Fat Tony, a Houston living legend

Holy crap if dudes can't get any radder than Fat Tony himself. He is as real as Coca Cola!
That's all I've got to say. It's Fat Tony. His music speaks for it's self. Here he is.

Jacob:You're one of the hypest underground rappers in Houston. You just recently
preformed at CMJ. Easily, you were the hypest rapper over in New York at
that time, right? How'd that go?

Fat Tony: New York was a lot of fun. Made new fans, made new contacts, and got in good with the right people. I was in love with the public transit and all the pizza and the vegan fast food. I was the only rapper from Texas there, and one of the few rappers playing CMJ, period. I played a showcase with SMASHPROOF, a popular rap group from New Zealand, and QN5, a Queens, NY based underground rap label. SMASHPROOF were cool dudes and went on before me. During my set I got a little hate from some men in the crowd who didn't take too kindly to me opening my set with DJ Assault's "Ass 'n' Titties," rapping with a delay pedal and bringing girls on stage to the timeless Juvenile classic "Back That Azz Up" but the people with good tastes were into me. I can't wait to return to NYC!
J: You seem to connect with everyone at your shows. The hip hops kids,
the punks (I remember a squatter kid singing along to you), the art kids
and everyone between. Do you suppose it's your attitude or because
you get booked with various genres.

FT: I think it's all of the above. My attitude is open minded and welcoming to any and everybody that wants to have fun and be entertained by good music. Plus It's always been a conscious effort to play shows with a variety of artists and organize shows with a variety of artists - like my show BLACK CHRISTMAS which features myself, B L A C K I E, Speak! (rapper from L.A.), and Caddywhompus on December 26 at Mango's Cafe. I want to expose my fans to different shit that I think is cool as frequently as possible.
J: I sometimes see you wear Mr. T Experience, Screeching Weasel, and
other pop punk shirts. At what age did you get into punk rock. What are
some of your favorite bands?

FT: I got into punk rock from being a little boy in elementary school that really liked Nirvana because they were loud and broke things on TV. Soon as I got my first drum set I tore it to pieces.That started my interest and it continued with the Ramones, but really got cemented in 6th grade when I got Blink 182's "Enema of the State" album. That turned me on to a lot of older bands that they'd mention in interviews or perform cover songs of. Knowing about bands like Screeching Weasel and NOFX is a direct influence of Blink 182. Some of my favorite punk bands are definitely the Ramones (my #1), Bad Brains, Descendents, Black Flag, The Germs, Screeching Weasel, Misfits, Hüsker Dü, The Replacements, and The Queers to name a few. I've always been mostly into pop punk and the old 70's + early 80's stuff.
J: So are these the bands that influence you to play hiphop? Why not a punk
band? What hiphop/rap artists are you digging like a ditch right now.

FT: Ya fuckin' right. Every piece of good music I really admire is a big influence on my music.And I don't play in a punk band cause I think rap music is more fun and more flexible. Plus growing up I never really know many people that liked punk rock. I still don't think it's a lot of people that really like punk rock unless they're old and want to reminisice or a young suburban Warped Tour kid with too much internet on their hands.There's not many rap artists I especially like except my friends and folks I've met outside of Texas. Out of this new generation of rap niggas I'm into Smash Bro, June James, B L A C K I E, Nosaprise, Hollywood Floss, Supreeme (Atlanta), Speak! (L.A.), and Ninjasonik (NYC). Out of the current rappers that's deeper in the game right now I dig Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, Lil' Wayne, Kanye West, and a few records from others like The Cool Kids. Other than that I listen to a lot of the classics like UGK, Jay-Z, 2Pac, Too Short, etc.

J: RABDARGAB is your debut album. Tell me about the story behind this album title?

FT: When I was a bad ass little boy in 4th grade (1997-1998) I used to come home and get my school clothes all dirty and watch TV. Often when I'd watch cartoons on Fox 26 they would show a commercial PSA for a H.I.S.D literacy promotion program called RABDARGAB. READ A BOOK DO A REPORT GET A BUCK. It was simple way for a kid to make a $1 at that time. To me, the album title represents Houston, my generation, and general hustling (aka the American way).

J: When will it be released.?

FT: No release date is set for the album, but the sooner it's released the happier I'll be. It still needs a home. If anybody has a decent record label and wants to press up a great new rap album by a new artist and a new producer named Tom Cruz (who could very well be the next J Dilla according to Bob Power, engineer of A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Erykah Badu, etc.) then come holla at ya boy. You won't regret it.
J: Any ideas of how you want to celebrate it?

FT: Throw a party with a keg of lean. Maybe a keg of Sparks... who knows, just something fun and lavish.
J: Is there anyone in Houston right now that you think is innovating the
city right now.

FT: Me.
J: If you could do a rap duet with anyone right now dead or alive who would it be.

FT: Pimp C... E-40... Too Short... Q-Tip... The Neptunes... Darby Crash... Those come to mind immediately. I used to have a dream list of people I'd want to work with when I was in high school.
J: Tu Pac is dead. BIG is dead. Big L is dead. 50 Cent kept getting shot
but kept getting up. What's up with Fat Tony. You dodgin' bullets?
What's up!

F: No death threats yet. Life is very precious and that's something I've always been quite conscious of. One only lives once. I hope God blesses me to see many, many, many more days and stay far the hell away from trouble. I can do a lot of good for this world and everyone I believe in.

J: A Fat Tony record release party and a keg of Sparks! I'm there!

Fat Tony is to host a night at Mango's on 26 of December with performance by Fat Tony, Caddywhompus, B L A C K I E, & Speak (from Los Angeles) - 403 Westheimer -Doors @ 8pm
Shows @ 9pm - $5