{{Short description|American hip hop artist (1966–2009)}} {{Multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=March 2024}} {{More footnotes needed|date=March 2024}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}} {{hatnote|Not to be confused with Tony D (born Mohamed Ayad), a German rapper.}} {{About|the American rapper|the professional wrestler|Tony D'Angelo}} '''Anthony Depula''' (June 28, 1966 – April 4, 2009), known professionally as '''Tony D''', was an American hip hop artist from Imperial Valley, California.
==Career== Although he was an MC and a DJ, he was most famous for being an influential producer in hip hop music. He was the producer behind Poor Righteous Teachers, YZ, Blaque Spurm, Baby Chill and the Funk Family. He has also produced tracks for Young Zee, Outsidaz, Pace Won, Blvd Mosse, King Sun's ''Righteous but Ruthless'', Scott Lark, Kwest tha Madd Lad and Shawn Lov.
Tony D was the first artist to have a record released on Mark Rae's burgeoning British Grand Central Records independent record label (then called Gone Clear Records). His other albums were released on his label Cha-Ching Records and 4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram Records, and he was a part of the group Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop, which released one album on Profile Records called Déjà Vu - It’s ‘82.
Tony D's early records were sampled by several artists, including Naughty by Nature on the hit "O.P.P." and by Heavy D without permission. All cases were settled out of court.
Apart from Tony D, Depula was also known professionally under the names Harvee Wallbangar, Don Nots, Don Sluggo, the Goombata and, in his earliest credits, Grand Pubha Tony D.
Later in life, Depula hosted a weekly hip hop radio show on Princeton University's 103.3 FM WPRB, which aired in Central New Jersey.
==Death==
DePula died on April 4, 2009,<ref>{{cite web|title=U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014|url=http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gsfn=Anthony&gsln=Depula&gss=angs-g&pcat=ROOT_CATEGORY&h=84795778&recoff=11+12&db=ssdi&indiv=1&ml_rpos=12|website=Ancestry.com|accessdate=April 11, 2015}}</ref> after being involved in a car accident near his home in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey.<ref>{{cite news|date=April 5, 2009|title=Hamilton man, 42, killed when car overturns|newspaper=The Times (Trenton)|url=http://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1238904375285750.xml&coll=5|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004215801/https://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1238904375285750.xml&coll=5|archive-date=October 4, 2012}}</ref>
== Discography == * ''Music Makes You Move'' (1989) * ''Euro-K'' (1990) (DJ mix) * ''Droppin' Funky Verses'' (1991) U.S. R&B #71<ref>[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p68207/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}} Billboard], Allmusic</ref> * ''Deja Vu, It's '82'' (with Crusaders for Real Hip-Hop) (1992) * ''Flav (Beats) from the Cave'' (1994) * ''Trenton Connection'' (1996) contains ''Come Back to You'' used on AIM Fabriclive.17 * ''Pound for Pound'' (1997) * ''Master of the Moaning Beats'' (2001) * ''Revone - I'm Still Here'' (2002) * ''Da Goodfella (Cassette, EP)'' (2020)
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://www.discogs.com/artist/4000-Tony-D Discography of Tony D] at Discogs
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tony D}} Category:1966 births Category:2009 deaths Category:American hip-hop DJs Category:Island Records artists Category:American hip-hop record producers Category:Road incident deaths in New Jersey Category:Rappers from New Jersey