Fatt Father
{{short description|American rapper from Detroit}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Fatt Father
| image = Fatt Father.jpg
| caption = Fatt Father in 2016
| birth_name = Shabazz Sinclare Ford{{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/891858160 |title=ALL DAY |website=ASCAP |publisher=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers |access-date=May 3, 2023}}
| alias = {{hlist|Fatts|Fathero|King Father}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|02|17}}
| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
| genre = Underground hip hop
| occupation = Rapper
| years_active = 2000–Present
| label = {{hlist|No Tyze Entertainment|Fueled By Life Media Group}}
| current_member_of = Fat Killahz
| website = [http://www.fattworld.com Fattworld.com]
}}
Shabazz Sinclare Ford (born February 17, 1980), known by his stage name Fatt Father, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan.{{Cite web|url=http://urb.com/2016/11/11/fatt-father-a-veteran-on-veterans-day-interview/|title=Fatt Father: A Veteran on Veterans Day (Interview)|date=2016-11-11|website=URB Magazine|access-date=2016-12-16}} He is a one fourth part of the Fat Killahz{{Cite web|url=http://www.last.fm/music/Fat+Killahz/+wiki|title=Fat Killahz's Biography — Last.fm|last=|first=|date=|website=www.last.fm|publisher=|access-date=2016-12-16}} (with Marv Won, Bang Belushi and King Gordy) and one half of Twin Towers{{Cite web|url=https://soundcloud.com/twin-towers-313|title=Twin Towers 313|website=SoundCloud|access-date=2016-12-16}}{{Cite news|url=http://soodetroit.com/twin-towers-fatt-father-x-marv-won-feat-ro-spit-camon-new-video/|title=Twin Towers (Fatt Father x Marv Won) feat. Ro Spit - "Ca'Mon" {{!}} New Video {{!}} SooDetroit Magazine|last=B|first=Mia|date=2014-12-02|newspaper=SooDetroit Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-16}} (with Marv Won).
Early life
Shabazz grew up in Detroit with his mother and two brothers, Sammie and Jerry. The oldest, Shabazz was forced at a young age to become the leading male role model he and his brothers never really had. Shabazz found himself with many different roles in the household, which he was not comfortable with at first. He said, "I grew up and I found my niche, which was music". Studying at Denby High School, music was his way to escape his home problems. He said, "Without that, I would have been out on the streets hustling, and doing what I needed to do in order to survive".{{Cite web|url=http://www.okayplayer.com/news/detroits-own-fatt-father-talks-veterans-day-his-brothers-loss-growth-from-pain-interview.html|title=Detroit's Fatt Father Talks Loss, Growth + 'Veteran's Day' [Interview] Okayplayer|last=Okayplayer|website=www.okayplayer.com|access-date=2016-12-16}}
Career
Fatt Father made his appearance on the Teamstaz debut album Don't Cross The Line (2000, No Tyze Entertainment).{{Cite news|url=http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/King-Gordy-Rap-s-new-and-unstoppable-Entity-249067.php|title=King Gordy: Rap's new and unstoppable 'Entity'|newspaper=NewsTimes|access-date=2016-12-21}}
Widely recognized as a core-member of the Detroit hip hop collective Fat Killahz (formed in 2001), Fatt Father has built a strong fan base via his work with the group, coupled with his own mixtapes and street projects ranging from the classic Tales of the Childless Father to Father's Day{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/track/fathers-day-feat-l-renee|title=Father's Day (feat. L Renee), by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}} on to You Are The Father and Fatherly Advice; all of which garnered Fatt Father a lot of support and praise within the underground hip hop community.{{Cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/fatt-father/biography/|title=Fatt Father Bio {{!}} Fatt Father Career|newspaper=MTV Artists|access-date=2016-12-16}}{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?, Fat Killahz debut album, allowed Fatt Father and his group to share the stage with hip hop icons like Ice Cube, 50 Cent, Method Man & Redman as well as Detroit's Royce Da 5'9", Danny Brown, Slum Village, D12 and Trick-Trick.
His debut self-titled album, executive produced by himself and Trick-Trick, enabled Fatt Father to be recognized even without his friends. Over the years he released music such as My Kids Need A Coat{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/track/my-kids-need-a-coat|title=My Kids Need A Coat, by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}} which not only showcased his lyrical skill but also shined a light on his loyalty to his children. It was his sophomore album, Fatherhood, that solidified his place as a hip hop heavy-weight.
Fatt Father has also collaborated on records with rappers such as Kuniva, Denmark Vessey, Guilty Simpson, Sean Price, Black Milk, Roc Marciano, Elzhi, and more. Fatts stated Scarface, Notorious B.I.G., Royce Da 5'9", The Temptations and the Fat Killahz as his biggest influence.{{Cite web|url=https://extraordinarynobodies.net/2016/03/19/10-questions-with-detroits-fatt-father/|title=10 Questions with Detroit's Fatt Father|author=|date=2016-03-19|website=Extraordinary Nobodies|access-date=2016-12-16}}
Personal life
Shabazz Ford is married and has two children. In 2003, Shabazz’s younger brother Sam was killed at the age of 19, he died on their mother's birthday in 2003. He was a friend of now deceased rappers Chris Cobb and Proof.
In 2014, he started a cartoon project "Storytime With Fattfather" with graphics by Auxiliary Cinema,{{Cite news|url=http://www.auxcinema.com/fatkillahz-cartoon/|title=Fatkillahz Cartoon, "Storytime with Fattfather" - Auxiliary Cinema|date=2014-05-01|newspaper=Auxiliary Cinema|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-16}} but only one episode has been released.{{Citation|last=AUX Cinema|title=Storytime with FattFather: The AND 1 Story|date=2014-05-30|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZJXl15npx8|accessdate=2016-12-16}}
In addition to his rap career, Shabazz Ford is a real estate investor and CEO of Fueled By Life Media Group and co-founder of Early Ventures LLC along with his younger brother Jerry Ford.{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/fblmediagroup/|title=Fueled By Life Media Group LLC (@fblmediagroup) • Instagram photos and videos|website=www.instagram.com|access-date=2016-12-16}}
Discography
{{See also|Fat_Killahz#Discography}}
=Studio albums=
- 2008 - Fatt Father{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/fatt-father|title=Fatt Father, by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2012 - Fatherhood{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/fatherhood|title=Fatherhood, by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2016 - Veterans Day{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/veterans-day|title=Veterans Day, by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}{{Cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/veterans-day/id1160368930|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220061516/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/veterans-day/id1160368930|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 20, 2016|title=Veterans Day by Fatt Father on Apple Music|website=iTunes|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2020 - King Father{{Cite web|title=King Father, by FATT FATHER|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/king-father|last=|first=|date=|website=Bandcamp|access-date=}}
- 2021 - Soccer Dad{{Cite web |title=Soccer Dad, by FATT FATHER |url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/soccer-dad |access-date=May 1, 2022 |website=Bandcamp |language=en}}
=Street albums=
- 2010 - Fatherly Advice (The Legend of James Evans Sr.){{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/fatherly-advice-the-legend-of-james-evans-sr|title=Fatherly Advice (The Legend of James Evans Sr.), by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
=Mixtapes=
- 2006 - Tales of the Childless Father{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/tales-of-the-childless-father-vol-1|title=Tales Of The Childless Father Vol.1, by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2008 - You are the Father{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/you-are-the-father-hosted-by-hex-murda|title=You Are The Father (hosted by Hex Murda, by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2008 - Christmas With Fatt Father{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/album/christmas-with-fatt-father|title="Christmas with Fatt Father", by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
=Non-album songs=
- 2007 - Father's Day
- 2008 - Letter To Barack Obama{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/track/letter-to-barack-obama-prod-by-house-shoes|title=Letter To Barack Obama (Prod. By House Shoes), by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2009 - B.U.M.S. (Being Underground Makes Sense){{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/track/b-u-m-s-being-underground-makes-sense|title=B.U.M.S. (Being Underground Makes Sense), by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2010 - The Corner{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/track/the-corner|title=The Corner, by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2015 - My Kids Need A Coat
- 2016 - They Know{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/track/they-know-feat-marv-won-my-kids|title=They Know (feat. Marv Won & My Kids), by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2016 - Daddy Dearest{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/track/daddy-dearest-feat-mj-robinson|title=Daddy Dearest (feat. MJ Robinson), by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- 2016 - Slow Down{{Cite web|url=https://fattfather.bandcamp.com/track/slow-down|title=Slow Down, by FATT FATHER|website=FATT FATHER|access-date=2016-12-16}}
= Guest appearances =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Track title !Performer(s) !Album |
| 2004
|"Runnin' Yo Mouth" |Proof, T-Flame |
| 2005
|"Fat Father (Skit)" |
| rowspan="2" |2008
|"Somethin' 4 Da Hataz" |Trick-Trick, Paradime, Diezel |
| "Fire (Remix)"
|Elzhi, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Danny Brown, Fat Ray |
| 2010
|"Fat Father (Skit)" |
| rowspan="4" |2011
|"Shirley C" |
| "The Sun"
|Shim-E-Bango, Miz Korona, Invy Da Truth |
| "Detroit 101"
|Ro Spit, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Fat Ray, Marv Won |The Glass Ceiling Project |
| "Change Ya Mind"
|Moe Dirdee |Dirdee Motown 2 |
| 2012
|"Everything (Modern Family)" |
| 2014
|"Choices" |Jpalm, Marv Won |Kuklinski |
| 2015
|"Don't Jump" |Charles Lovjoy, Kong Da Monsta, Konphlict |Zodiac Killer |
| rowspan="4" |2016
|"Stargazing" |BLK MRKT |Mnply |
| "Part Of Me"
|Ty Farris, Denmark Vessey |Rydah Music |
| "Stayed Down Til I Came Up!"
|Hundred Barz |Solace |
| "Test My Trill"
|Top Prospect, Guilty Simpson, Maestro, Seven The General |The World Is Yours, Vol. 1 |
| 2017
|"Murder Suspect" |Asher Gemini |Caskets On Concrete |
| rowspan="2" |2018
|"Stranded" |
| "Blackout"
|Aztek The Barfly, Hatch |Line King |
| rowspan="2" |2019
|"Blue Note Lounge" |Kuniva |The Bando Theory |
| "Oh Lord"
|Apollo Brown, Journalist 103, Valid |Sincerely, Detroit |
| 2024
|"Measuring Stick" |Marv Won, Elzhi |I'm Fine, Thanks For Asking. |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fattfather-mn0002106921|title=Fattfather {{!}} Songs {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2016-12-16}}
- {{Cite web|url=http://www.fattworld.com|title=FATT FATHER's official website|last=|first=|date=|website=FATT FATHER|publisher=|access-date=2016-12-16}}
{{authority control}}
Category:American male rappers
Category:Midwest hip-hop musicians