Too Kool Posse - Give ‘Em A Sample 1988

Tony D - Adams Nightmare 1989

Tony D - Back To The Lab 1989

Tony D - Buggin’ On The Line 1991

Tony D - Trenton Skit/He’s The Boss 2001

If every great hip-hop producer has a defining album, Tony D’s is without a doubt Poor Righteous Teachers’ “Holy Intellect” (1990). During sampling’s heydays, he managed to present a unique, fresh sound, supporting Wise Intelligent’s Five Percenter teachings with a playful, upbeat backing. Representing Trenton, NJ, Tony Depula, of Italian heritage himself, saw no problem in working with radically pro-black rappers, early on teaming up with YZ, whose “Sons Of The Father” (1990) debut they co-produced. (In fact, his production company Two-Tone Productions might originally have been called such because Tony D and YZ are both named Anthony.) An early display of Tony D’s mastership is Too Kool Posse’s “Give ‘Em A Sample” (1988), a dense uptempo stormer that serves, in the words of rapper Marquis, “to prove the point that Tone is on the uprise.”

While Diamond D still backed Master Rob in Ultimate Force, Tony D already had a solo cut on Jazzy Jay’s compilation “Cold Chillin’ in the Studio Live” (1989). “Back To The Lab” has that typical Tony D compressed sound to it, still resulting in a colorful appropriation of the “Microphone Fiend” theme. Tone may have been rapping even before, perhaps on the ‘87 single “It’s My Day” by Grand Poobah Tony D & Cool Gino G, but he seemed to get really serious about a rap career with the album “Droppin’ Funky Verses” (1991), which contained the extremely funky “Buggin’ On The Line.” The same year he saw a local Jersey crew take one of his creations to international fame. Naughty By Nature’s “O.P.P.” only slightly reconfigurated his distinct take on the Jackson 5’s “ABC” and Delegation’s “Oh Honey,” “Adams Nightmare” from his instrumental album “Music Makes You Move” (1989).

Keeping busy, Tone was involved in two more PRT albums, “Pure Poverty” (1991) and “Black Business” (1993), between which he helmed the group Crusaders For Real Hip-Hop, on whose album “Déjà-Vu - It’s ‘82″ (1992), he adopted the moniker Don Nots. In the mid-’90s he made somewhat of a comeback, partially producing Wise Intelligent’s solo “Killin’ U… For Fun” (1996), yet was absent from the PRT album “The New World Order” from the same year. Releasing two EP’s and one LP on Rae & Christian’s Grand Central label, his work seemed to be more valued overseas. Having hung the mic up, he now explored the possibilities of hip-hop independent from MC’s, switching between vocal tracks and instrumentals, and rappers and singers. The largely instrumental album “Master Of The Moaning Beats” (2001) took him back to Jersey with contributions from the Outsidaz and long-time collaborator Rahzii.

Lately, Tony has been spotted selling rare and unreleased material from his vaults as well as collections of ‘random rap’ such as “The Indy Years” and “Da Philly Throwback.” Juding from his MySpace page, Tony D is still active, so if you like what you’re hearing, check him out.

Tony D on discogs

Tony D on MySpace

Tony D on SoundClick