The only time Will Schube won’t eat your lunch is during a fast.
Last year, Fat Tony made a country-pop rap record. It was much better than that genre tag betrays. It was all slide guitars and campfires, an ode to the great state of Texas—and the many ways in which it’s not so great. He was wearing cowboy hats when Lil Nas X was just a Nicki stan. In 2017, Tony put out a quick, smart, Houston rap record. It had anti-cop anthems, club songs, and to-down convertible moments. In a word, Fat Tony is indescribable. His latest switch up includes a record deal with Carpark and the sub-two minute “Godly” which features precision rapping and an unshakably spooky chorus from Negashi Armada.
Armada goes first, using the chorus to shit-talk in a seance-like ritual, half dead, half ready to rob you for 20 bucks and a soda. Tony’s always been comfortable riding with the groove, but here he absolutely straps in, going double time over the scratched out guitar-led beat. “I don’t need a live band or a mic stand to know the beat like the back of my hand,” he raps.
Seeing a Fat Tony live show is to see one man push the limits of what performance is all about. He smashes his work against that of his peers, idols, and forebearers, disregarding the tradition of a rap set in its entirety. Tony’s always been sensitive but tough as nails, and here, the tradition continues. “XOXO I’m signing the letter/Dear mom, I knew it’d all get better.” It’s a sweet and loving respite after a minute-and-a-half assault on the beat. It’s both sides of Tony excelling at once. Enthralling, a bit unhinged, entirely captivating. Fat Tony is unpredictable, but this much can always be certain.
