Layin Da Smack Down
label: loud

producers: dj paul & juicy "j"

guests: juvenile, three six mafia, la chat, crunchy black.
year of release: 2002
 
There's something fascinating about doing a Marco Polo through music. Like in Paul Beatty's book "The White Boy Shuffle", where the character Nicholas Scoby starts to listen to all jazz, literally from a-z (or in his words: "everything recorded before 1975. No white band leaders, sidemen cool. No faux African back-to-the bush bullshit recorded post-1965. Though I'm going to have to make an exception for Anita O'Day, she could pipe"). So imagine you'd have unrestricted access to a record store and you could listen to all the music available from a-z. This journey would also take you to 'p' and with 'p' to Project Pat, the Tennessee hoodlum, who's part of the Hypnotized Mind collective. So when putting your ears to Pat, what will your reaction be? How much do you like this Down South grit, the Pen&Pixl funk? Do you like it better when you listen to it with a producer ear? When you lock out the lyrics by Pat and just get with the structures DJ Paul & Juicy J built for you? Well, you'd not be the only one who gives a nod of approval to the two's efforts.

tracklisting
1. Still Ridin' Clean
2. The Porch 3
3. Fight
4. Weak Niggaz
5. Make Dat Azz Clap (Back Clap) feat. Juvenile
6. Choose U
7. Smokin' Out
8. Show Dem Golds
9. This Pimp
10. On Nigga
11. That Drank
12. MC Flyjo
13. Posse Song
14. 90 Days
15. Shut Ya Mouth, Bitch
16. Take Da Charge
17. Smoke & Get High
18. County Jail
19. I'm Mo
20. Outro
Right from the bat Project Pat is lining out what his tales will be about, when he describes his day on "Still Ridin' Clean": "I'm still riding clean, making cheese, and getting my dick sucked". While maybe one aspect was left out, that Pat mentions on "Fight": setting people straight, like "swang a fist at you bitch and I swear I'm cracking jaws / when I'm high and I'm lit, aw to hell wit them laws". But Pat is very much about 'make love not war', so he teams up with Juvenile to "Make Dat Azz Clap (Back Clap)", to spit: "it's gold mouth stacking dollars / where yo sista at cause she swallows / big juicy fat I must holla's", to then give the somewhat romantic response on "Choose U", and the angry one with "Shut Ya Mouth, Bitch". Another favorite past time is to "Smoke And Get High", that he also admits to on "Smokin' Out". Finally Pat likes to team up with his homies and homettes (La Chat) on "Posse Song".
On the beat tip Juicy J and DJ Paul again give us something interesting with pieces like "Make Dat Azz Clap (Back Clap)", where they sample Vangelis, isn't it? There's two songs that even go a more nineties way, with them sampling soul songs. First there's "Choose U" one of the best songs on here, due to the choir sample being straight up dope. Wu-Tang would rhyme over this. And then there's also "Take Da Charge" that reinterprets Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack's "The Closer I Get To You". There's a fitting reggae vibe on "Smokin' Out", while "Show Dem Golds" gets a continues layer going, while a hurt line moves underneath it, leaving enough room for the chorus to stand out. And finally something that must always amazes is the prominence that scratching still enjoys in the south, despite the music otherwise having little to do what the purists promote. But again on "That Drank", you hear extensive record slicing going on.
Okay, not all is peas and carrots. Actually on "Smoke & Get High" Crunchy Black recites one of the worst verses this reviewer has ever heard in his life: "looking for us a freaky little slut / found us a slut so we pick the bitch up / smoking on that 'dro nigga pouring in her cup / this bitch right here know she gotta fuck / fuck me mane and she sucking on my cuz / fill her up wit X mane we don't give a fuck / get this little freaky bitch for some drugs / do her ass in mane smoking on that 'dro". And that's just an excerpt, with there still being eight unquoted lines that are no better, content and delivery wise. And while Pat is having a well established flow, technically his delivery is a lot better than the way he wrote his verses and the content he chooses.
So while we are still enjoying to listen to this, somewhat due to our explorative mood, at the same time that's also due to a couple of tracks being really nice. There's obviously a lot about this record that will prevent us from getting it out over and over again. What is very much due to the music Pat does being meant for a lifestyle that's not hours. We don't enjoy gold fronts and we don't ride around in the car frowning at folks. And this is car music, as it gives you little you actually want to listen to and study. With its intention being realized though, you can't really criticize it for not being what it isn't and never intended to be. So after Planet Asia and before Promoe, allow yourself to listen to Project Pat.
review: tadah
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