced song and me props for a moment in the early 90s when my song was their favorite song, some noting it a hip-house classic. HUH? Who knew? It’s such a great feeling to revisit times gone by, my history I created for myself. I’m too reminded that I had a dream at 17, dedicated my life to that dream, and although it didn’t unfold exactly as planned, it unfolded in ways some never have the opportunity to experience. Do you know how many recording artists would sell their first born to see their video aired on MTV/BET or any television? I’ve performed on national television quite a few times. I toured with C&C Music Factory. I’ve heard a variety of my songs played on various radio in Europe and here at home. There’s too many stories to tell about my family taking me around the neighborhood to have their friends meet me because my song was on regular rotation in their hometowns (Philly, DC, Dallas). My brother even taped my song off the radio (Dallas, TX) as a song he like, not knowing it was his brother until weeks later after I finally sent a copy of it to him. How crazy is that? But that was me then living my dream.

I remember all of this to remind myself, that if I once got that close to the biggest dream I knew to dream, I can surely do it again. For the longest time, few people believed in my dream, many blatantly telling me that I was crazy for chasing the goal of stardom in music. But I sit this morning knowing that I can do it again. I’m older, wiser, sexier in my mind ONLY to the tune that I am so much more connected to who I am as a person – which can only help me in achieving my next BIG dream. I too write as a testimony, because surely, I pray that I’m not alone in having goals of dreams too big to see with the reality of your life today. But that’s the beauty of it all. I’ve not arrived at my next big dream YET, but I whole-heartedly state and fully affirm my ability to achieve any dream I desire, any dream that God has for my life (insert my mom speaking in tongues here), let the choir sing, and all the kidz say Halleluiah! I’m blinded by the Universe’s future plans for my life. What I’m so connected to this morning is the beauty of life, the truth I know for me and for others is, that potential power to achieve anything is within us all.

My very first video "Swing" by The Deff Boyz featuring little ole - ME!