Joey Fatts is a California rapper who has been gaining recognition in recent years as the West Coast continues to experience its renaissance. He's close with man-of-the-moment Vince Staples, who Fatts has collaborated with multiple times over the years, most recently on "Farrakhan" off the latest project I'll Call You Tomorrow. In addition to Vince, he's worked with the A$AP crew, Action Bronson, Freddie Gibbs, and Danny Brown among others.
After Fatts released his 2012 project Chipper Jones Volume 1, he caught the attention of the late A$AP Yams, who helped to school him on the ways of the industry and coach him to greatness. Back in 2013, Joey said of his relationship with Yams, "I got a great mentor, a great big brother." Unfortunately, he had to rap on his track "Get Paid II": "Like it ain't hard enough seein' Yams in the grave."
Through the ups and the downs, Joey Fatts has continued his trajectory into the hip hop spotlight. His latest project is sounding great, and it's prime time to highlight his essential tracks for our readership.
"Farrakhan" featuring Vince Staples
The hottest song Joey Fatts has at the moment is "Farrakhan," featuring fellow West Coaster Vince Staples. The two have released more than a couple songs together, but this might just be their finest moment yet.
"Picture Me Rollin" [Produced by Cardo]
If you come from the West Coast, and call a track "Picture Me Rollin," you better come correct. Fatts pays homage with a song title from the one and only Tupac Shakur, and rides over this Cardo beat. This one comes off the Chipper Jones Volume 2 project.
"Choppa" featuring A$AP Rocky & Danny Brown
When you invite A$AP Rocky and Danny Brown to the party, you're going to have a banger on your hands. When the trio of MCs collaborated for "Choppa" on Chipper Jones Vol. 2, they made just that. Joey Fatts keeps up with a couple of hip hop's brightest stars, proving that he's poised for the big leagues along their side.
"Curfew"
Here's another older cut off Chipper Jones Vol. 1. "Curfew" blends wavey production with Joey Fatts' signature flow, and without a feature, our subject really has the room to breathe properly on his own accord.
"Get Paid II"
This cut right here kicks things off on the new project I'll Call You Tomorrow. The beat grows slowly into an absolute monster before Fatts tips his hat to Yams in his raps:
"But my heart so cold all a nigga know is pain
Imagine bein' slept on in the rain
And they still black ballin' my name
Like it ain't hard enough black ballin' in the game
Like it ain't hard enough seein' my niggas in the chains
Like it ain't hard enough seein' Yams in the grave
Like it ain't hard enough knowin' my momma ain't straight"
"The Wave Matthews Band" featuring Da$H & A$AP Yams
Yams may not be best known as a rapper, but he certainly had a way with words. Just listen to him on the introduction for this track..."aka Wavey Bone aka the Puerto Rican R. Kelly."
He's too good.
With Alchemist on production and Da$H with a fire feature, it's a stellar track in Joey Fatts' arsenal.
"Cutthroat" featuring Vince Staples
Here's another cut featuring Vince Staples, but this one is from a few years ago. Coming off the Chipper Jones EP Vol. 1 project, this cut was produced by 808 Mafia, and brings the low-end boosts of their namesake. This is an early glimpse of Joey Fatts' talent, along with Vince's as well.
A$ton Matthews - Like This [Produced By Joey Fatts]
While we're focusing on his rhymes, it's important to know that Joey Fatts is also a highly regarded producer. He's dealt beats to the likes of A$ton Matthews, Curre$y, A$AP Rocky...pretty much everyone with a dollar sign in their name and then some. Here he provided A$ton with a hyphy instrumental to create one of his own essential tracks with.
"Keep It G Pt. II" featuring A$AP Rocky
Rocky and Fatts over Cardo production? Count us in. This one is off Chipper Jones Vol. 3, a fantastic mixtape that also boasts production by DJ Dahi and ID Labs, along with features from Waka Flocka, Vince Staples, and A$ton Matthews.
"Lindo" featuring Vince Staples
We're going to end this with another collaboration between Staples and Fatts. The duo really have a great chemistry together, and since they're both on the rise, we hope that we've just seen the beginning of their collaborative output. Vince Staples kicks this one off with an impressive verse:
"More money, more problems
More killings, more robbing's
Find us northern, never loitered the corners, we cop dodged it
Never focused on the image, my niggas just sought profit
Never chose to play a victim, so niggas just caught bodies
If he gotta go, he gotta go, product of the path he chose"
And then Joey Fatts jumps in to end it with a bang:
"Paying my mama rent, hoping that I make her proud
Cause she knowing when she leaving a nigga trapping out her house
Got birds in the couch, I gotta get this paper
And if they running their mouth, forty get their ass a taper
Send him to his maker, Do his mom's a favor
And End the life that she never gave him, that semi spray him"