Anyone can flip a classic R&B sample into a rap song, but few can make it sound as smooth and subversive as Fat Tony. On “Confessions,” a cut from his short Look EP from earlier this year, the Houston rapper incorporates not only Usher’s “Confessions,” but also Big Pun’s “I Don’t Wanna Be A Player No More,” and even a guitar solo from Blink 182.
Produced by P. Morris, the song is an emotional admission of love and respect, instead of cheating, giving it a romantic vibe that’s a bit more mature than the tongue-in-cheek raps Tony usually prefers. We’re premiering the video for the track, which is mostly an homage to the soon-closing Elvis Guesthouse, and you can watch it above.
Like most artists living and working in cities that aren’t New York or LA, Houston-based rapper Fat Tony has to make trips outside of his Texas home in order to make connections, promote his work, and perform for new audiences. A couple summers ago he spent quite a bit of time in New York, and I interviewed him after he performed at the Village Voice 4 Knots festival. He talked about how artistst need to be away from home for work, and missing home, but three years later it looks like he’s gotten used to the travel demands that accompany the glow up grind — he is currently hosting a residency in Mexico City where he helps bring American artists down to South American fans.
“Confessions” has a strong New York connection, it was filmed mostly inside and around Elvis Guesthouse (RIP Arrow Bar), a venue in the lower east side/East Village in Manhattan that will be closing after New Year’s Eve, because the city has become intent on cannibalizing anything good that ever manages to grow there. The clip was Meredith Truax and produced by Kenmare Pictures, and Tony shared his brief explanation of the visual below:
“This song flips Usher’s classic and turns the confession into an admission of admiration instead of infidelity. P. Morris and I sampled Blink 182’s guitar riff from “Adam’s Song” in the chorus for dramatic effect. Shot the video on Kodak 16mm at the beloved Elvis Guesthouse in the East Village — R.I.P. ?”
Watch it above, and make sure to check out his performance in Austin tonight if you’re around, or swing by his set at Day For Night festival this weekend if you’ll be out in Houston for the event this weekend. Those two dates below, watch the video above.
Tour dates:
12/14 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk
12/17 – Houston, TX – Day for Night Festival
