Words by: Hallway Jay
I listen to John Mayer, I'd love to do a song with him.illRoots: So what's different from this album to say your first album?
Pat: The only difference really is the slang. I had to take the new slang and incorporate it in there.
illRoots: It's always good to stay relevant.
Pat: Oh, you got to stay up to date, man. The young niggas they like “I ain’t never heard of that what you talking bout what is that something old or something new?”. You got to give them what they want to hear. Hypnotize Minds we gon' always give people what they want to hear. When people sitting around saying “Well, you shouldn’t rap about this- or you should rap about that, yall are putting this out there, glorifying this”. When really it's not even true. What we're doing is putting it out there like it is. Not to say that you know people go to jail or people get caught up in situations in life where God can’t change they situation around. Yet at the same time you know what I’m saying I got a song where I’m rapping bout “Behind them bars and I’m praying to God/nigga step to me wrong/ playa don’t you start” you know at the same time I’m keeping it real. This is real, real killers man, real niggas with deceased on they outdates in the Feds and they give they right arm to be free, man they praying to God everyday to get outta there know what I’m saying. Aye man this the truth, a real street nigga know this to be true cuz if he done time and you done got in real situations man you gon look to God. So you know man basically it’s the same.
illRoots: Where are you as an artist right now on 1-10?
Pat: Oh man you know I’m a 12, you know I’m a 12 dog, honestly I’m a always be a 20. I gon put myself all the way up there. They ask me what car you wanta drive nigga give me the lamb. If its me gon do the pick then you know whats up.
illRoots: The first time I heard you was on the “Red Rum”. What were you thinking when you made that track?
Pat: I was on a situation that had happened to somebody and I was just putting myself in they shoes maybe and really the ending part didn’t really end that way, but that’s the way I would have ended it. This was a situation a while back where something had happened to one of my dudes and I just telling him back in the days you should go over here and do this and he really wasn’t trying to hear it. So I said you know it couldn’t be me because if it would have been me I would have went over there and handled business. So I just put that on the thing, it didn’t turn out like that for real but that’s what I would have did.
illRoots: What's your best album to date? My personal favorite from you is Mista Don’t Play.
Pat: See the thing about Mista Don’t Play is that I can’t compare that to no other because it was a classic , it crossed over, and you know it crossed over. Like I tell people I don’t never make songs to crossover, I just make the songs, and it cross over than cool, but I gotta be loyal to the fan base. I can’t just be coming out with songs to cross over, I can’t be coming out saying “ Love you baby…” nah, nah, nah
illRoots: Yea I gotta be real with you if you started sing or some shit like that I might not even a called you today.
Pat: You ain’t gotta tell me see I already know that. So its like I’m just gonna keep making songs you know..street street street…gutter..gutter..gutter and you know if one cross over then hey that’s how we do it in Hypnotize Minds. Just like this next Three Six Mafia album we gon call this one the best one we ever came out with but we all know that Stay Fly was a classic. But as far as the best album, I’d have to say the one out now ((laughs)). Shoot or the one I’m fitna come out with.
illRoots: Who is the best producer ever and why?
Pat: As far as like gangsta street music I’ma say Dr. Dre. I’m say Paul and Juicy because they done stood the test of time. I mean back in P days, back in the days when Cash Money was doing they thing and different folk that was coming out of Atlanta and they have fizzled out, they whole cigarette has burnt out to a butt. But Paul and Juicy still stand.
illRoots: If you would have never been blessed with rapping what would you be doing?
Pat: I’d probably be a motivational speaker.
illRoots: What artist would we not normally see you working with?
Pat: I mean you know, I seen Lupe Fiasco had a song where they had a guy on there that sang “Yourrr a Superstar”
illRoots: Oh yeah, Matthew Santos...
Pat: Man that thing bumpin man, I did a show with Lupe Fiasco at the House of Blues in Chicago on Halloween, and that joints off the chain, man that song right there, man that’s that heat. Man I love that song. Lupe Fiasco is like a pop rapper he crossed all the way over but you know what when I had kicked it with em’ I didn’t even know it he’s like one of my greatest fans so I never knew that. Don hooked a show up in Raleigh, North Carolina and I knew who Lupe Fiasco is but I never heard is music. But when I listened to it I was like “ Man dude is really Bumpin’” and I ain’t on this “I’m listen to street, dirty south, I ain’t on that I listen to whatever. If its bumpin’ its bumpin’. I listen to John Mayer. I'd love to do a song with him you know what I’m saying.
Project Pat - Don't Call Me No' Mo' (Ft. Three 6 Mafia)
illRoots: What other projects beside rap and the Hollyhood thing are you coming out with?
Pat: Well you know we got this Choices 3 movie we coming out with, and you know the Hollyhood thing was supposed to be a movie so you know they writing a script for that now. I know its coming off Lions Gate Films or New Line Cinema are doing the movie. Its going to be funny we gon keep the original cast in there and we gon have Computer goes back to school and Trese and Suga Foot gets married. And we also got this new guy we just signed name Young D outta Memphis, Mr. Certified, his album really done we’re trying to take him through Warner Bros. but you know we got so many outlets. We call’em plugs, we might go through one plug or we might take him through Koch, but we really want to take him through Warner Bros. but we really just working some things out right now so they said they interest. And he’s smoking hot.
illRoots: Over the years, I’ve notice that Hypnotized Minds came out and was real deep. Whats your opinion on a lot of the acts leaving to pursue different ventures elsewhere?
Pat: Well, I don’t think it’s a good move. The reason why I say this is because the rap game is so cutthroat and the only person that’s staying a float is Gangsta Boo. Paul and Juicy some real good guys and I mean they always take care of business with they people. And I mean the people that crossed em’ Paul and em’ still writing checks out to this day. But it’s a here nor there. But you know its not even like that. If I wasn’t with Hypnotize Minds I gotta be honest I don’t know if I’d be doing this rap thing. I ain’t one of them dudes where nigga be taking something from me and I don’t get my money. I know a lot of dudes in Atlanta that be getting like that and gotten it like that. I mean done got MERKED.I wouldn’t dare say no names but I would know the dudes that would put them out and I’d be like yea they done got that boy. Ain’t pay a nigga nothin’ and niggas be walking round there taking em’ for nothing. And I been telling them dudes they couldn’t be coming round Memphis and be doin that, its off with his head we don’t play no games round here man.
illRoots: Right, Right.
Pat: And I mean that’s the thing about mostly Down South anyway man, we always get our own producers and managers cuz we don’t trust nobody. We got South mentality, we don’t trust you. “Where you from oh, New York? Well you trying to get me” and a lot of rappers down here bumpin dog. I know a nigga down here right now that’s bumpin’ like a fool and the majors want to sign him but guess what, he ain’t doin it. He said he don’t trust’em. He said I’ma go up there and kill everyone they mess with my money, and they can’t tell me what songs to put out cuz they ain’t from down here. And I mean you got niggas down here that’s hot as fishgrease I mean they be bumpin’ in they area they run they area. I’ma tell you it’s a nigga in Memphis like that and he’s known everywhere in Atlanta, everywhere. He’s is not fitna sign with a major. They say he does too much powting but this nigga’s bumpin’. He don’t trust nobody.
illRoots: I mean, if your makin’ your money than theres no reason.
Pat: That’s why they say down south stuck in they ways, I’ma tell you another reason to why the south gon keep this game for a minute cuz we ain’t trying to hear no rhymes in ya backpack, keep ya rhymes in ya backpack. If you ain’t talkin’ bout no money then we ain’t foolin’ with ya. And like New York messed up when they ain’t let Boston and Connecticut in. Dirty South we let everybody get they shine. A nigga betta get on our swag or I’ll holla at ya.
illRoots: Thanks big homie, you got to be like one of the most down to earth people I ever met so you stay up and wipe ya next time you stop by.
