Fat Tony
Available February 12, Bay Area’s premiere imprint presents Text Me Records: Bang My Line – A Valentine’s Day Mixtape & we have the honor to present a taste with the world premiere of Fat Tony’s “A.L.W.T.H.” ft. Grey Goon. From the label that provides a spotlight on rising artists from coast to coast, the inclusion of Fat Tony on the new tape follows on the heels of the artist’s recent track collaboration with Phem on “Amazing” that showcases Anthony versatility as one of the most underrated emcees in the world.
It could even be said that Fat Tony is not only one of the greatest in the game, but is a contender for G.O.A.T. status. Consider the artist’s span of styles over the years that have seen them working with Tom Cruz, Kool A.D., Main Attrakionz, JD Samson, A$AP Rocky & countless more—Fat Tony (born Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu) has made a career over the past decade by carving out his own unique & evolving styles that are centered around innovation & wit. The Third Ward Houston Texas by way of LA performer/writer has been a critical force in ushering in the contemporary era of hip hop, r&b & pop at large that many of us take for granted. From albums like RABDARGAB, Double Dragon, Smart Ass Black Boy, MacGregor Park, countless singles & accolades (including the honors of winning the Best Underground Hip Hop award at Houston Press Music Awards in 2013) to establishing the local Houston lifestyle/culture magazine Found Me; there are plenty of indications that the future belongs to the skills & styles of Fat Tony.
Witnessing the decline of boom bap modernism, Anthony was an early adopter of everything from chopped & screwed techniques (see SCREWDARGAB), the cloud rap era (see the video for “Double Up“) to beyond the blog-hyped buzz (see the A$AP Rocky collaboration “Get Lit“). And all of these inclusive attitudes prevail forward as Anthony advances ahead with a quick & clever approach to rhyme & song with an excited & inspiring willingness to work with the most progressive talents in the entire industry. Anthony’s extensive output offers a sense of unusual enlightenment where every track abides by its own self-structured & cleverly designed gravity. And no matter how much you become enraptured with any particular album or single from the artist [we still have the “MacGregor Park” title track on a loop], there is always an infinite curiosity at what Anthony is working on next—and who he may be working with in the process.
Which brings us to the grand debut for the succinct & sweet stepping single “A.L.W.T.H.” that features big time slaps provided by Grey Goon. Fat Tony tackles the notions of codependency that easily arise out of even the greatest relationships, where the confrontations, hangovers & headaches are tallied up in a frank & honest survey of truths. Delving deep into bonds in crises, Anthony presents an unflinching view to the causes, concepts & scenarios that bring baggage & unnecessary weight to the equation. From the chorus hook that humorously states I think we ought to be in a psych ward & as long as you do you I’ll be here to do my part; the fussing & fighting behind close doors is extended to the arenas of familiar haunts populated by mutual friends & the comfort of having a partner to assist in everything from food, rent & all manners of human support. For a song that clocks in at just over a couple minutes, Fat Tony rapidly illustrates all-too-real situations from Thanksgivings spent with a significant other’s parents who quote Breitbart articles to myriad intricacies of finding common grounds of civility in shared spaces (from the apartment to the local pub). Anthony along with Grey Goon have made the ultimate exhibition of maligned romances as experience & endured here in the now of the modern age.
Fat Tony introduced the new single “A.L.W.T.H.” ft. Grey Goon with the following reflections:
Mitski inspired this song. I was thinking about codependency and how it comforts us even when relationships are rocky. Sometimes it comforts the social circle surrounding the partners more than the partners themselves. Mitski’s concert in LA last year sparked this analysis of codependency and Grey Goon’s beat is where I laid these thoughts to rest (for now).
Find Fat Tony & Grey Goon’s new single on the Text Me Records Valentines Day Mixtape Text Me Records: Bang My Line – A Valentine’s Day Mixtape available February 12. Pre-save available here.
