Project Pat

Among the hardcore rappers surfacing from Memphis toward the end of the 1990s, Project Pat rose prominently among his contemporaries. Connection to the Three 6 Mafia collective brought him early attention, most notably through his appearance on the group’s 2000 hit “Sippin’ on Some Syrup.” Born Patrick Houston and the brother of Three 6 Mafia founder Juicy J, Project Pat reached much of the country on his own terms the following year with the hit single “Chickenhead.” Crafted with production by Juicy J and DJ Paul plus vocals by La’ Chat, the track solidified itself as a 2001 Dirty South anthem and carried Pat’s third album, Mista Don't Play: Everythangs Workin, into the Top Five.

Rap had already threaded through Pat’s daily life well before that national breakthrough. His brother Juicy J had co-established the influential Memphis hardcore rap outfit Three 6 Mafia in the early 1990s. Though never an official member, Pat aligned himself with the collective and surfaced on albums such as Crazyndalazdayz (1998) and Indo G’s Angel Dust (1998). He completed his own solo debut, Ghetty Green, for Hypnotize Minds/Loud the next year. While that first solo effort stopped short of superstardom, it secured his footing inside the expanding Dirty South scene; the independently released follow-up Murderers & Robbers (2000) reinforced that presence outside the Loud umbrella.

The prominent feature on Three 6 Mafia’s “Sippin’ on Some Syrup” arrived next, and its widespread success cleared the path for a signature hit of Pat’s own. That record was “Chickenhead,” again featuring La’ Chat, who had assumed Gangsta Boo’s former role as the sole female voice in Three 6 Mafia. The song placed the two in classic Dirty South opposition, with La’ Chat criticizing Pat while he dismissed her as a “chickenhead.”

Pat’s persistent legal difficulties nevertheless began to interfere. In the stretch following “Chickenhead,” he faced charges tied to a January 2001 parole violation after police stopped him for speeding and recovered two revolvers. On March 13 of that year a federal jury convicted him on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm while on parole for aggravated robbery. Loud repeatedly delayed the release of his fourth album, Layin' da Smack Down, until it finally appeared in summer 2002.

Mixtape appearances and continued work with Three 6 Mafia occupied the ensuing four-year stretch before Crook by da Book: The Fed Story (2006) arrived, followed by Walkin' Bank Roll (2007) on Koch. His 2009 project Real Recognize Real marked his first release for major-label Asylum and featured the hit single “Keep It Hood” with special guest OJ da Juiceman. The seventh album, Loud Pack, surfaced in 2011 on his own label Project Records, with contributions from Juicy J, Three 6 Mafia, Rick Ross, and Brisco. A Mista Don't Play sequel, Everythangs Money, appeared in 2015 on E1 Music. Once more carrying verses and production by Juicy J, Mista Don't Play 2 climbed into the Top 50 on the Billboard rap chart.

The rapper sustained a steady output over the next year, issuing four Street God mixtapes before releasing his ninth studio album, M.O.B., in September 2017, which included further appearances by Juicy J and Young Dolph. Two collaborative albums followed in 2018: King Shit Only with K-Bird and Memphis Legends with Lil Whyte and Kholebeatz. Early 2019 brought Lean and Cookies, a joint project with Keak da Sneak and Kafani.