Over the course of more than a half-dozen LPs, and countless other short-form gems and collaborations with everyone from Das Racist to Bun B, Fat Tony has reimagined and blurred the boundaries of hip-hop. There are a few things you can depend on in this schizophrenic world. About once or twice a year, Fat Tony will drop an album and it will sound like nothing that he has done before. There’s a spirit of creative restlessness and intelligence that runs through his deep discography. He is a national treasure, one of those rappers destined to seem forever underrated until you ask around and realize that everyone in their right mind likes Fat Tony. He is the Whataburger of rappers: if you know you know.
Raised in Houston’s historically black and culturally radical neighborhood, the Third Ward, Tony’s mom and teachers educated him from the get-go about how this was the regional cradle for the Black Panther Party -- and how BP hero, Carl Hampton, was murdered by the Houston Police Department. It was an environment where social awareness and Pan-Africanism were always around and celebrated. His childhood home was filled with records—country music, King Sunny Adé, and Jimmy Cliff from his father’s collection, his mother’s classical music, rock, and soul, and his granny’s gospel. Then as a teenager, empowered by the internet and his discovery of independent artists like E-40, Bikini Kill, and Bad Brains, Fat Tony began recording and distributing his own music. Heavily influenced by renowned Texas rappers like UGK and Scarface, Fat Tony started playing and organizing live shows at a time when there wasn’t much of a scene for young artists in Houston. He started booking bands of all types from all over, hand-making flyers for the shows and mailing them to addresses nabbed from the Carnegie Vanguard High School student directory.
His dedication to Houston’s rap scene earned him Houston Press Music Awards’ “Best Underground Hip Hop Artist” in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013. Primed for more national audiences, Fat Tony began taking his music on tour and collaborated with more artists around the country. His sonically unpredictable and emotionally vulnerable music has garnered praise from Pitchfork, The Fader, and Noisey. His achievements in rap have pushed him out of his comfort zone into other performance and hosting opportunities on TV and the Internet. This fall, Fat Tony releases Exotica on Carpark Records. It heralds his most visionary work yet, an ode to the art of storytelling through music. A rich and compact iteration of rap short fiction that firmly establishes him as his own one-man genre, the preeminent post-modern griot shooting game.
– Jeff Weiss
BKNY
Fat Tony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hold up, hold on, pipe down, I'm on the phone with National Enquirer
And the intern inquired, is she really my girlfriend?
Is my album gon' be weird? And how much money have I acquired
I told her, "I can answer anything you desire"
She said we can't be getting freaky or she'll be fired
But I was an artist running like Forrest in the forest that she admired
She told me to meet her in Bed-Stuy
I could barely get a break in them thighs
Yeah, we on the creep, R.I.P. Left Eye
I ain't R. Kelly, but I'm thinking Kelly got that vibe
I pushed my pride aside to slide inside til she tired
Been in it for so long I might retire
Rode her like a carnival, read the article, said I was fire
I ain't from there but I come there and I fuck a girl in Crown Heights
I ain't from there but I come there, ain't afraid to walk around at night
I'm in Bed-Stuy with a red eye, I'm the shit in Bushwick
Blowing kush in Flatbush, Brooklyn!
Altantic ave, I'm dolla van
I'm Fulton Mall, I'm down at BAM
I'm Lafayette, I'm Utica
I'm Malcolm X, I'm Nostrand Ave
I'm Empire meet Remsen Ave
I'm Flatbush @ Farragut
I'm Kings Highway, Prospect Park
Linden Boulevard
I'm Brooklyn Bowl, I'm Southpaw
I'm Glasslands, I'm Union Hall
I'm Golden Crust, Crown Fried
Bed-Stuy gentrified
I'm Pitkin Ave @ Rockaway
I'm museum first Saturdays
I'm the Parkway on Labor Day
I'm "yo son, BK!"
Holla, hold on hold on hold yow
Pahtee dun, babylon dem a show up yow
Church Ave, jerk chicken barrel smoke
Girls got the attitudes for reasons that we'll never knooooow
...Camera towers eher'where,
Pot holes in the road make your tires disappear
See the block, see it black, you gone see cops
Thats unless its a time when you need the cops
I need to stop, hop to the roti shop
Ali's - for them doubles and some sour sop
Leaving, gypsy cab holla back
Only go a block and half, charge yo ass 3 stacks for that
Papi bodega got that face lift
But you go inside, it's still the same shit
All day, ehhh day, that's what we say
Liquor store corner store liquor store, BK!
I ain't from there but I come there and I fuck a girl in Crown Heights
I ain't from there but I come there, ain't afraid to walk around at night
I'm in Bed-Stuy with a red eye, I'm the shit in Bushwick
Blowing kush in Flatbush, Brooklyn!
Hey Abby in Williamsburg, I know me and my friends get up on your nerves
But thanks for letting us stay, I appreciate it til this day
And Danielle in Bushwick, you really are my heart, shit
I wanna give back what you gave but I'mma be here til your grave
I'm on the rooftop, barbecuing with Shaka Groovin'
AKA Tom Cruz, got the paparazzi pursuing
And they wanna see all of our activities
They wanna photograph all of our extremities
In my mind, I'm kind of akin to Socrates
On these B's, I'm sort of like Hercules
Cause I be handling, traveling, on or off the court
Especially when I be off in the New York
I ain't from there but I come there and I fuck a girl in Crown Heights
I ain't from there but I come there, ain't afraid to walk around at night
I'm in Bed-Stuy with a red eye, I'm the shit in Bushwick
Blowing kush in Flatbush, Brooklyn!
The song "BKNY" by Fat Tony is an ode to the New York City borough of Brooklyn, where he spends time with his friends and enjoys the local culture. In the first verse, he boasts about his fame, mentioning that he has been interviewed by the National Enquirer and that he has a girlfriend. He also references Forrest Gump, suggesting that he is running through the city to pursue his creative endeavors. He then recounts a sexual encounter with a woman in Bed-Stuy, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, and compares himself to R. Kelly, suggesting that he has a similar sexual prowess. He ends the verse with a reference to a positive review, perhaps of his music or of his sexual skills.
The chorus repeats the phrase "I ain't from there but I come there," emphasizing that Fat Tony is an outsider in Brooklyn but enjoys spending time there nevertheless. In the second verse, he name-drops several neighborhoods in Brooklyn, including Crown Heights, Bushwick, and Flatbush, as well as landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bowl and the Brooklyn Museum. He also mentions several local businesses, such as Ali's Roti Shop and Papi's Bodega, suggesting that he is well-versed in the local culture. He ends the song with shoutouts to two women who have been important to him during his time in Brooklyn.
Overall, "BKNY" is a celebration of Brooklyn and the experiences that Fat Tony has had there. It paints a picture of a vibrant, diverse community with a strong cultural identity.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm Mr. Mother Fucking like eXquire
I am confident like rapper eXquire
Hold up, hold on, pipe down, I'm on the phone with National Enquirer
Wait a minute, I am on an important call with the National Enquirer
And the intern inquired, is she really my girlfriend?
An intern asked me if my relationship with a woman is legitimate
Is my album gon' be weird? And how much money have I acquired
She also asked about the style of my upcoming album and my earnings
I told her, "I can answer anything you desire"
I assured the intern that I could provide any information she needed
She said we can't be getting freaky or she'll be fired
The intern warned me to refrain from inappropriate behavior to avoid her losing her job
But I was an artist running like Forrest in the forest that she admired
Despite her warning, I was a creative soul, moving freely like Forrest Gump in her favorite place, the forest
She told me to meet her in Bed-Stuy
The intern arranged to meet me in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant
On Friday round a quarter to 5: 00pm
Our rendezvous was scheduled for Friday, approximately 4:45 pm
I could barely get a break in them thighs
Our sexual encounter left me fully satisfied
Yeah, we on the creep, R.I.P. Left Eye
We engaged in secretive sexual activity, remembering the late singer Left Eye of TLC
I ain't R. Kelly, but I'm thinking Kelly got that vibe
I was not like R. Kelly, but I thought I might have his seductive skills
I pushed my pride aside to slide inside til she tired
I set aside my ego to enjoy sex with her until she was exhausted
Been in it for so long I might retire
I had been sexually active for so long, it was almost time for me to retire from it
Rode her like a carnival, read the article, said I was fire
I had sex with fervor, similar to a wild carnival ride. The media acknowledged my talent
I ain't from there but I come there and I fuck a girl in Crown Heights
I had sex with a woman in Crown Heights, despite not being from the area
I ain't from there but I come there, ain't afraid to walk around at night
I felt comfortable enough to walk around Crown Heights at night, even though I was not a local
I'm in Bed-Stuy with a red eye, I'm the shit in Bushwick
I was in Bed-Stuy with tired eyes but still radiated confidence in Bushwick
Blowing kush in Flatbush, Brooklyn!
I was smoking marijuana in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Flatbush
Altantic ave, I'm dolla van
I am present in Atlantic Avenue as a dollar van
I'm Fulton Mall, I'm down at BAM
I am present at Fulton Mall and the Brooklyn Academy of Music
I'm Lafayette, I'm Utica
I am present in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Lafayette and Utica
I'm Malcolm X, I'm Nostrand Ave
I am present at Malcolm X Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue
I'm Empire meet Remsen Ave
I am present at the intersection of Empire Avenue and Remsen Avenue
I'm Flatbush @ Farragut
I am present at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Farragut Road
I'm Kings Highway, Prospect Park
I am present at Kings Highway and Prospect Park
Linden Boulevard
I am present on Linden Boulevard
I'm Brooklyn Bowl, I'm Southpaw
I am present at Brooklyn Bowl and Southpaw venues
I'm Glasslands, I'm Union Hall
I am present at Glasslands and Union Hall music clubs
I'm Golden Crust, Crown Fried
I am present at Golden Crust and Crown Fried fast food chains
Bed-Stuy gentrified
I observed gentrification taking place in the neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant
I'm Pitkin Ave @ Rockaway
I am present at the intersection of Pitkin Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard
I'm museum first Saturdays
I am present at museums on the first Saturday of the month
I'm the Parkway on Labor Day
I am present at the Parkway on Labor Day
I'm "yo son, BK!"
I am addressed as 'BK Yo Son'
Holla, hold on hold on hold yow
Request for the conversation to pause
Pahtee dun, babylon dem a show up yow
Party is happening, police showing up
Church Ave, jerk chicken barrel smoke
Church Avenue is smoked out with the scent of jerk chicken barrels
Girls got the attitudes for reasons that we'll never knooooow...
Women in the area have attitudes for unknown reasons
...Camera towers eher'where,
Camera towers can be seen everywhere
Pot holes in the road make your tires disappear
Potholes in the road are capable of causing tire damage
See the block, see it black, you gone see cops
The more darker-skinned people are in the neighborhood, the more police officers are visible
Thats unless its a time when you need the cops
There are times when people need the police in the area
I need to stop, hop to the roti shop
I need to make a stop at the roti shop
Ali's - for them doubles and some sour sop
I go to Ali's to get doubles and sour sop
Leaving, gypsy cab holla back
I flagged down a gypsy cab and it is honking as it departs
Only go a block and half, charge yo ass 3 stacks for that
I only took a 1.5 blocks ride and they asked me to pay 3,000 dollars
Papi bodega got that face lift
I saw that Papi Bodega underwent a renovation
But you go inside, it's still the same shit
Even though the bodega has a new look, it still has the same merchandise and services
All day, ehhh day, that's what we say
We use the phrase 'all day, every day' commonly
Liquor store corner store liquor store, BK!
Liquor stores and corner stores can be found in plenty throughout Brooklyn
Hey Abby in Williamsburg, I know me and my friends get up on your nerves
I acknowledge that my friends and I may have annoyed Abby in Williamsburg
But thanks for letting us stay, I appreciate it til this day
Despite the annoyance, I am grateful to Abby for allowing us to stay there in the past
And Danielle in Bushwick, you really are my heart, shit
I hold Danielle in Bushwick dear to me
I wanna give back what you gave but I'mma be here til your grave
I wish to repay Danielle for her kindness, but I plan to be present in her life until she dies.
I'm on the rooftop, barbecuing with Shaka Groovin'
I am on the rooftop, grilling and enjoying the company of Shaka Groovin'
AKA Tom Cruz, got the paparazzi pursuing
I am pursued by paparazzi who recognize me as Tom Cruise's doppelgänger
And they wanna see all of our activities
The paparazzi want to capture all aspects of our lives
They wanna photograph all of our extremities
The paparazzi want to photograph every detail about us
In my mind, I'm kind of akin to Socrates
In my thoughts, I liken myself to famous philosopher Socrates
On these B's, I'm sort of like Hercules
When I use drugs, I feel like the legendary Greek hero, Hercules
Cause I be handling, traveling, on or off the court
I am able to navigate different scenarios both on and off the court
Especially when I be off in the New York
I am especially confident when I am in the city of New York
Contributed by Makayla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ginmorrison885
will always be a classic
@fattonyrap
thank you
@smb2267
@@fattonyrap this music bring soo many good memories from 2013 thank soo much for making this awesome song
@13mterry
tony a legend in the game #100
@dougymastaone
Number of views is strange. I'm from France and I recently discovered this song. That's dope !
@landaninetysix7940
Can't believe this song only has 56K views. It's sooo amazing and a nice little story to go with it
@ninjawombatfilmco
2015 and this still the song of the summer for me
@maxfinocchio3880
bro 2018 still bumpin
@MrodTech97
hell yeahhh
@joshthompson7447
2020 still going