WORDS BY MAURICE G. GARLAND
T
here are plenty of stories inside the Federal Holding Facility in Makento County, Florida. There’s the one about the Columbian fisherman who got busted with dope on his boat that he didn’t even know was there. There’s the one about the guy serving life for killing his cousin in a domestic dispute. Then there’s the one about the promising rapper who, like so many other inmates, was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. That story belongs to Tampa Tony. Born Antonio Alls in Orlando, Florida, Tampa Tony was the prototypical independent Southern rapper. He was a king in his local domain with a loyal fanbase that even multi-platinum artists on a major label couldn’t boast about having. You could run into him at the neighborhood gas station minutes after or even while his song was playing on the radio. He could generate more cheers in his city than some of the headlining artists he opened for. Tony got his start as a DJ with the famed Rock It Rod DJs in the mid-80’s. Leaving the turntables behind, he secured a role as hypeman for MC Nas-D of “My Cadillac” fame. With bass music still recognized as powerful force, he eventually got bit with the rapping bug and pursued a career on the mic. His first national look came when he hooked up with music industry luminary Tony Mercedes, known for his work with LaFace Records. Their relationship birthed the song “Dis Dick” on the Ain’t Nothing But A Bass Thing compilation. After a few controversial contract disputes, Tony went out on his own and put out the single “Pull That Choo Choo,” one of the many bass songs of the time using a Barry White sample that went on to become an underground hit. Through the mid-2000s Tampa Tony had a string of club hits including the widely popular “Keep Jukin,’” that can still be heard in random Florida clubs 68 // OZONE MAG
to this day. That song’s popularity led to a cameo on “J.O.D.D.” on Trick Daddy’s Thug Matrimony album, a song that also appeared in the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin. It also led to an ill-fated deal with Southbeat Records. Disenchanted with the industry after numerous conflicts with the label, Tony opted to step back from the limelight and start his own business. Not as a record executive, but as an actual inventor. After a few failures, Tony finally stuck gold when he invented Da Splitta, a discrete device containing a razor blade that split blunt cigars in half, making it easier for smokers who didn’t want to deal with the hassle of wetting and cutting the blunts with keychains or finger nails. While the device was as primitive as it was innovative, Tony proved himself to be ingenius by making sure the device itself didn’t have to touch the marijuana, thus excluding it from being considered illegal drug paraphernalia. The invention was an instant success, drawing interest all across the country and even as far away as Canada. By the time Tony developed a sleeker prototype designed to act as a lighter holder as well, he had moved on to building an even bigger business empire. In August 2006, Tony debuted his Da Splitter clothing line, or DS Apparel for short, that included not only t-shirts and hat, but sneakers as well. The line was to introduce what he called “the smoker’s look.” He also re-entered the rap industry by founding his own label Da Splitta Records, with plans to put out albums from his newly formed group Da Splitta Squad. With so many projects on his plate, Tony was recognized by his peers when he was nominated for the 2006 OZONE Award for Hustler of the Year. His new dealings also brought around some “new people,” according to some unnamed sources. In 2007, Tony re-focused on his solo career with plans to drop an album that would eventually make him a household name. Backed by production from Jim Jonsin and guest appearances from T-Pain, Tony was well on his way to becoming a star after nearly 20 years in the game. But 20 seconds would bring his progress to a halt. On October 12, 2006 in Pasco County, Florida Tony was arrested for accepting