Ignoring the clamour from idiots who think Everlast is any good, we grant our first Cracker Pass of the new regime to one Tony D. Don’t get it twisted, this isn’t the Anthony who produced joints for MC Serch and numerous fools on Idlers. This is the Trenton legend Tony D. The YZ-PRT hate triangle Tony D. Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop Tony D. Selling many records on eBay Tony D. It would be easy to grant him a license based on his dope production work, but we’re giving it to him for his MC’ing, straight up. He might not be kicking the polysyllables or the igpay atinlay, but he’s pretty nice with his.
We asked Tony to put us up on his Trenton classics: “I think ‘Rock Dis Funky Joint’ would be first. I’m really big on this Black Prince and Aziatic stuff. He’s got this track called ‘Contact’ that is amazing. Then there was another thing, this album by a guy called Baby Chill who was a spin-off of YZ that no-one ever heard. He passed away. We did a 16 song LP that never got signed, and that was some of my best beats. I’d split with PRT so all my beats were going to this kid. And then there’s the unreleased Blvd. Mosse stuff…” Trust us, we want to hear it all. You can read our full in-depth Tony D interview in a forthcoming HHC, but for now we’re just laminating that Cracker Rap pass…
Almighty & KD Ranks (prod. by Tony D) – Trenton Where We Live
Poor Righteous Teachers (prod. by Tony D) – Time to Say Peace (original mix)
22 responses so far ↓
1 Robbie Coltrane aka Cracker // Mar 25, 2008 at 1:25 pm
To this day I never knew he rapped as well as made beats. Great producer…I’ve bought a few nice bits off him on ebay too.
2 Robbie Coltrane aka Cracker // Mar 25, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Hmmmm…Check the elevation sounds OK, but no wonder he was better known as a producer…are you sure you wanna give him a pass for that rapping???? each to their own.
3 Graham Kracker // Mar 25, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Yo, You hit this nail on the head! I was always a big fan of Tony D’s production, and his own album Check The Elevation was seriously one of my favorites. He was CRAZY funny on the mic, but he wasn’t a joke! I had the cassette tape but sadly it’s gone now. Please tell me where I can get a copy without paying like $100.00 bucks
4 brian beck from wisconsin // Mar 25, 2008 at 2:30 pm
In before inevitable debate over whether Italians count as crackers due to Sicillians descending from the Moors ensues.
Back To The Lab off the Jazzy Jay LP would be his best non PRT moment for me.
5 Clutch Cargo // Mar 25, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Co-sign on this pass. The fact that PRT are 5% -ers and still worked with your man is a perfect endorsement for good music being universal.
The photo of Tony D is not the best endorsement for leather baseball caps…but a decent one for well-crafted facial hair.
6 Dan Large // Mar 25, 2008 at 3:01 pm
co-sign the co-sign, we couldn’t find a better photo, funnily enough he hasn’t had much call for fresh press shots since that one in 1992 which we actually jacked off the Crusaders For Real Hip-Hop album – don’t sleep on that one, classic !
7 Robbie Coltrane aka Cracker // Mar 25, 2008 at 3:38 pm
…or was that ‘jacked off to’?
8 Koaste // Mar 25, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Ha ha ha…
9 Koaste // Mar 25, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Ps – is it just me, or does that first verse on Check The Elevation sound like he’s taken a big bite of early Kool Keith?
10 Robbie Coltrane aka Cracker // Mar 25, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I think a lot of MC’s did back then, but yeah, sounds like a few lines of keith-a-like rhymes among other influences.
11 7EVEN // Mar 25, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I’m from Now Just and tell Tony to play some Suicide Posse shit, they were ill. I don’t think Tony was mad nice on he mic, but he had personality…which goes a long way…c’mon….harvey wallbanger met ms. clotheshanger…nobody could do that but him any maybe KEITH…hmmm….ultimate reality….lol!
12 Cracker Jay // Apr 2, 2008 at 8:40 am
Is this the same Tony D who produced some Idlers stuff ie JUNGLE BROTHERS??
13 Drew Huge // Apr 2, 2008 at 9:23 am
No, that’s the other Tony D. The other Tony D also produced ‘Melissa’ and ‘Contact’ for MC Serch in his early days. And then there’s Tony Dofat…
14 Dan Large // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:59 am
Tony’s a very underrated name in hip-hop
There’s Tony Tee, Tony Tone, Tone Kapone, Tony Toni Tone – all dope in their own right
C.N.N.’s T.O.N.Y. is actually an ode to all the Tony’s in hip-hop. Fact.
Any more Tony’s?
T La Rock – Terry’s, another underrated name
Super Producer Todd Terry
15 cracker jay // Apr 6, 2008 at 8:49 am
Nice one regarding Tony D. Thanks, that clears that up. Agree there are an awful lot of Tony’s out there. ..oh yeah, dont forget Tony Rome..dude had a single out in 1986/87..quite wack i recall. Is this the same guy down with The Large Professor?? either way the best of the Tony names.
16 Richie Sodapop // Jul 30, 2008 at 9:01 am
Didn’t he release an album on Manchester’s Grand Central in the mid/late 90’s?
Seem to remember, but never heard it.
17 chris // Jul 31, 2008 at 6:43 am
huh? cnn’s t.o.n.y has nothing to do with any of the above mentioned tony’s.
wheredo you see that? top of new york
18 Drew Huge // Jul 31, 2008 at 7:10 am
Chris, he was joking.
19 tony d // Aug 13, 2008 at 3:49 pm
hahahahahahaha . i was bitin on kool kieth , that was my fav mc at the time.
and i never wanted to be an mc . island heard the p.r.t. song ” can i start this ” and asked me who harvey was. thus siging harvey . . anyway it’s all good. peace
20 Bobbie Fine // Sep 5, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Tone was one of the greatest to ever touch the SP & the MPC. He produced some classic never been heard artist and groups like The Funk Family, Spurm & Sworn Secrecy, Blvd Mosey, Unfound Flavor, Scott Lark and so many other and to this day he’s still lethal. True Architect!
-BF
http://www.bobbiefine.com
http://www.myspace.com/bobfine
21 jon // Jan 29, 2009 at 4:38 pm
ayo harvey…who? harvey wallbangah!
i think you had the album on Island records back in the day right? it came through my radio station while in college…
22 thomasv // Apr 5, 2009 at 1:57 am
Tony D R.I.P.
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