Fat Tony (rapper)

Fat Tony
Fat Tony in Brooklyn, New York, 2013.
Background information
Birth name Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu
Born (1988-03-24) March 24, 1988
Origin Third Ward, Houston, Texas
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper, DJ
Instruments vocals, bass guitar
Years active 2008-present
Labels Young One Records,[1] Ghost Ramp[2]
Associated acts Tom Cruz, Das Racist, Charge It to the Game, Supreeme, Murs, Bun B, Kam Franklin, Kechphrase, Big Baby Gandhi
Website fattonyrap.tumblr.com

Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu[3] or Anthony Lawson Obi (born March 24,[4] 1988), better known by his stage name Fat Tony, is a Nigerian-American rapper.

Fat Tony won the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013 Houston Press Music Awards' Best Underground Hip Hop award,[5][6][7] and has been recognized in URB's "Next 1000", a list of emerging new artists anticipated to break through.[8]

Career

Fat Tony's debut album RABDARGAB was released October 19, 2010 and featured production entirely from Tom Cruz formerly of Atlanta-based rap group Supreeme.[9] The album features appearances by Murs, Negashi Armada (a.k.a. Blunt Fang) from Supreeme, Charly East, Bo. P, Kam Franklin, and Tom Cruz. "RABDARGAB" is a reference to a late 1990s Houston Independent School District campaign aimed at elementary school students to promote literacy by offering $1 to students in exchange for book reports. The acronym stands for "Read a Book – Do A Report – Get a Buck."[10] With the release of this album, Fat Tony ran a promotion entitled LISDARGAB (Listen, Do a Review, Get a Buck) where Fat Tony undertook to send anyone who emailed him a review for RABDARGAB a dollar bill in the mail.[11] The album was preceded by a mixtape release entitled RABDARGAB: The EPreview mixed by Fat Tony's DJ iPod Ammo. The mixtape featured collaborations with Das Racist, Juiceboxxx, HOSPITAL, Jade <3, Tecla, Smash Bro, and more.[12]

On March 24, 2011, he released a remix album entitled SCREWDARGAB. It was a "chopped-up, not slopped up" version of RABDARGAB[13] remixed by Swishahouse co-founder DJ OG RON C.[14]

On June 1, 2012, Young One Records released Double Dragon; a collaborative free album with producer Tom Cruz. Double Dragon features Fat Tony and Tom Cruz performing as a duo and is entirely produced by Tom Cruz.[15] The album is a precursor to Fat Tony's second album Smart Ass Black Boy. In November 2012, Fat Tony released the first single from Smart Ass Black Boy entitled "BKNY".[16][17] In March 2013, Vice announced the Smart Ass Black Boy album release date and premiered the second single entitled "Hood Party" featuring Kool A.D. and Despot.[18]

Smart Ass Black Boy, Fat Tony's second solo studio album, was released June 11, 2013 on Young One Records. The album is produced by Tom Cruz and was written in two days and recorded in four days in Los Angeles, California during April 2012.[19] NPR premiered a full length stream of Smart Ass Black Boy on June 3, 2013 and wrote positively of the album's material.[20] The album received positive reviews from XXL,[21] Rolling Stone,[22] Spin,[23] Robert Christgau for MSN,[24] AllMusic,[25] and Houston Press.[26] Pitchfork premiered the "Hood Party" video on the album's release date.[27]

MacGregor Park, Fat Tony's third solo studio album, was released on First One Up on August 25, 2017. Bandcamp Daily named it one of the best hip hop albums of 2017.[28] Robert Christgau reviewed the album positively for Noisey.[29]

In 2018, Fat Tony began hosting and writing for Thrift Haul on Super Deluxe.[30]

Style and influences

His primary musical influences are drawn from Southern hip hop, Underground hip hop, West Coast hip hop, pop music, and punk rock.[31] Fat Tony has cited artists such as Prince, the Ramones, E-40, Devin the Dude, Black Flag, and A Tribe Called Quest among others as influences.[32]

Personal life and education

Fat Tony lived in the Third Ward area of Houston.[33] Anthony Onyebuchi Obi, Fat Tony's father, is an engineer, and his mother Johnnie is a housewife.[3] Fat Tony's father, an Igbo,[34] fought in the Biafran War in Nigeria before coming to Houston.[3] Fat Tony attended Carnegie Vanguard High School (Class of 2006[35]) and the University of St. Thomas.[36] He also studied as a communications major at the University of Houston.[37]

In 2008, Fat Tony participated in a charity concert to raise money for prevention and treatment of HIV.[38]

Discography

Studio albums

  • RABDARGAB (2010)
  • Double Dragon (2012) (with Tom Cruz)
  • Smart Ass Black Boy (2013)
  • MacGregor Park (2017)
  • 10,000 HOURS (2018)

Remix albums

  • SCREWDARGAB (2011) (with OG Ron C)
  • MacGregor Park (Chopnotslop Remix) (2017) (with OG Ron C and DJ Candlestick)

Compilation albums

  • The Creation of Fat Tony (2009)
  • Like, Hell Yeah (2010)

Mixtapes

  • RABDARGAB: The EPreview (2010)

EPs

  • Love Life (2008)
  • Look (2016) (with P. Morris)
  • Urban Hall of Fame (2016) (with Kyle Mabson, as Charge It to the Game)
  • Snak Pak EP (2018) (with Pregnant Boy)

Singles

  • "Hood Party" (2013)
  • "BKNY (Remix)" (2013)
  • "No More" b/w "Love Me" (2014)
  • "Sushi" (2015)
  • "Dame Un Beso" (2016)
  • "Twin Peaks" (2017)
  • "Two For One" (2017)
  • "Son of God" (2017)
  • "Growth Spurt" b/w "Northside Dr." (2018)
  • "FWU" (2018)

Guest appearances

  • SMKA - "'Til It's Gone" and "I'm on Fire" from SMKA: The 808 Experiment Vol. 1 (2008)
  • DJ Sly - "Killin' Time" from Beyond It (2009)
  • Juiceboxxx - "Boxxx Get Busy" from Journeyman from the Heartland (2010)
  • Das Racist - "Luv It Mayne" from Sit Down, Man (2010)
  • Tecla - "Beautiful Problems" from Strangers Revisited (2011)
  • ASAP Rocky - "Get Lit" from Live. Love. ASAP (2011)
  • Tecla - "No Music" from Thanksgiving (2011)
  • Hot Sugar - "Leverage" from Midi Murder (2012)
  • Big Baby Gandhi - "Lurkin'" from No1 2 Look Up 2 (2012)
  • Heems - "Bangles" from Nehru Jackets (2012)
  • Antwon - "Laugh Now: Hot Sugar Version" (2013)
  • Tecla - "Bed of Roses" and "Mayo on the Side" from Bruja (2013)
  • Steel Tipped Dove - "Sprung" from Steel Tipped Dove & a Whole Bunch of Crazy Motherfuckers (2013)
  • Kool & Kass - "Burtation" from Peaceful Solutions (2013)
  • Weekend Money - "Trapper Keeper" from Freddie Merkury (2014)
  • Shy Girls - "Without (Magic Fades Remix)" (2014)
  • Donwill & Dash Speaks - "Sixteen Tons" from Don Speaks (2014)
  • Kari Faux - "Stainless" from Laugh Now, Die Later (2014)
  • Tony Collins - "Take You Home" from Last Night (2014)
  • Cakes da Killa - "I Run This Club Remix" from I Run This Club (2014)
  • Puzzle - "All the Best" from Tighten the Reins (2017)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Young One Records". Young One Records.
  2. ↑ "Ghost Ramp". Ghost Ramp.
  3. 1 2 3 Serrano, Shea. "The Happy Rapper" (Archive). Texas Monthly. June 2013. Retrieved on August 18, 2015.
  4. ↑ Rhodes, Dusti. "Apostle of Hustle." Houston Press. Wednesday January 13, 2010. 2. Retrieved on December 20, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Fat Tony's 2013 Houston Press Music Award". Fat Tony.
  6. ↑ "2009 Houston Press Music Award Winners". Houston Press.
  7. ↑ "2008 Houston Press Music Awards Recipients List". Houston Press.
  8. ↑ "Urb Magazine :: Next 1000 :: Fat Tony". Urb Magazine. Archived from the original on 2009-05-01.
  9. ↑ "Fat Tony helps keep local sound original – Life & Arts". The Daily Cougar (University of Houston). Archived from the original on 2008-12-10.
  10. ↑ "RAB DAR GAB - Houston Area PSA - Totally '90s!". YouTube.
  11. ↑ "RABDARGAB". Fat Tony.
  12. ↑ "RABDARGAB: THE EPREVIEW". Fat Tony.
  13. ↑ "Fat Tony - SCREWDARGAB: Chopped Not Slopped: DJ OG RON C (File, MP3, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.
  14. ↑ "SCREWDARGAB". Fat Tony.
  15. ↑ "Mixtape Premiere: Fat Tony & Tom Cruz "Double Dragon"". Complex Magazine.
  16. ↑ "Fat Tony "BKNY" Video". Life or Death PR.
  17. ↑ "FAT TONY FEAT. OLD MONEY - "BKNY" (PROD. BY TOM CRUZ) (OFFICIAL VIDEO)". Noisey (Vice).
  18. ↑ "VICE Premiere: "Hood Party" by Fat Tony". VICE United States.
  19. ↑ "NPR premieres Houston rapper Fat Tony's new album". Houston Chronicle.
  20. ↑ "First Listen: Fat Tony, 'Smart Ass Black Boy'". NPR.
  21. ↑ "Fat Tony – 'Smart Ass Black Boy' Album Review'". XXL Magazine.
  22. ↑ "Fat Tony, 'Smart Ass Black Boy'". Rolling Stone.
  23. ↑ "Fat Tony , 'Smart Ass Black Boy' Review'". SPIN Magazine.
  24. ↑ "Fat Tony/Young Fathers'". MSN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2013-11-26.
  25. ↑ "Smart Ass Black Boy - Fat Tony". AllMusic.
  26. ↑ "Fat Tony Remains Houston's Smart Ass Black Boy On New Album'". Houston Press.
  27. ↑ "Video: Fat Tony Featuring Kool A.D. and Despot: "Hood Party"'"". Pitchfork.
  28. ↑ "First Listen: The Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2017 – Bandcamp Daily". Bandcamp.
  29. ↑ "Robert Christgau on Fat Tony's Realism and an Abundance of Mello Music - Noisey". Vice Media.
  30. ↑ "Thrift Haul". Super Deluxe.
  31. ↑ "Sound Check: Texas proves it's big enough for all types of music – Life & Arts". The Daily Cougar (University of Houston). Archived from the original on 2008-11-12.
  32. ↑ "PODiMOUTH : PODiMOUTH Presents: FAT TONY A short Q&A with..." PODiMOUTH. Archived from the original on 2013-12-10.
  33. ↑ Rhodes, Dusti. "Apostle of Hustle." Houston Press. Wednesday January 13, 2010. 1. Retrieved on July 4, 2010.
  34. ↑ "The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston presents a Halloween Steel Lounge Underground with no tricks just musical treats " (Archive). Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston. October 10, 2008. Retrieved on October 28, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Carnegie’s Community Service Requirement Archived July 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.." Carnegie Vanguard High School. Retrieved on November 13, 2010. "Anthony Obi, who was a member of the 2005-2006 senior class, volunteers at his church by helping out around the building and assisting those in need of a few extra hands."
  36. ↑ Grant, Clyde (interviewer). "Artist Spotlight Love Life." Drench Magazine. Retrieved on July 4, 2010.
  37. ↑ Damante, Mike. "Fat Tony pulls out the stops." The Daily Cougar. Tuesday November 25, 2008. Retrieved on November 13, 2010. "Communication junior and emcee Fat Tony brings his fresh lyrical content and fast flows to the streets with The Tipping Point ‘ Fly 68 Presents Fat Tony."
  38. ↑ Kever, Jeannie. "One dream, several lives." Houston Chronicle. December 19, 2008. Retrieved on November 13, 2010. "I definitely don't say 'yes' to everything," said Anthony Obi, a rapper known as Fat Tony. "But some things deserve special consideration."
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