Review Summary: Yet another painfully underrated early 2000s rap album...and one of the best ever.
Project Pat's career has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. He has been relatively successful but multiple jail stints for robbery and gun charges have prevented him from reaching the heights of his younger brother Juicy J, who is a worldwide name at this point. With that being said, Pat is one of my personal favorite rappers of all time and his sophomore album,
Mista Don't Play: Everythang's Workin', is one of the best hip-hop albums ever made.
Mista Don't Play has a little bit of everything for the hip-hop community. It contains mainstream hits such as Chickenhead (featuring La Chat) and Don't Save Her (featuring Juicy J, DJ Paul and Crunchy Black) but it also gives you some of the most hardcore stuff you'll ever hear such as the down and dirty If You Ain't from My Hood, an anthem to the North Memphis slums. Pat's signature flow zigs in and out of the horrorcore "slasher" style beats that made early Three 6 Mafia albums so classic. Covering topics you'd expect from a former gang member such as shootings, robberies, drugs and hoes, it's not the most thoughtful lyrical content but Pat's storytelling ability will have you feeling as if you're with him in the gutter of North Memphis about to blast a mother***er. The production is grimey as hell, which is appropriate for Pat's style and background. The essence of low budget "B" horror movies is ever present and adds heavily to the atmosphere.
Project Pat might not be the greatest MC ever. Like I said, his lyrical content is everything you'd expect from a gangsta rap album. What he lacks in lyrical creativity he makes up for in energy, delivery and ability to convey a story in a way that can put you right in the middle of whatever situation he happens to be rapping about at that point.
Mista Don't Play is as authentic as you can get from a rap album. It's real, it's creepy and it's downright classic.
