O.B. (real name: Obi Anyanwu) was born in Hampstead, north-west London on 30th November, 1972, the youngest of eight children. His interest in music started at a very early age and never resisted the urge to write and perform songs at home in his native Nigeria with his brother, Capt. O.I.A. “It certainly paid offâ€, O.B. says. “He formed a group called EMPHASIS and I was happy to be a part of the trio. Going all the way was definitely a blast!†The group eventually earned a recording contract after participating in a local talent contest. However, an EP album, Big Deal (1991), which earned them a nomination at the PMAN Nigeria Music Awards in 1992, the same year the group split, due to prior commitments.“When I returned to the U.K. late in 1993, I was trying to find a new direction, a soul-searching journey of sorts, so to speak,†O.B. reminisces. Another talent contest, ITV’s Stars In Their Eyes, saw to his performing as African-American soul singer James Ingram, earning him 3rd runner-up position in the finals in the Summer of 1995. “I didn‘t think I could make it to the Heats and then came the finals,†he says. After spending the next couple of years making demos, he came up with his current project, his debut album, Lyric Nation, a fusion of different brands of music - R&B, Soul, Rap, Rock and Slices of Pop, Jazz and Gospel - which is what he defines as “music as I see it. An album primarily centred on love, liberty and life!†Co-anchored by O.B., himself and producing genius Stevie Hoang, the album, which took two years to make, features rap sensation Mariachi and fellow
ex-EMPHASIS members Killer 16 and Capt. O.I.A. The future? “I‘m happy to have come this far. I‘ll leave it to the Man Upstairs as to what road to take from here on in,†O.B. assures. “If anyone out there listens to this album, I hope he or she will have as much fun from it as we had making it.â€
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