'God, you are so dope': Wilmington native making moves on TV and in music in Atlanta

Andre Lamar
Delaware News Journal

The last year has been a whirlwind for many people, for obvious reasons. The same can be said for Wilmington native Anthony Walker, except his reason for having a crazy year isn’t as obvious.

Walker was thrust into the pandemic, like everyone else, but his experience included working behind the scenes with celebrities on a resort in Arizona, as well as brushing shoulders with entertainers in Atlanta on two seasons of VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop.”

During the pandemic, Walker worked as an associate producer for season 10 of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” which premiered July 5.

Wilmington native Anthony Walker takes a photo with 'Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta'; star and rapper Yung Joc, who's on season 10 of the reality TV show.

Prior to that, he worked as a production assistant on “VH1 Family Reunion: Love & Hip-Hop Edition,” which premiered in February. The show is a spin off from “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” and “Love & Hip Hop: Miami.”

Working on the set of a reality TV show was both hectic and fun for the Wilmington native.  

“You meet the cast, as well as the crew, and you hear their stories of how long they've been in the industry, and even pointers that they gave me. It just let me know like I [was destined] to be here,” the 30-year-old Wilmington native said.

He'd work 12-plus hours daily, Walker said, and the "atmosphere and environment is just like a constant grind."

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As a production assistant on “Family Reunion,” he was assigned to support the tech department and help set up monitors for producers before episodes were recorded.

Anthony Walker is all smiles with his pastor, Helena Creamer, from Cathedral of Fresh Fire in Wilmington.

After that show, Walker was promoted to associate producer on “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta,” where his duties involved working with producers.

Having worked beside celebrities, the Wilmington native pointed out the stars on "Love & Hip Hop" might be famous, but they're still human and have struggles.

“But they deal with it in front of people," he said. "They pretty much want their voices heard." 

As a man of faith, Walker said, he tries to share a kind word with the cast whenever it seems appropriate, because there are moments when stars could use their spirits lifted. 

Pastor Helena Creamer from Cathedral of Fresh Fire in Wilmington, Walker’s pastor, isn’t surprised by the Delaware native spreading love on the set of ... “Love & Hip Hop.”

“Anthony is a church boy, let’s make that clear. So anywhere he goes, he’s going to give that churchy flair,” his pastor said. “He witnesses all the time, so I do believe him being in [showbiz] gives him another place to minister.”

Opportunity didn't knock, it called Walker

He got the chance to work on “Family Reunion” after he received a call last year from mutual friend Gieava Stinchcomb, a production manager for “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta After Party Live!” in 2015, according to IMDb.com.

Stinchcomb knew Walker moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in entertainment, so she thought the opportunity would be a good way for him to get his foot in the door.

At that time, Walker said, he was working for a company in property management. But he pulled the plug after Stinchcomb called; and the rest has been history.

Walker moved to Atlanta in December 2018. He brought along his talent as a writer, singer and actor. His dream was to work in showbiz. 

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Wilmington is where he cut his teeth as a performer and writer. In 2007, he sang alto in a gospel ensemble for New Pentecostal United Holy Church in Wilmington. There, he met fellow alto singer Adrianne Artist, who remains one of his dear friends.  

“We connected instantly,” said Artist, who remembers her friend for singing at such a high pitch, and for being a character. “He was very gregarious, very outgoing and outspoken. It was always hard for me to meet somebody who could match my quick wit; and he never missed a beat.”

In 2011, Walker released his fiction novel “Imagine Me,” a tale focused on family secrets and their consequences. 

'A state of depression' 

In 2015, Walker was in fellow Wilmington native and playwright Priest Tyaire’s original production “Mama’s Boy,” cast as Tyaire’s son in the show.

The production included a star-studded cast with R&B legend Johnny Gill, comedian Nephew Tommy, actress Jackee Harris and legendary singer Shirley Murdoch.

Anthony Walker, a native of Wilmington, prays before hitting the stage while on a 50-plus city tour in Priest Tyaire's play 'Mama's Boy' in 2017.

That year, Walker quit his day job as the dean of students at Chester Community Charter School, he said, because Tyaire planned to take the show on a national 50-plus city tour that year. But it fell through. The tour wouldn't happen until 2017.

Fast-forward to 2017, the tour generated a buzz and even caught the attention of Hollywood billionaire Tyler Perry, who visited one of the shows in Atlanta.

Once the tour ended, Walker found himself coming back to earth after living on the road as a professional entertainer. 

“Coming back home, I kind of fell into a state of depression, because I just felt like, ‘Oh my God, it's back to reality,' ” the Virginia State University grad said.

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World-renowned director and actor Tyler Perry takes a photo with Wilmington's Anthony Walker, while attendance at one of Walker's shows in Atlanta during his 2017 tour for Priest Tyaire's play "Mama's Boy."

Believing his dreams of working in showbiz wouldn't happen if he stayed in the Small Wonder, he decided he’d have a better shot to make it if he moved to the Hollywood of the South.

So the God-fearing man took a leap of faith. 

“When he told me he was moving to Atlanta, of course, I was really sad, because he was a very integral part of the church. He was on the praise team and he was an upcoming [youth] minister,” pastor Creamer said.

But the pastor knew it wasn’t a good idea for Walker to stay in Wilmington.

“The passion that was in him was growing and it would’ve never been noticed or even identified, or possibly appreciated, if he had not gone to a place like Atlanta, because Delaware just isn’t that place,” she explained.  

Joining a famous R&B group

In February 2019, Walker landed a gig as one of the vocalists with the famed R&B group Basic Black, an outfit that started out as a backing band for iconic singer Teddy Riley and his group named GUY, popular in the 1980s and ‘90s.

Walker connected to Basic Black through contacts his playwright friend Priest Tyaire had in Atlanta. Their first meeting was in an Atlanta studio and Walker nailed the audition. They hit the ground running that day.

Classic R&B group Basic Black features (from left) Wilmington's own Anthony 'Dupree' Walker, Sean, Spec and KB.

“I was literally just singing for them and then they put me up to the mic to sing a song that they already had for their upcoming like single they wanted. The single has already dropped, I’m on the song, and it’s called ‘Always,”’ said Walker, who performs under the stage name Anthony Dupree. 

The group is slated to release a new album by the end of summer, he added.

Because Walker doesn’t like sitting on his hands, he’s also working on adapting his novel, “Imagine Me,” into a film.

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His old friend Artist said it’s “mind-blowing” how much traction Walker has gained in such a short time in Atlanta. “All of it was self-motivated. He didn’t have a parent in the industry or family members in the industry,” she added.

Wilmington native Anthony Dupree poses with VH1's "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star Yandy Smith, who's featured on season 10 of the reality show.

Things have been wild for Walker over the last year, and he’s thankful for it and counting his blessings.

“I’m enjoying the journey of building my connections and being a positive role model, not only for my family, but for those who encounter me,” he said. “God, you are so dope.”

Andre Lamar is the features/lifestyle reporter. If you have an interesting story idea, email Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com