Classic Day – Cemetery Villain

Memphis at one time was the epicenter of hip-hop sounds, from Three 6 Mafia to modern hits like Young Dolph, Memphis set the culture at one point. Among the ranks comes Gangsta Pat who combines the fast lyricism of Triple 6 and the relaxed but smooth production from Houston powerhouse DJ Screw.

The 1995 record Deadly Verses is a 10 track saga of being stuck between heaven and hell. At one end, Gangsta Pat is this angelic mastermind of lyrical structure; then within the same breath becomes almost inseparable from the fire and brimstone of rhyme schemes.

Opening with the title track “Deadly Verses,” there is little in the realm for room to breathe here.

Worlds collide between horror shows and intense rhymes that through crunching and machine gun-esque verses. Gangsta Pat describes, “Deadly ass verses, we dropping that shit like bombs. These niggas be talkin’ that shit and I wonder right up If they know they know they know they can’t get none.”

As if Michael Myers was going to emerge from the bushes on the track, “Deadly Verses” has Gangsta Pat continuing on. He illustrates, “Deadly ass verses, we droppin’ this shit for you hoes. The villain is now in effect, hey yo pat nigga show em how you gonna flow.”

Diversity becomes vital here as other pieces like “I Wanna Smoke” fall into place to become this contingency for Deadly Verses. Instead of rushing through the delivery like on “Deadly Verses” previously, “I Wanna Smoke” is much smoother and is able to combine nearly effortlessly.

Featuring an unnamed female vocalist, the feminine touch adds this gentle nature to an otherwise overtly aggressive and male-dominated record. Perhaps one of the most approachable of all Gangsta Pat’s tracks on Deadly Verses, “I Wanna Smoke” is instrumentally beautiful.

With a chorus that illustrates, “I wanna roll, wanna chief, wanna smoke me a blunt. I wanna get fucked up.” Gangsta Pat uses this hook as a leaping platform to dive headfirst into the introductory verse. He says, “I feel like I’m about to float up in the clouds and touch the sky. The chronic has got me so dazed, it’s amazing. I wanna smoke until I pass out, get the mask out and let me hit it until chronic knocks my ass out.”

In later discoveries, “Tear The Club Up” is almost this immediately rendition from where half of modern rap made the leap. Three 6 Mafia quickly made records appear to be obsolete with “Tear Da Club Up” and with Gangsta Pat’s rendition, the work is a call out to cities and hoods alike to come together. Under one full roof, Gangsta Pat has less character than Three 6 Mafia, but the love and rendition is there as a great essential remix to the record.

Coming slower and with a more subdued presence, Gangsta Pat is a solid transition between Memphis hall of fame and the underground gods. Without becoming too illustrative in his work Deadly Verses is just aggressive enough to make a message.

Listen To Deadly Verses Here!!! – Spotify/iTunes