Fat Tony | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu |
Born | March 24, 1988 |
Origin | Third Ward, Houston, Texas, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Years active | 2008–present |
Labels |
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Website | fattonyrap |
Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu [4] or Anthony Lawson Obi (born March 24, 1988), [5] [6] better known by his stage name Fat Tony, is a Nigerian-American rapper. [7]
He has been recognized in URB 's "Next 1000", a list of emerging new artists anticipated to break through. [8] At the Houston Press Music Awards, he won the Best Underground Hip Hop award in 2008, [9] 2009, [10] and 2010, [11] as well as the Best Solo Rapper award in 2013. [12]
Fat Tony grew up in the Third Ward area of Houston, Texas. [5] Anthony Onyebuchi Obi, Fat Tony's father, is an engineer, and his mother Johnnie is a housewife. [4] His mother sang opera and exposed him to rock and pop music such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. His father is stated to have exposed the artist to acts like Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff as well as music from his home country, Nigeria. [13] Fat Tony's father, an Igbo, [14] fought in the Biafran War in Nigeria before coming to Houston. [4] Growing up, he became a fan of Nirvana. He stated in an interview that the first album he ever bought was an album from child rap duo Kris Kross whom he was inspired by due to the fact that they were kids. In middle school he formed a rap group with his friends called Simply Throwed. In high school he performed in a rap group called The Low Ends. He continued playing in bands with friends throughout his school days. [13] Fat Tony attended Carnegie Vanguard High School (Class of 2006) [15] and the University of St. Thomas. [16] He also studied as a communications major at the University of Houston. [17]
Fat Tony's debut studio album, RABDARGAB, was released in 2010. [18] The album's title is a reference to the late 1990s Houston Independent School District campaign ("Read a book, do a report, get a buck") aimed at students to promote literacy by offering $1 to students in exchange for book reports. [19] In 2012, he released a collaborative album with producer Tom Cruz, titled Double Dragon, on Young One Records. [20] [21]
In 2013, he released Smart Ass Black Boy on Young One Records. [22] Produced by Tom Cruz, the album was written in two days and recorded in four days in Los Angeles, California. [23] It was included on the year-end lists by Complex , [24] Houston Press , [25] and Vice . [26]
In 2017, he released MacGregor Park on First One Up. [27] The album's title refers to MacGregor Park in Houston. [28] It was included on the year-end lists by Bandcamp Daily [29] and Houston Press. [30]
In 2018, Fat Tony released 10,000 Hours on Don Giovanni Records. [31] Written and recorded in Los Angeles, the album was produced in large part by Hevln. [32]
In 2019, Fat Tony served as a host on the nightly live variety show Vice Live on Viceland along with Marie Faustin, Sandy Honig, and Zack Fox. [33]
In 2020, he released a collaborative album with producer Taydex, titled Wake Up, on Carpark Records. [34]
On October 23, 2020, he released the album Exotica on Carpark Records. [35]
Fat Tony has cited Ramones, Prince, Michael Jackson, Black Flag, Bad Brains, Morrissey, the Smiths, E-40, Jay-Z, Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, UGK, Outkast, DJ Screw, Three 6 Mafia, Mac Dre, Too Short, Aaliyah, R. Kelly, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Rick Rubin, Beastie Boys, Scarface, Devin the Dude, Kilo Ali, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Mannie Fresh, Bikini Kill, Lil B, A Tribe Called Quest, and De La Soul as his music influences. [36]
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