1. |
||||
Never took a liking to the lifestyle
Dabbled just a little but I’d never say I’m that wild
Never say never, since the beginning I was that child
Ready and willing to get it in, focused, hoping to be a rap god
Quite odd, few screws loose, on my iPod
Mac Dre, UGK, 12th grade in the H
Went hard every day at Carnegie Vanguard
Letting niggas know exactly what my next plans are
Few years later I’m in LA with Tom Cruz [note: Tom Cruz is the song's producer aka GLDN_EYE]
2012, the years prior I paid dues
Fucked with Das Racist, to this day they still my dudes
R.I.P. Yams, had me and Rocky on Pro Tools
At Daniel Lynas studio, damn it, I was studious
Learning each inch of the game, put every tool to work
Do it like my duty, yeah, need more than a souvenir
In this shit to get the glory, you can keep the free beer
Learned a lot about myself but still got more to figure out
Glad I took this route, I’m underground, come and dig it out
Dig a bit deeper, find something you can smile about
Life hard right now, I swear I’m finna work it out
Now I’m back in California
Lived a bit in Brooklyn, Houston, Mexico in that order
Atwater Village, where I first resided in this city
Still dear to me acted such an ass I need an Emmy
Used to puff it, pass it to my niggas
Now I take a break from the smoke to keep my mind in it
Never liked The Strokes but I stroke it like you pet a kitty
Thinking 'bout the only girl I ever see when I ain’t busy
Back up like my nigga Juve said for the Nine-Nine ['99]
Finna call this fuckin A&R for the 9th time
I'ma need the splits to hit my BMI right on time
If the side is soup, you know I gotta get the wonton
If I die today, I'll die with pride on and offline
Know enough to know when I fail, it ain’t the last time
Older, I know how to prevail when it is crunch time
Bolder, I know more of myself, ain't finna fuck around
Learned a lot about myself but still got more to figure out
Glad I took this route, I’m underground, come and dig it out
Dig a bit deeper, find something you can smile about
Life hard right now, I swear I’m finna work it out
|
||||
2. |
||||
born to go silly
boy been with it
since an infant
been so bout it
nobody could doubt it
ooh i aint eating at in-n-out
im en route to venue, full amount
at the end of the night prefer cash
im tryna finish first nigga, not last
she fine, think i got whiplash
my life a film, get Movie Pass
to see how i flex, since day one
knew i had get dirty for a home run
i might talk dirty like poison
feeling real colorful like Cezanne
hey ma, im an old head, living a crazy life
your mcm a cokehead, drinking miller light
aint into hype, prefe longevity
you and me is like nelly and kelly
i’m like Nas at the end of Belly
i realize it’s all fuckery
half the shit you like aint for me
i dont need it, dont want it, no way
i aint coming if y’all dont pay
ima let you know now, i dont play
been doin this forever
now im on another level yeah yeah
10,000
10,000 hours
i did it with a few pals
but i do it on my own now
10,000
10,000 hours
started with a crew
dreaming big
all that we would do
is get it in
at each other house every week
if i made the beat it was on repeat
3,000 hours in, dude
made money, made a hit or two
got a deal, did a tour, it was ill
a hundred hours later, niggas quit
till it was me and one fella
thought it was gon be us forever
made another album for the fans
didn’t do as well as the last did
now he out, im solo in this bitch
put in 9,999
really did it all the damn time
now im reaping all the benefits
|
||||
3. |
No Beef [Prod. by Hevln]
02:51
|
|||
we dont need beef
lets get right to the issue
i’ll listen when you speak
maybe we’ll meet in the middle
how can we compromise?
we don’t need this division
i swear i will listen
it’s better when we kick it
no we dont need no beef
lets get to the issue i dont even eat meat
maybe we’ll meet in the middle
how can we compromise?
we don’t need this division
i swear i will listen
it’s better when we kick it
old friend
lets try again
can this last?
well that depends
lets take it slow
i won’t fold
glad you spoke about it
i didn’t even know
in the beginning
didn’t know we’d bicker at all
in one sentence
i ended it, I’m sorry, i’m wrong
lets figure it out
i ain’t got no shame
i’m right here now
pick up if you’re hearing the call
How can we reconcile it
When we haven’t said a word?
Sorry, yeah I said it first
You ready? Can we make it work?
We’re better together
Lets find a way, maybe move it forward
Couple times we cut it off
Digging at each other’s flaws
Running round my head is every word you said
That cut deep
Nothing that I said could ever hurt the way you hurt me
Nah, that ain’t the way to look at it
I’m sorry yet again
Hardly is ever one sided when one has lost a friend
Hardly do I ever lose sight of what is really real
Trippin lately, feeling like my feelings verge on overkill
You and I apart is like a coca-cola with no ice
No condensation round the cup to remind what a summer’s like
|
||||
4. |
Charles [Prod. by Hevln]
01:41
|
|||
Our Own Language
https://www.talkhouse.com/introducing-charles/
My brother Charles is autistic and has been nonverbal for our whole lives.
In the song “Charles,” I sing about how my brother will never “grow old.” He’ll never get married and start a family, he’ll never lose a job, and he’ll never stress about bills. He will never be fully independent, and in a sense, he’ll remain a child for the rest of his life.
My brother’s never said a word to me. As a child, I told kids my brother was shy and spoke a language they didn’t understand. Charles has been autistic and nonverbal for our whole lives. Our communication is purely body language. When Charles was eight years old, his psychiatrist told us he could speak, but chose not to. He purposely masked his voice. She recalled asking him, “Do you know you’re Charles?” and swore he responded, “I know,” in a low tone, almost a whisper. His elementary school teacher once told us she walked into a seemingly empty classroom, heard someone speaking, and peeked in to see Charles sitting alone. When she revealed herself, the voice abruptly stopped. He understands when we speak, and responds with action when asked to do a task. There have been attempts to use devices to help him express himself—machines from school with pictures and phrases that speak what he’d want to say—but he’s rejected them all.
I’ve longed for my brother to write something down or say anything at all to me. I’d give anything to know exactly what’s on his mind. Sometimes, I sat in his room and told him he could talk to me, and I’d never tell our parents what he said. I promised him this over and over, until he held my hand and nodded and I embraced him, reiterating the same promises in his ear, to no avail.
His oral expression is limited to grunting when upset and humming when pleased. When he’s frustrated, he bites his clenched fist and whimpers over his knuckles until something pleasant diverts his attention, like a cartoon or a snack. He threw these tantrums more often with our parents than with me, but we had our share of bickering when his mischievous side kicked in.
Our relationship has always been anchored by pranks. Charles used to love hiding toys and video games from me, laughing as I tore up the room, losing my wits trying to find my Metal Gear Solid 2 disc. When I did, I’d shoot him the evil eye and proceed to tickle the shit out of him. He’d laugh, I’d laugh, then we’d nag our parents for McDonald’s—I’d do so verbally, while he pointed to their logo on our coupon-covered refrigerator.
I’ve always felt like an only child. We never shared a room for more than a month or two. We never attended the same school, although we’re just a year apart. Our parents treated us differently out of necessity, but there were times I resented the attention he’d receive. Our family outings were contingent on his behavior. If my parents feared an outburst couldn’t be contained in the environment, we’d avoid the place. It couldn’t be too quiet. It couldn’t be too crowded. Plans often ended before they began.
I was envious of siblings on television. Growing up, I watched My Brother and Me, Smart Guy, and Malcolm in the Middle, and wished our lives were different. I desperately wanted the camaraderie they exuded. I wanted my brother and me to compete, fight, share, and laugh like the siblings in sitcoms. I wanted the feeling of “us versus them” when our parents reprimanded us. I wanted that partner in crime. I thought every family was like that, except for mine.
His condition prevented us from ever leading typical lives. Charles kept my parents on their toes, prepared to alter their plans at a moment’s notice. Their stress was apparent, and it became easier to keep things to ourselves. I rarely saw classmates outside of school and hardly had friends come over. I only knew a couple kids my age within walking distance and one was a cousin. They’d come play Sega Genesis or basketball occasionally, but after fourth grade, that happened less and less. I spent most of my free time alone in my room with a small television and an array of Nintendo 64 games, usually including a rental or two from Blockbuster. That alone time intensified when my dad gifted me an old PC. Luckily, I was allowed to keep it in my room and spent almost every waking moment pirating music, browsing Japanese video games on NCSX, and creating Angelfire websites for imaginary bands I dreamed of starting one day.
My father, a petroleum engineer, is quiet and a bit timid—he’s probably still shaken from his experiences in Nigeria’s Biafran War. He put privacy first in our household and was very protective of my brother, spending more time with him than with me. Looking back, I think my father’s concern for privacy stemmed from not wanting my atypical brother around typical people who’d potentially ridicule him. To this day, my father spends most of his time at home with my brother, working on his laptop while Charles plays suggested video after suggested video on YouTube. My father and I butted heads so often that I never thought I’d relate to him in any way. I had no aspirations to the tune of, “Like father, like son,” but his fondness for privacy absolutely rubbed off on me.
In a sense, my brother and I were both nonverbal. Charles never spoke and I rarely spoke of him because I never imagined I’d meet anyone that could relate. I longed to understand autism, but kept it all to myself. Today I’m more comfortable discussing our upbringing and I’ve finally begun to befriend people with a similar home life. These new friends have autistic siblings, but none are nonverbal like Charles. Emboldened by our shared experiences, I’m now more vocal about my brother and what makes our relationship special, which is part of why I was able to write a song about him. “Charles” also explores a question I’ve thought about for years: “I got love for my bro, but will he ever know?” He would: On a recent visit to Houston, I sat side by side with my brother in his room as he browsed YouTube search results. It was my first trip home since moving to Los Angeles last Christmas. When I mentioned that I’d missed him, he slid his hand on top of mine, holding it firmly while staring at the screen. He understood. “Charles” is still my favorite thing I’ve ever written, because I love my brother, and because it took so long to know how to say it.
|
||||
5. |
||||
you like what i like
i like what you like
think i even like it when we in a fight
no, i can't deny the feeling is right
if you like it, i love it, i'm willing to try
love you a lot
love what we got
since the beginning the feeling been tight
no, i can't deny the feeling is right
if you like it, i love it
yeah, i'm willing to try
had to shoot my shot like Time Crisis or Isis
now i'm diving deep you niggas might think i'm a Pisces
we just spent a weekend in Houston salute to Stephen
shout out to his wife, you got a player for life
when we are apart i think about you all night
when we're close i know that we ain't gotta think twice
i let go the baggage, like Badu i'm the Bag Lady
old nigga born in the 80's
i seen a lot, got me crazy
you been through a lot too
i'm thankful like Apu
open like 7-11, yeah, you can come through
had fun out in Tucson, met dad and met mom
you met mom and dad too, they wanna see more of you
but right now we ain't seeing eye to eye
let's communicate
maybe we'll find a compromise
and if you feel like i feel
let's listen to instinct
and see what we can build
you like what i like
i like what you like
think i even like it when we in a fight
no, i can't deny the feeling is right
if you like it, i love it, i'm willing to try
love you a lot
love what we got
since the beginning the feeling been tight
no, i can't deny the feeling is right
if you like it, i love it
yeah, i'm willing to try
when we bicker i ain't bitter
the best we can do is grow
you help me, i help you
figure out where we need to go
you and i together is when i reveal my innermost
insecurities and goals
i'm here to be yours
when i call, you're right there
you ain't gotta wait, i'll be early or on time
i ain't giving up, nah
you ain't giving up, nah
we here for a reason
let's get what we came for
you like what i like
i like what you like
think i even like it when we in a fight
no, i can't deny the feeling is right
if you like it, i love it, i'm willing to try
love you a lot
love what we got
since the beginning the feeling been tight
no, i can't deny the feeling is right
if you like it, i love it
yeah, i'm willing to try
|
||||
6. |
||||
one of the smartest and the hardest artists in this industry regardless
good sport but i’m ornery like Arli$$
good boy, lil doggy need a harness
giddy like diddy but i’m fair
like it when she playing in my hair
L.A. beware of the air
ay whey, when pay day hits
i’ma need the whole, not a fifth
i stay space age when i’m pimpin
hey wait i need a few minutes
but sir, the stage is waiting! get it!
the crowd goin crazy, nigga!
but i’m a lil faded
can we get the opener to wait a minute
tequila i can feel it in me
need Tony, Grammy, and a Emmy
or Oscar cause I’m actin up often
eating black beans in Austin
with the whites, day and night
A&E need a doc on me from A to Z
whole shebang, cradle to grave
i do my thang, you dont do a thang
i see you shook and smell the doo doo stains
|
||||
7. |
||||
got in and got up out it
didn’t wanna stick around it
got in and got every cent
still spending dollars out it
things goin way better than they did before
win after win got me thinking i’m on a roll
can’t slow down, no time soon i’ll
keep stacking this little hill till it’s a mountain
at night cried, lonely, poor, pitiful i
but i try cause i got too much pride to hide
tonight tho, we celebrating
check came early, let’s get faded
bullet, beam, gasoline
four roses, who wanna drink?
My Team up next,
I ain't even gotta flex,
Didn't right my wrongs,
But I wrote my checks,
It is what is,
It ain't what it was,
From Nothin' to Somethin'
I got it out the mud,
I got it out the mud
Thank God for my plug,
Thank God for my plug
my team up, hotter than valentina
my wife stronger than xena
we jamming on selena
used to snack on peanuts
now everything gourmet
got a room at the four seasons
for the weekend to play
i work hard so i play hard
on god, this no facade
got racks in the PayPal
just put it on the debit card
i like where i stay now
my neighbors aint too loud
still drinking miller
because the high life’s my life now
tonight tho, we celebrating
check came early, let’s get faded
bullet, beam, gasoline
four roses, who wanna drink?
My Team up next,
I ain't even gotta flex,
Didn't right my wrongs,
But I wrote my checks,
It is what is,
It ain't what it was,
From Nothin' to Somethin'
I got it out the mud,
I got it out the mud
Thank God for my plug,
Thank God for my plug,
|
||||
8. |
Texas [Prod. by Hevln]
02:08
|
|||
don't do it, boy!
|
||||
9. |
||||
heard about the rumors
i’ma run em out
i aint worried bout word of the mouth
i know the truth
in one ear and out the other
buddy, who are you?
i know exactly who am i
like hula hoop, its going round, going round
i’ma run em out
i aint worried bout word of the mouth
i know the truth
in one ear and out the other
buddy, who are you?
i know exactly who am i
yeah, i heard about the rumors
and i dont give a damn
i’ma run em out
Lost a friend to the bullshit
Andy got up in her ear and told her to remove me
Told her that I used her
Treated her like trash
Turned out that boy is a liar now she put him in the past
How long can a lie last?
Almost lost the whole friendship
Luckily it’s mended
I done seen a lot, dunno what I should begin with
Back in the day I had rumors on the internet
High school, 10th grade, two girls said I wasn’t shit
Created a Xanga, shittin on my reputation
Said I got repeatedly rejected, born to be a failure
In the library they printed out every word
Got passed around, whole school knew I was a nerd
Little did they know I felt ugly since an early age
This was just another setback, yeah I felt ashamed
The principal read it, it was such an epidemic
They banned the internet for a semester,
had to run em out
i aint worried bout word of the mouth
i know the truth
in one ear and out the other
buddy, who are you?
i know exactly who am i
like hula hoop, its going round, going round
i’ma run em out
i aint worried bout word of the mouth
i know the truth
in one ear and out the other
buddy, who are you?
i know exactly who am i
yeah, i heard about the rumors
and i dont give a damn
i’ma run em out
I heard about yours too
Didn’t know what to believe
Can I ask you directly?
I’d never ever think
You’d do that
Damn, it still hurt when I think about
What were you thinking?
What the fuck were you drinking?
Never thought you’d take advantage
Of another person’s body
Goddamn, yeah it’s hard but I wanna be your friend
Yeah I wanna be there for you
And I know you going through it
Wanna see you like a brother
I can’t bring myself to do it
Know you going through some pain but we’ll never be the same
Can you feel where I’m coming from
Hope you understand
It’ll take time to heal
But you gotta just admit it
You can hide behind the rumors
But I’m glad that she didn’t
Yeah, she hit me
She told me all about it
You were with me
I stood outside for an hour
Took my ass home
I see you as a coward
Took advantage of a friend
I can’t even be around you
Had to run him out
|
||||
10. |
||||
i need my dream house
i got my dream girl
i got schemes up my sleeve for my dream world
i got some meetings later that could change my whole world
just throw me in the ring and i'ma swing for it
life is but a dream
it ain't hard as it seems, girl
you're tighter than you think
go and live your dream world
hit the barbershop and they fucked my head up
home for the holidays, needed a edge up
wanna get away when i come here now
love my city but i wonder what’s still there
big heart, you ain’t gotta say it, it’s all yours
no questions asked, take half or maybe more
rare art, when I’m in it i’ma tear apart
too smart, worked too hard to get swept up
yup
i know what i'm worth
eager to rinse the ills since the start
build things that really feel how a nigga really feel
it ain't only for the dollar bill
i feel priceless, sip tequila
my niggas got guns like ISIS i don't like it
from the great state of Texas, made my exit
got a new home, moved on, what an adventure
i need my dream house
i got my dream girl
i got schemes up my sleeve for my dream world
i got some meetings later that could change my whole world
just throw me in the ring and i'ma swing for it
life is but a dream
it ain't hard as it seems, girl
you're tighter than you think
go and live your dream world
|
||||
11. |
Nike [Prod. by Hevln]
02:03
|
|||
i'm finna do it
i'm finna do it (nike)
vodka soda I ain't placing an order
I don't order bring in what I'm gon pour up
this girl's so hot I'm feeding her porridge
fuck marry kill
don't care 'bout the order
I'm ballin all night now she calling me Rodman
I'm Rowdy Roddy and I'm bombing like Sadam
R.I.P. if you got hit by ar-15s
this world's a sick thing
this lifestyle’s addicting
i'm finna do it
i'm finna do it (nike)
do what I wanna do every day of the week
my ex is dead to me
we don't speak
as a teen i always in trouble
mom, I love you
but I don't do what I'm supposed to
when we kiss I think I'm finally pure
I'm dying inside can you please be the cure?
the girl's so hot, she don't need a fur
I want her with me every night of my tour
i'm finna do it
i'm finna do it (nike)
|
||||
12. |
||||
She said she never met a nigga like me
what?
I ain't never met no one like you either
no i'm never ever nothing like J. Cole
but i wanna see you with no features
i want you and me no features
no Cameo
unless "Candy" on the speakers
i mean it so much i'll repeat
no i'm not J. Cole
but i want you with no features
we could go around the globe
skrrt skrrt vroom vroom bitch
hop up on my broom, witch
drop top playing rock n roll
Ramones and The Misfits
Germs, Sly Stone, Prince
Hey miss
Sorry for the days that you cried
I was lost, didn't know what to say at the time
young sage in his prime
tryna wade through the water
it's a labyrinth, a maze
so i'm taking my time
and she dumb fine
wonder if she think about me sometime
wonder if she figured a nigga need her to
come down
H-Town, I was born and raised
Reside in LA now
Yell it out, got my pheromones energetic now
now you know exactly how i feel and
i'm ready and i'm willing to really start building
if 2Pac shot two cops and got a deal then
we can do whatever hey
meet me at 11 babe
She said she never met a nigga like me
what?
I ain't never met no one like you either
no i'm never ever nothing like J. Cole
but i wanna see you with no features
i want you and me no features
no Cameo
unless "Candy" on the speakers
i mean it so much i'll repeat
no i'm not J. Cole
but i want you with no features
|
||||
13. |
||||
don't wanna do it now
ain't fooling around
been waiting
wassup now?
you’re slowing me down
once again
wait up?
no i won't wait up
been here all day and i
ain't got time left
i'm out
see ya later
i aint got all day now
i aint bout to stay round
get out my way
gotta have my space
you lead me on too long
didn’t think its wrong
you said you’re on the way
but you’re just in my way
M.I.A. on any day that ends in -y
oh, i, know why
you ain’t bout it, move around it
ya say schedule crowded
i really doubt it
hope you get the message
do i gotta shout it
really its a pity
you so shitty
dont even realize it
dont even try to fight
dont even try to hide it
blimey, crikey,
goddamn it
put me on a-nother planet
get me outta here
y’all niggas can have it here
need another beer
just to manage
need another brain just to think
need another heart just to feel
cause you broke most things in me
you told lies, i know
i accepted it, my fault
wish i knew better back then
before i thought of you as a friend
|
||||
14. |
||||
i'm living my best life
oh what a feeling
don't fuck with fakes
only with real ones
this young lady with me
she looks like a million
live long enough,
you become the villain
so do what you want
just do what you want
just do what you want
i live it up, literally feeling myself
giving my best and i’m checking my health
didn’t believe i could see me this pleased
now i know what i want and it wants me
back in the day they called me lil daddy
little man, now i’m OG in the city
when in the streets, they blowing me kisses
r.i.p. Phife but i dont wear a fitted
feel like Obama, they shaking my hand
i run it like Diddy in Making The Band
get rich or die tryin like 50 and Lloyd
i like the money but i need much more
end of the tour, back in the crib, plotting on what i need next
we on the porch, she looking gorgeous, life cant get sweeter than this
in my air forces, lookin like B2K taking pics at 106
fuck it, we drinking a 5th
Lucas Gorham on the beat and the mix
Heaven/Hevln knows that i am loving this life
i’m loving it even when i’m getting pissed
love it so much i’ll do it till the end
seeing the world with a few of my friends
[maal a goomba]
i cash another check that's the best life
gucci head to toe, that's the best life
been around the globe on my best life
smokin on the dro, its the best light
gucci head to toe, that's the best life
woke up with respect, that's the best, right?
diamonds on her neck that's the best light
mmmh, that's the best life
i'm living my best life
oh what a feeling
don't fuck with fakes
only with real ones
this young lady with me
she looks like a million
live long enough,
you become the villain
so do what you want
just do what you want
just do what you want
|
Fat Tony Houston, Texas
No artist personifies the DIY culture of both underground hip-hop and Houston as perfectly as Fat Tony, who stormed through the indie-rap gates more than a decade ago. He’s found himself as an artist among fellow Houstonians who mix inward-looking pathos with storytelling and a swagger all their own—from Devin the Dude to Scarface—as well as like-minded iconoclasts such as Prince. ... more
Streaming and Download help
If you like Fat Tony, you may also like:
Bandcamp Daily your guide to the world of Bandcamp