Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu or Anthony Lawson Obi (born March 24, 1988), better known by his stage name Fat Tony, is a Nigerian-American rapper. He has been recognized in '' URB''s "Next 1000", a list of emerging new artists anticipated to break through. At the ''

Houston Press The ''Houston Press'' is an online newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in the Midtown Houston, Midtown area. It was also a weekly print newspaper until November 2017. The publication is supported entirely ...

'' Music Awards, he won the Best Underground Hip Hop award in 2008, 2009, and 2010, as well as the Best Solo Rapper award in 2013.

Early life

Fat Tony grew up in the Third Ward area of

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. 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 Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

such as

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

and

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

. His father is stated to have exposed the artist to acts like

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

and

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hol ...

as well as music from his home country,

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of 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 The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

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 Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It was included on the year-end lists by ''

Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...

'', ''

'', and ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

''. 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 Bandcamp is an American online music distribution platform founded in 2008 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with an office and record store in Oakland, California. Acquired by Epi ...

'' 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 Viceland (stylized in all caps; also known as Vice TV in the United States) is a brand used for television channels owned and programmed by Vice Media. The brand launched on February 29, 2016, with two cable channels in North America. The Vice ...

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.

Style and influences

Fat Tony has cited Ramones,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

, Black Flag,

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American punk rock band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1976. They are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this term to describe their music. They are also an ade ...

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...

the Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. Stevens is a founding member of the rap group The Click (band), The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 27 stud ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

, the Notorious B.I.G.,

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

, UGK, Outkast,

DJ Screw Robert Earl Davis Jr. (July 20, 1971 – November 16, 2000), better known by his stage name DJ Screw, was an American hip hop DJ based in Houston, Texas, and best known as the creator of the chopped and screwed DJ technique. He was a centra ...

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American hip-hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip-hop group, they went on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mystic Stylez'' became an influen ...

Mac Dre Andre Louis Hicks (July 5, 1970 – November 1, 2004), known artistically as Mac Dre, was an American rapper, record producer and songwriter from Vallejo, California. He was an instrumental figure in the emergence of hyphy, a cultural movement ...

, Too Short,

Aaliyah Aaliyah Dana Haughton ( ; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer, actress, dancer, and model. Known as the " Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop", she is credited with helping to redefine contemporary R&B, p ...

, R. Kelly, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Rick Rubin,

Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...

, Scarface, Devin the Dude, Kilo Ali,

Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

, Mannie Fresh,

Bikini Kill Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group originally consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pio ...

, Lil B, A Tribe Called Quest,

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...

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) * '' Smart Ass Black Boy'' (2013) * ''MacGregor Park'' (2017) * ''House with a Pool'' (2018) * ''10,000 Hours'' (2018) * ''Wake Up'' (2020) * ''Exotica'' (2020) * ''I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy'' (2023)

Remix albums

* ''SCREWDARGAB'' (2011) * ''MacGregor Park (Chopnotslop Remix)'' (2017)

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) * ''Urban Hall of Fame'' (2016) * ''Snak Pak'' (2018) * ''Full Circle'' (2018)

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

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fat Tony 1988 births Living people Igbo rappers African-American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers Rappers from Houston University of Houston alumni University of St. Thomas (Texas) alumni American people of Igbo descent 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians Don Giovanni Records artists Carpark Records artists 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians American musicians of Nigerian descent