PAUL ANTHONY

OF THE GRAMMY CERTIFIED PRODUCTION GROUP FULL FORCE AND STARRED IN FEATURE FILM, “HOUSE PARTY”

Interview by The Heat Seekers

The Heat Seekers: I remember as a teenager, and we might be telling our age when I tell this story. But I remember as a teenager watching the video with Lisa, Lisa. I would get in front of the TV and do Lisa Lisa moves, because I just knew I was going to be Lisa, Lisa. So tell us how did it all start? How did you and your brothers come together one day and say, Hey, we got to do this?

Paul Anthony: Oh, we didn’t say it. My dad said that. So this what you want to do, you know, in our family singing and music wasn’t an option it is what you did, you know. And so we started very, very young, very early. I think one day my dad heard me singing in the shower, I was 10 or 11. And I was singing Smokey Robinson. So he heard my vibrato and my melody and he stopped and he was like, you know, my dad’s from St. Thomas Virgin Islands may rest in peace. So he’s, he’s a true man from back home. He would say, “Honey, look, no, the boy can sing. So I was born with my voice, and would sing downstairs in the street or stand on top of garbage can. Kingston Avenue, Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, people in the windows watching. We went to the Apollo I was 12, Lou was13 and B was 8. We did shows with a lot of old school groups and that’s how we really started as kids and then later on, we joined up with our cousins. We were the hottest band in Brooklyn. At that time before we were any music we just did shows everywhere we’d go around. We would go out with a bullhorn to all five boroughs from 10 o’clock am to five o’clock pm screaming, full forces back full forces back and we ain’t going away. We had no money but we still worked on building the brand.

THS: Okay, and how did your dad handle school?

PA: Oh, that was priority. After their schoolwork, we put on our performance clothes and go to sleep in our clothes. Because when he came home from a 12 hour shift we would get something to eat and leave out of house headed to Kingston Avenue, Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, We would get an A train and go to sleep. We would take it all the way to 125th Street. Get out on 25th Street and stay out for hours performing. And that was the routine after homework.

THS: Wow. So now you have all of this practice with singing and your the bomb around the borough’s. When did the group come into fruition. Did you have someone else that kind of pushed it along other than your dad?

PA: Yeah. My uncle Seto. early on. He worked even before my dad and my dad joined my uncle Seto and my Uncle Paul. That’s who I was named after and they were close. Of course my mom was always helping. And after that, we got with our cousins. We had a hip hop attitude and R&B sensibility. We started working on music for others. My brother B came up with an idea about a girl who kept dissing everybody. And he called her Roxanne. And that was our first No actually, that was our second success. Roxanne Roxanne, our first success. Our co-manager Steve had an office with a brother named Russell Simmons when he first started. And then Russell had Kurtis Blow so we wrote “We’re playing basketball.” So every NBA season I’m very happy. And then Roxanne just took the world by storm.

THS: I think I had to be about 14 or 15 years old when Roxanne Roxanne came out because I do remember being in the skating rink and listening to it. It was a real dope hit. But I think it was like 1988 or 1989 When I saw the video on BET That’s when I became a true fan.

PA: It was a glorious time, glorious time and we’re credited with actually bringing the world freestyle dance music because that’s what started off when we dropped Lisa Lisa. We put that out there, it wasn’t really Esteban and there was no Ricky Martin, no Minuto, no JLo… none of that. We brought that to the world, That was B’s idea to be the first guy to marry the kick drum with a baseline. And he did that intentionally. I wrote a song called all cried out, which I knew would last the test of time as well. So it was a huge bidding war between Warner Brothers and Columbia. So it was a wonderful time.

THS: And I bet it was a very lucrative time as well because now with music being in the digital world, it’s not good for the artists as far as financially.

PA: Yeah, I mean, I think we have two of the last diamond albums before they really started digital but going back wow. So gold is a half man platinum is made and diamond is 10 making it better. So we did the Backstreet Boys and we didn’t Insync you know, and it’s like back to back diamond albums happened and then everyone just thought wow, once we went double platinum and triple platinum, the phone’s didn’t stop ringing. We started producing everybody and managed all of our artists also. So we always came into business as businessmen and to have several revenue streams. The overseeing of artist helped us to be sure there was no stuff coming in between. We was very protective over the artists. And then we blew the world away because Luke from 2Live Crew came up with this song that blew up and next a song with my sister, Cheryl Pepsi. Riley received one of our songs. We managed her as well, and that song went to number one so fast. People were shocked to know that a group of men did that particular song. We couldn’t do no harm. It was a beautiful time.

THS:(Joking) See, what had happened was you was supposed to discover me. Did you know that? (lol) That’s what it was. I was out there singing too, I told you I was trying to be likeLisa Lisa! So I don’t know why you didn’t come to Boston, Massachusetts and just swooped me up. PA: Just like that. (laughs)

THS: Now, I’m old and my voice isn’t what it used to be (we both laughed). So all of this is going on at one time? You all are making it happen with all of these different groups and different solo artists. And so I’m sure people are like ringing your phone to now be writers for their music. Did you have people like bombard you for requests?

PA: It was ridiculous. It was like, we were saying send half the money and get in line. It was like that, you know, we had so many productions lined up. We just lined them up for the year. And it was hard because while we had all these productions lined up for the year, we still had to make sure we do the album for C. Pepsi Riley and others on the front line. We also completed our own full force album. You know, we were the first original R&B pop band ever so when we came out with several of our songs nobody ever heard nothing like that. We were always on the crest of creating new sounds while still on hip hop tours. So it was busy but it was a wonderful thing.

THS: (Joking) So, one thing I noticed is that all y’all had muscles when did you have time to work out to build those muscles? Because every lady loved watching y’all on video.

PA: Right. Right, right. You know, we always wanted to be different in our way and I’ve always been the type to work out to push the envelope. I was always that guy even before everything blew up, I was always wearing things that others wouldn’t and say things that others shouldn’t and do things that others couldn’t, So it was an easy transition. I’ve always trained, we all worked out, you know, but I was the one that mainly put it in your face. When we were on tour, nobody was doing what we were doing. We’d strip down to just boxing briefs in our concerts. And I’d be doing bodybuilding poses on stage. We would tell all the ladies where our hotel was and give our room number during the concerts. We were just going buck wild, you know, I mean, but bodybuilding and training, that was part of my lifestyle status. I still do it to this very day. There were other brothers that were in my life that worked out, like my brother Melly Mel who was in great shape. I’d bench press the ladies in videos. So to know that I’ve inspired millions in fitness and bodybuilding all over the world as a blessing be worked out, just like me. That’s why doing House Party the movie was an easy transition. When I came in the business, I weighed exactly 212 and to this day I’m 214. I can still wear everything I wore back then. So yeah, just keeping it together, you know?

THS: Wow, that must be nice. I can’t wear my clothes from high school. (laughs). I can’t even imagine going from city to city and to see how the women were reacting to the group. Like I’m sure you never had a day or a moment alone without a groupie somewhere around.

PA: It was crazy. It was crazy. It was a wonderful time, I did a move called the Alice sandwich, which really just blew people away. I would get a girl from the audience and we’d bring up on stage and Lou would talk to her, and I would put her hands on my ass. And then after that, I would pick her up and Lou and I together would just start bouncing. You’d see the woman dangling in the air. It’s noted online. that Paul Anthony makes 14,000 ladies happy. So yeah, to be on tour from town to town and looking back and you see 234 ladies at the hotel room wearing headbands, It’ was very, very comforting times. (we laughed).

THS: I’m sure it was. Did you guys keep girlfriends? Get married? Have children?

PA: Yeah, all of that. You know everything you can expect in life you know, we lived a full life.

THS: Awesome. So let’s talk about the movie house party because there were three parts to house party correct?

PA: Yeah but can’t replicate the first one because it is just a classic. We adlibbed and changed every line in the script, everything you see we made up. “I smell I smell. I smell. Yeah, you know the rest. I came up with the scene with the refrigerator that night. But it was a natural progression. Of course, my family was proud because of their three sons and then next you know, kid and play start changing lines. And Martin Lawrence, when I tell you that the wisdom of the heartland brothers in terms of selecting the right energy and the right synergy of people, because we were one big family when we started shooting, We were all hanging together T. Campbell, Kid and Play and Martin(many others) so it was an amazing experience. We had no idea it was going to still be relevant 30 and 40 years after filming. And I’ve seen it in several different languages. So that’s how we live forever.

THS: You are definitely living forever for sure. Especially on television. Even my kids know about the movie house party and my youngest which is 15 has watched it like 50 times. He just loves your character. It is a classic.

THS: I’ve looked on a line and I saw some of the things that you are into currently. So tell us what you’re up to now?

PA: Well, you know, a few things. I just received my honorary doctorate in philosophy, humanitarianism, so that’s going to add a little more to my book. I’m going to speak about, everything from what we did back in the day, to my five wonderful hours with the late great Dr. Sebby. So it’s going to be a real good book. And then, I am very excited to know that we will be doing a full force documentary, It’s going to be awesome. I’m trying to educate some folks, how you got to be ready, how to get to unlearn and relearn, and, you know, share some fellowships. I’m just driving some science. So yeah, very busy. Very busy.

THS: So are you single? Are you married? Yes now I’m all in your business?

PA: I was waiting for you to get in my business(laughs). Yeah, I’m currently separated. So yes, I’m pretty much single. But I am, engaged to my vision and I am married to my purpose. Music is the gift. But the purpose is to touch, change, and save lives. You know, being a cancer champion, beating three different cancers and two bone marrow transplants and still being in great physical condition, true testament. So right now I’m staying focused on that. Of course, I still, I have wonderful, wonderful friends and wonderful lionesses, I share energy and share time within building the Kingdom. But the focus right now is how can I sustain it. That’s the real marriage right there. So I’m just spreading the knowledge and spreading positive energy and taking some in as well.