David: TKFV Introduction - Kyle "Fattie B." Thompson

Kyle "Fattie B." Thompson

Kyle Thompson (also known as Fattie B.) of Burlington, Vermont has been a DJ, MC, and visual artist for a decade and a half, and has also been one of the biggest role models for Gray and myself as young kids growing up in Vermont. He is one of the most recognizable characters for talent in Vermont today and will always be seen in my eyes as one of the most amazing people I have ever met in the art and music world.

Bio:

While locking down a regular DJ slot on 90.1 FM (WRUV) radio and attending Champlain College in 1993 under the pseudonym Fattie Bumballattie, Thompson joined the acid-jazz/soul/funk group BELIZBEHA as the lone MC. The seven-piece collective (which featured 2 female vocalists and a full rhythm section) spent the next 7 years touring, performing an average of 200 shows per year. BELIZBEHA toured across the continental US 15 times as well as extended trips to Canada and Germany. During this time, BELIZBEHA sold more than 30,000 independent copies of Charlie's Dream (their debut CD) and Void Where Inhibited (their second disc) combined. BELIZBEHA was the first unsigned band to work with publicists Susan Blonde Agency, whose clients at the time included Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, BELIZBEHA was touted as “the next sure thing” by Billboard magazine in 1998 and appeared on Canada’s Breakfast TV two times that same year. In 1999, on the verge of a major label deal, the band disbanded due to inner relationship disagreements.

Following the end of the touring grind, Fattie landed a weekly weekend spot on the AAA radio station 96.7 FM (WPLS) called The Groovebox (along with fellow Burlington DJ Craig Mitchell). At the same time, Fattie released the first in a collection of independent compilations on his own Fattie B. Records entitled HOP, which showcased the finest downtempo, acid-jazz, hip-hop and soul from artists in and around the northeast U.S. Between 1999 and 2004, he released six subsequent volumes of the HOP series. 100% of the proceeds from the sales of these discs went directly to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

In April of 1999, Fattie began to DJ a weekly club dance party showcasing 70’s & 80’s hits entitled RETRONOME at Club Metronome. It quickly became the area’s most successful residence. Fattie is still at the helm of RETRONOME to this day.

In 2002, Fattie opened a small clothing boutique on Main Street in Burlington called STEEZ. He and his partner, Jordan Boyea, sold lines such as LRG, Mixwell, Xlarge, The Hundreds, Leroy Jenkins and Lemar & Dauley. STEEZ also sold canvases and clothing featuring the iconic artwork of Fattie (work inspired equally by Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and hip-hop’s golden age).

In 2003, STEEZ moved from its smaller Main Street location to a larger, more visible space on the Church Street marketplace at 104 Church Street (2nd Floor). The expanded store now carries lines such as: Akomplice, 10Deep, Crooks & Castles, Black Scale and CTRL (among others). Fatties’ bold hip-hop and DJ inspired art can also be purchased as paintings, prints, posters as well as clothing. His posters and prints are distributed worldwide to thousands of retailers through Culturenik (www.culturenik.com), including: Target, Blockbuster, Urban Outfitters and Beyond The Wall. Fattie also currently has an on-going acrylic painting showing at Jan Larsen Gallery in Brooklyn, NY (www.janlarsenart.com).
Visit his web site at www.steezshop.com for examples of his work.

In 2005, Fattie produced and released Burlington’s Un-Scene, a collaborative compilation with local record store L-Burners that featured the best of the areas hip-hop MCs and DJs. He also returned to the microphone to lead seminal hip-hop groups Eye Oh You and Three the Hard Way (with DJ A-Dog) to extremely successful runs.
Fattie also released Greetings From Vermont: An Introduction To Burlington’s MCs and Djs in 2007 - another showcase of local hip-hop talent.

The list of major acts that Fattie has shared the stage with is impressive. Through his BELIZBEHA, Eye Oh You, Three the Hard Way, and DJ gigs, he has performed with these talents:

The Roots, Kool & The Gang, A Tribe Called Quest, Maceo Parker, Black Eyed Peas, Morris Day & The Time, Busta Rhymes, The Wailers, KRS-One, Ben Harper, Slick Rick, Africa Bambaata, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Pharcyde, Michael Franti, Talib Kweli, Gil Scott Herron, Jurassic 5, Sugarhill Gang, Ziggy Marley, Digital Underground, Common, US3, Redman, Big Daddy Kane, Grey Boy All-Stars, Guru, GZA, Brand Nubian, Groove Collective, Soulive, MOE, G-Love & Special Sauce, Smif N Wesson, Jon Fishman (of Phish), Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Schoolly D, C Rayz Walz, Mike G (of The Jungle Brothers), Oteil Burbridge, Ledisi, J-Live, String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, Aquarium Rescue Unit, The Samples, Strangefolk and DJ Rob Swift, Revolution and Questlove.

Check out some of his music below:

Fattie Bumballattie - Spanish Fly (Recorded 2004):


Download here - Mediafire

Belizbeha - Children of the Jazz (Recoded 1998):


Download here - Mediafire

Locally, Fattie can currently be found locking it down at four different weekly gigs where he spins everything from hip-hop & soul to 80’s & old school.

You can get in contact with Fattie by E-mailing him at fattiebee@hotmail.com or calling him at (802) 238-2460