Smart Ass Black Boy

by Fat Tony

Overview

After the release of his debut album, 2010's RABDARGAB, underground Houston rapper Fat Tony offered fans a dollar if they reviewed the album. Send Fat Tony a review, he sent you a crisp dollar, and even if that's a press-making gimmick in an industry plagued with such things, it's a clever and charming one, too. Combine those qualities with a laid-back, warm, Andre 3000-styled flow, some golden age swagger, plus a never-ending supply of witty lyrics, and you've got the appeal of Smart Ass Black Boy, Fat Tony's first high-profile release. Production is skillfully handled by longtime collaborator Tom Cruz, who lays inventive electro and/or soul under the rapper, all of it memorable and some of it -- the brittle stutter of "Sleepover" -- quite stunning. Tony is the one that makes it all sound effortless, rattling off observations about his neighbors and the great "Hood Party" ("Even white people know it's a good party"), including being perplexed by "Bonnie and Mike, who, like, lived here all their life/And still don't know how to use a hookah." That cut features Despot along with former Das Racist member Kool A.D., while good friend Old Money joins Tony for "BKNY," a woozy, infectious highlight that feels like the party is peaking in slow motion. Wonders never cease as the feel-good "Frenzy" combines tiny synth bleeps with dancehall delivery and motivational weekend talk, then there's the sobering closer "The More Things Change (The More They Stay the Same)," which proves this Smart Ass Black Boy can be so much more, offering a musical African-American history lesson with special mention going to the Watts Riots. Slim enough, the man looks like he'd be swimming in any T-shirt sized above Large, but one listen to this effervescent and rich album and it's obvious why this Tony is dubbed Fat. ~ David Jeffries

Product Details

Release Date:	12/01/2023
Label:	Partisan
UPC:	0720841303039
catalogNumber:	3030
Rank:	81238

Tracks

1. Smart Ass Black Boy
2. Final Destination
3. Creepin'
4. BKNY
5. I Shine
6. Never Let You Go
7. Hood Party
8. Frenzy
9. Father's Day
10. Sleepover
11. The More Things Change (The More They Stay the Same)
12. BKNY [Remix]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Fat Tony   Primary Artist
Tom Cruz   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Boy/Friend   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Kool A.D.   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Despot   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Stunnaman   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Old Money   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Shawn Neon   Primary Artist,Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Daniel Lynas   Engineer
K. Jenkins   Composer
Shaka Girvan   Mixing,Engineer,Mastering
A. Charles   Composer
Paul Katzman   Mixing,Engineer
Darek Garcia   Design,Art Direction
John Bohannon   Booking
Nathanel Turner   Photography
Zach Pollack   Management
Fat Tony   Composer,Executive Producer
A. Reinstein   Composer
Tom Cruz   Executive Producer,Mastering,Producer,Mixing,Composer