If not for music, Anthony Stokes could have easily fallen into the juvenile justice system. It was the outcome for many close friends from his military hometown of Fayetteville, NC. But the Washington, D.C. based singer/songwriter didn't want to be another statistic. So he turned to the arts as an outlet and began teaching himself how to play the piano.

Anthony first attended the historically-black E.E. Smith High and later the arts academy Massey Hill Classical School, where he led the student government and participated in band, choral and theater activities. He left home for the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), to study drama and journalism. While in college, he was picked to compete in the Mr. University International competition in Seoul, South Korea, finishing as a Top 5 finalist and talent winner. He later opened for Grammy-winner Miri Ben Ari and other artists.

In early 2006, Anthony released the self-produced "Prelude" EP. Included is a demo recording of the first song he ever wrote, "Where Are You Now," a personal story about a lost love. Another demo -- the acoustic hip hop soul track "Make Me Kneel" -- caught the ear of Billboard, calling it "real ... very engaging." For 2007, Anthony is returning to the studio to craft songs for the next phase.

He recently performed an original song on the TV-One Network's "Get the Hook Up" with radio personality Russ Parr and had a starring role in a national Burger King commercial for the MTV market. Anthony is also active in school violence prevention efforts with his own nonprofit group. The group has published a children's book and hosted youth workshops.