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Anthony Parker (musician)

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Anthony Parker
Born1980 (age 43–44)
Germany
Other namesWordsmith
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Awards2018 Independent Music Award for Best Album - Rap or Hip-Hop

Anthony Parker (born 1980), known by his stage name Wordsmith, is an American hip-hop artist and music label owner. He has released five albums over his career, and is a member of the nominating committee for the Grammy Awards as a songwriter. In 2009, he founded the NU Revolution record label. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Independent Music Award for Best Album - Rap or Hip-Hop for his fifth studio album, Perspective Jukebox.

Songwriting

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Wordsmith uses different genres in his musical compositions, including Classical.[1] In addition to his recording career, he founded the NU Revolution recording label[2] in 2009.[3] As a songwriter, he has licensed his music to television, video games, and other mediums—for organizations such as the WWE, ESPN, NFL, Nintendo, CBS, NBC, and FOX.[4] In 2011 Wordsmith also became a songwriter for APM Music, working with companies including ABC, PBS, VH1, the Golf Channel, and Six Flags.[3] He is a member of the nominating committee for the Grammy Awards due to his songwriting credits.[citation needed] Television series that have included his music have included Russian Doll, which used his track "Get What You Love".[5] His music has also been used during television shows including ESPN sports talk show First Take, which featured his song "Energy".[6]

Albums

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Wordsmith's first album was Vintage Experience, released in 2010.[7] He also released Bridging The Gap, a collaborative record created with Chubb Rock of the group the Crooklyn Dodgers.[3] Several of his albums were co-produced by Jerome Smith since 2011.[8] In 2012 Wordsmith released the album King Noah. Songs from the album were licensed by the NFL Network, MLB Network and CiCi's Pizza.[3] In 2013 Wordsmith release his third album, The Blue Collar Recital.[9] The concept of the album is to track the normal moments of the day for a blue collar worker.[10] In 2015 he released his fourth album Apt. 507.[8] In 2017 Wordsmith released his fifth album, Perspective Jukebox.[11] The album received the Independent Music Award for Best Album - Rap or Hip-Hop in 2018.[12][13] Reviews of the work have called it “substantial ... expressing disgust over greed and modern day values.”[14] The album reached number 58 on Amazon's top Hip-Hop albums sales chart.[citation needed] In 2021 he released his first jazz album Progressions, composed with Kory Caudill, and performed alongside them in a concert following the launch.[15]

Performances

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While touring, Wordsmith travels with a live band.[16] He has made stops in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. He also performs for US service members at military bases overseas. In his home town of Baltimore, he co-organizes music events with the Concert Artists of Baltimore.[8] Wordsmith has also partnered with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, acting as narrator in public performances[17] and performing spoken word during a 2020 performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.[6] He has also emceed other events for the organization.[18] In 2020 he performed at the Carnegie Hall as a part of the ensemble that presented the show All Together: A Global Ode to Joy.[19] In 2020 he was named to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Artistic Team, to “serve as an advisor and collaborator, presenting original orchestral projects throughout the season” according to Baltimore Magazine.[20] In 2021 he narrated the commissioned work Destined Words at the symphony, written by James Lee III.[21]

Personal life

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Wordsmith was born in 1980 while his father was stationed in Germany[8] and eventually became a native from Baltimore at the age of 19.[11] He currently lives in the Mount Vernon area and is the father of two children.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Baltimore Hip-Hop Artist Brings Rhymes to Strathmore". www.nbcwashington.com. NBC Washington.
  2. ^ "INTERVIEW: Wordsmith is ready to make his 'Statement' - Hollywood SOAPBOX". 4 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "Wordsmith "The Blue Collar Recital" Release Date, Cover Art & Tracklist". HipHopDX. 15 July 2013.
  4. ^ "An Interview With The Baltimore-Based Musician, WORDSMITH!". music.allaccess.com. All Access Music. 2 August 2017.
  5. ^ "Episode 2: Wordsmith, "Get What You Love"". Refinery29. February 2019.
  6. ^ a b Sameer Rao (December 26, 2019). "Sounds of the city: 12 of Baltimore's best musicians tease their 2020 plans". Baltimore Sun.
  7. ^ "Wordsmith - Vintage Experience". HipHopDX. 8 April 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d e Case, Wesley (29 August 2016). "Name to know: Wordsmith, rapper". The Baltimore Sun.
  9. ^ "Wordsmith's Unique Decisions for "Blue Collar Recital"". Mic Life Magazine. 13 October 2013.
  10. ^ "Review: Wordsmith - The Blue Collar Recital". Slug Magazine. 30 October 2013.
  11. ^ a b Producer, Morning (20 July 2017). "Wordsmith: Motivational Hip Hop". Fox Baltimore.
  12. ^ "US rapper, musician, entrepreneur Wordsmith to visit Azerbaijan". news.az.
  13. ^ "THE 16TH INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS - Independent Music Awards". Independent Music Awards.
  14. ^ "WORDSMITH – 'PERSPECTIVE JUKEBOX'". skopemag.com. Skope Magazine. 3 July 2017.
  15. ^ "Concert for the Human Family celebrates connection through music and storytelling". 18 May 2021.
  16. ^ Shipley, Al. "Rap Sheet: Dirt Platoon, Wordsmith, and Future Fest". Baltimore City Paper.
  17. ^ "Carnival of the Animals". Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
  18. ^ "Tony Winner Cynthia Erivo to Perform With Baltimore Symphony Orchestra". Playbill.
  19. ^ "VIDEO: Learn With Carnegie Hall Presents ALL TOGETHER: A GLOBAL ODE TO JOY".
  20. ^ "The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Enters a New Era". 21 September 2020.
  21. ^ "The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Honors Marin Alsop a Live-Streamed Gala Celebration Featuring Renée Fleming". 6 May 2021.
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