Pioneer Pat: Project Pat’s “Mista Don’t Play:Everythangs Workin”Anniversary
Before Bandos and Thots, there were Projects and Chicken Heads. Trap. The trunk rattling, narcotic drenched, melody filled music genre, expresses the struggles of silenced communities. The trap blueprint was written by Project Pat. The North Memphis legend was a distinctive diamond in the notorious group Three6mafia. February 27th marks the fourteen year anniversary of Project Pat’s breakthrough second album “Mista Don’t Play: Everythangs Workin”.The platinum selling album was embraced and bumped in subwoofers and streets everywhere. Three6mafia front men Dj Paul and Juicy J provided Pat with perfect deep, demonic, dense production . That sinister sound is currently vastly influenced in todays hip hop sound. “Mista Don’t Play” delivered chart landing hit “Chicken Head”. The modestly classic album puts all of Pat’s skills and sounds on display. In a current state of Hip Hop where originality is a rarity and realities are falsified. Project Pat’s tedious story telling ability, unique flow, and monstrous production marks a landmark.
Project Pat street induced energy gleams on songs “Don’t Turn Around”, “Break Da Law”, and “Aggravated Robbery”. His reflective theatrical expressions in trap transactions, pistols, and pimpin gives insight from North Memphis perspectives. Current artist brag and boost about falsified facades of glorified trap life. Pat’s music reflects the true grit, grime and underdog reality of the trap. On “If You Ain’t From My Hood” Pat raps “Weak a** h*** play games like they killers, always running mouths, bragging on they n*****, Cyrpress Gardens, I did not have no dough, no fresh clothes because a player was real poor, I was locked up 201 wearing bo bo’s, playing dominos, shooting dice, big ol’ afro, now I’m on the town and I’m laying the smack down, n**** I ain’t you, best to check my background”
On “Cheese and Dope” Pat spits “Out here slanging on this blade, praying that I don’t get cut, by these police making raids, jumping out and checking nuts, cutting balls down to crumbs, babbage weed is in my lungs” Pat depicts his anxiety of police raids and search procedures while distributing narcotics. Later, Pat spits “Quarter bird, what’s the word? For you dog? It’s the low, selling me babbage weed, but you want the purest snow, I’ma go, I’ma pull me a rabbit out a hat, ounce of cane, mixed with sugar, and some killers strapped with gats” A client of Pat has a price inquiry. However, Pat is displeased with the quality of marijuana he received from this client. In response, Project finagles his clients request for cocaine.
“We Can Get Gangsta” is Project Pat’s most impressive anecdote. The narrative reflects gruesomely greedy details of strong armed robberies and dope deals gone bad. Pat receives a call from his newly incarcerated “dawg” Gangsta Fred. “I got a call from my dog Gangsta Fred just the other the day, Met some n**** from the other way, wants to purchase yay, said they want to get good s*** for the low-low, Fred grew-up with this n**** by the Bayou, could be the po-po, that’s the way my mind think, thought about the s*** for a minute, then I took a drink, thinking of a come up, knowing I ain’t gonna fall, call up my cousin Poncho, let him rob us all, then he ball off, with the goods to a rendezvous, spot, hand Fred back his dope, then we split the loot”. Intentions to negotiate an ambushed cocaine transaction do not go as plan. “We can set this s*** up for a secluded area, tell them bring himself and a duffle bag carrier, met at 4am, hit Creek Hill, at an Exxon, in a hot car, tech 9, and a Rouger gun, another n**** came, with the n****, they got out of Lac, Fred slammed the door, crossed the trunk, “Where the cheese at?”, n**** took a sniff, and he seen that the s*** was straight, said that the loot was in the trunk, now I’m thinking, wait, what’s gong on?, Partner took the dope off the trunk, raising up my tech, n**** in the trunk, raised the pump, bullets popped off, Fred caught one in the chest, lucky for my “nigg”, he was wearing bullet proof vest, shooting tec, but I could have died because it jammed up, pump at my dome, that’s when Poncho feet had slammed up, shot the 4.5, blowing both n***** a** off.”
An animated and colorful flow, created clear distinction for Project Patuuhh. The simplicity of melodies and strong Memphis accent infuses well with hard hitting drums and Hi-hats. Sample based songs “Gorilla Pimp”, “Take the Charge”, and “Life We Live” channels his Memphis musical roots. Project Pat’s sonic music influences, individuality and creativity sparked a growth. Artist such as Gucci Mane, Drake, and Wiz Khalifa give much respect to Project Pat’s music. The fortitude to verbalize the explicit realities of Pat’s content have pioneered a sound. That sound has produced more marvelous Memphis talent in artist Yo Gotti and Young Dolph. “Mista Don’t Play’s” production texture intertwines with the beats and subject matter in current Hip Hop tracks. Three6mafia’s keen ear for a boldness and Pat’s vivid storytelling makes this album a street classic.
