Fat Tony (rapper)

Early life

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

Career

Fat Tony's debut studio album, RABDARGAB, was released in 2010. 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. In 2012, he released a collaborative album with producer Tom Cruz, titled Double Dragon, on Young One Records.

In 2013, he released Smart Ass Black Boy on Young One Records. Produced by Tom Cruz, the album was written in two days and recorded in four days in Los Angeles, California. It was included on the year-end lists by Complex, Houston Press, and Vice.

In 2017, he released MacGregor Park on First One Up. The album's title refers to MacGregor Park in Houston. It was included on the year-end lists by Bandcamp Daily and Houston Press. In 2018, Fat Tony released 10,000 Hours on Don Giovanni Records. Written and recorded in Los Angeles, the album was produced in large part by Hevln. 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.

In 2020, he released a collaborative album with producer Taydex, titled Wake Up, on Carpark Records. On October 23, 2020, he released the album Exotica on Carpark Records. In 2025, he joined the No Music for Genocide movement in protest of Israeli actions in Gaza.

Style and influences

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, Avril Lavigne and De La Soul as his music influences.

Personal life

His home was destroyed in the 2025 Eaton Fire.

Discography

Studio albums

• RABDARGAB (2010)
• Double Dragon (2012) (with Tom Cruz)
• Smart Ass Black Boy (2013)
• MacGregor Park (2017)
• House with a Pool (2018) (with Kyle Mabson, as Charge It to the Game)
• 10,000 Hours (2018)
• Wake Up (2020) (with Taydex)
• Exotica (2020)
• I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy (2023) (with Taydex)
• Brain Candy (2024) (with Fatboi Sharif)

Remix albums

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

Live albums

• Live at No Audience (2020)

Compilation albums

• The Creation of Fat Tony (2009)

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 (2018) (with Yung Skrrt)
• Full Circle (2018) (with J.Kelr)

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)
• "Don't Move" b/w "Can't Stay" (2020)
• "Gambling Man" (Mariachi Remix) (2020)
• "Ain't for Me" (2021)
• "Ain't for Me" (Blockhead Remix) (2020)

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)
• Mishka & Rad Reef - "Hyperbolic Chamber Music" (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)
• Black Midi - "Jam" and "bmbmbm" from Black Midi Live in the USA (2020)

References

References

1. "Artists". Young One Records.
2. "Discography". [[Don Giovanni Records]].
3. "Store". [[Carpark Records]].
4. Serrano, Shea. (June 2013). "The Happy Rapper". [[Texas Monthly]].
5. Yeung, Neil Z.. "Fat Tony: Biography". [[AllMusic]].
6. Rhodes, Dusti. (January 13, 2010). "Apostle of Hustle". [[Houston Press]].
7. Norcia, Alex. (February 25, 2019). "VICE Is Doing It Live". [[Vice (magazine).
8. McDonald, Dominic. "Urb Magazine :: Next 1000 :: Fat Tony". [[URB (magazine).
9. Gray, Chris. (July 30, 2008). "2008 HPMA Winner List". [[Houston Press]].
10. Gray, Chris. (July 31, 2009). "The 2009 Houston Press Music Award Winners". [[Houston Press]].
11. Gray, Chris. (August 11, 2010). "2010 Houston Press Music Award Winners... All Of 'Em". [[Houston Press]].
12. (August 7, 2013). "The 2013 Houston Press Music Award Winners". [[Houston Press]].
13. (3 September 2016). "Fat Tony Talks 'Charge It To The Game', His Dad Hating His Music & Being A D-I-Y Hustler".
14. (October 10, 2008). "The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston presents a Halloween Steel Lounge Underground with no tricks just musical treats". [[Contemporary Arts Museum Houston]].
15. "Carnegie's Community Service Requirement". [[Carnegie Vanguard High School]].
16. Grant, Clyde. (2008). "Fat Tony". Drench Magazine.
17. Damante, Mike. (November 25, 2008). "Fat Tony pulls out the stops". [[University of Houston]].
18. Serrano, Shea. (October 21, 2010). "Fat Tony Breaks Down His Brand-New RABDARGAB". [[Houston Press]].
19. (October 27, 2010). "Ghoulsfest: The Passion of Fat Tony". [[Houston Chronicle]].
20. Martin, Andrew. (June 2, 2012). "Mixtape Premiere: Fat Tony & Tom Cruz "Double Dragon"". [[Complex (magazine).
21. Breihan, Tom. (June 5, 2012). "Download Fat Tony & Tom Cruz Double Dragon". [[Stereogum]].
22. (June 11, 2013). "Smart Ass Black Boy by Fat Tony". [[Apple Music]].
23. Guerra, Joey. (June 3, 2013). "NPR premieres Houston rapper Fat Tony's new album". [[Houston Chronicle]].
24. (January 7, 2014). "The 10 Best Houston Rap Mixtapes of 2013 - 5. Fat Tony, Smart Ass Black Boy". [[Complex (magazine).
25. (December 13, 2013). "The 11 Best Houston Releases of 2013". [[Houston Press]].
26. (December 18, 2013). "VICE's Top 50 Albums of 2013". [[Vice (magazine).
27. (August 25, 2017). "Macgregor Park by Fat Tony". [[Apple Music]].
28. Dansby, Andrew. (April 16, 2016). "Bringing back the magic of Sundays in MacGregor Park". [[Houston Chronicle]].
29. Mlynar, Phillip. (December 20, 2017). "The Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2017". [[Bandcamp Daily]].
30. Caldwell, Brandon. (January 2, 2018). "The 20 Best Houston Rap Tapes Of 2017 (20-16)". [[Houston Press]].
31. Johnson, Cherise. (August 15, 2018). "Fat Tony Announces His New '10,000 Hours' Album Along With A Political Single, 'Texas,' And A Big Tour". [[Uproxx]].
32. Thompson, Paul. (October 10, 2018). "Fat Tony is good for your health". [[The Fader]].
33. Schneider, Michael. (January 17, 2019). "Viceland Will Relaunch Primetime With Nightly Live Two-Hour Variety Show (EXCLUSIVE)". [[Variety (magazine).
34. Watson, Elijah C.. (October 9, 2019). "Fat Tony Announces New Album 'Wake Up,' Shares New Song". [[Okayplayer]].
35. Watson, Elijah C.. (September 1, 2020). "Fat Tony Announces New Album 'Exotica,' Shares New Song "Feeling Groovy" [Premiere]". [[Okayplayer]].
36. (2025-09-18). "Hundreds Of Artists Back “No Music For Genocide” Campaign To Geo-Block Israel".
37. "Page 3 Full List — No Music For Genocide".
38. "PODiMOUTH Presents: FAT TONY". PODiMOUTH.
39. Ackerman, Allyson. (Jan 10, 2025). "Houston rapper Fat Tony loses home as devastating L.A. wildfires rage". Houston Chronicle.
40. Chang, Alisa. (Jan 31, 2025). "Rapper Fat Tony is performing to help others, even as he mourns his 'Altadena dream'". NPR.
41. Ambriz, Leslie. (Jan 29, 2025). "Some artists lost their life’s work in LA wildfires. Fellow artists are helping them recover". Associated Press.
42. Monroe, Jazz. (Jan 9, 2025). "Diiv’s Zachary Cole Smith, Fat Tony, and More Seek Aid as Wildfires Devastate California". Pitchfork.
43. Ta, Amy. (Jan 20, 2025). "LA fires: Musicians feel grief, catharsis, and optimism about their art". KCRW.
44. "Black Midi Live in the USA, by black midi".