The spirit of late rapper Fat Pat was felt by fans, peers and media members at the “Dreams to Reality” tribute album release party (Photo Credit: Regal Media Group/Todd A. Smith).
On Nov. 24, Wreckshop Records hosted a listening party at the famed DeLUXE Theater in Fifth Ward, Texas (northeast Houston) for a new tribute album to legendary Houston rapper, Fat Pat.
News of a new Fat Pat album led to an often-asked question when someone does not live long enough to truly reach their potential.
That question is what if?
In fact, the worst question in the world is often what if.
What if Big L had not gotten murdered?
What if The D.O.C. did not lost his voice in a car accident?
What would hip-hop have looked like if 2Pac and Biggie had not gotten gunned down in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
In Houston, two questions are constantly asked amongst Screw heads?
How prolific would D.J. Screw and his screwed and chopped sound be if he had not died suddenly in 2000?
And how big of a star would Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.) member Fat Pat been if he had not gotten murdered when he was right on the precipice of hip-hop stardom?
The rappers and singers that became freestyle legends at Screw’s famed southside Houston home like Lil Keke, Big Moe, E.S.G. and Big Pokey eventually became household names nationwide.
And Fat Pat probably would have been the first to take the slowed down rap style to the masses if not for his untimely passing in 1998.
However, when people talk about Fat Pat 27 years after his unfortunate passing, it is often not in a somber tone.
It is often with a tone of respect, reverence and outright admiration.
Rappers like Slim Thug who never personally met Fat Pat, still find influence from the Houston pioneer.
The slang, the swag and the cars that Fat Pat and the S.U.C. collective rapped about in the 1990s are still a staple of Houston culture.
Even when he dissed boys from the northside of Houston, the targets of his disses could not hate on the man’s skills on the microphone.
And although Fat Pat did not leave behind a treasure trove of unreleased verses in the vaults of Wreckshop Records, his old rhymes still hold up approximately three decades after he blessed the mic with his tales of life in that H-Town.
The legendary music label Wreckshop Records was back in the spotlight for a Fat Pat tribute album listening party at the DeLUXE Theater in Houston on Nov. 24 (Photo Credit: Regal Media Group/Todd A. Smith).
Legendary Houston D.J. and music producer T. Gray, the man behind the title track to Big Moe’s nationwide debut (“Purple World”) began messing around with old Fat Pat verses, while producing a new track.
Regarding the record that would spearhead the new Fat Pat tribute album, T. Gray told RegalMag.com, “I kinda made it up. I was sitting around jamming some old school tapes.
“I just heard a line in there. And so, I’m working on music, working on beats. And I wanted a (Lil) Keke hook that everybody’s been doing forever.
“And I made a couple, and I wasn’t pleased with them. And I said, ‘Let me listen to some old (Fat) Pat stuff.’
“And one thing led to another, and I made about three hooks and put them on one beat because I couldn’t decide which one I liked the best.
“I held on to that record for about a year and left it as it was.
“Me and D-Reck got back in touch, did a couple of events together. (I) sent (the record) to him.
“(He said), ‘Make a couple more of them. We’re gonna turn it into a whole project.’”
And the project from Wreckshop Records is an homage to one of the men that gave Houston hip-hop its own unique vibe and an enduring legacy.
Derrick “D-Reck” Dixon told RegalMag.com, “We call it a tribute because it’s not new vocals. It’s a lot of recycled vocals. But you’re gonna get a chance to see how his verses weren’t time-stamped.”
The album is entitled “Dreams to Reality,” a possible nod to his debut album “Ghetto Dreams,” which featured the timeless classics “Tops Drop” and “Superstar” featuring Mike D and drops of Dec. 4.
That date would have been Fat Pat’s 55th birthday.
“Dreams to Reality” contains production from the aforementioned T. Gray and legendary Wreckshop producer Noke D amongst others.
Furthermore, the “Dreams to Reality” project contains features from everybody who is anybody on the Houston hip-hop scene like Lil Keke, Propain, Killa Kyleon, Slim Thug, Paul Wall and the late, great Pimp C of U.G.K.
The fact that so many of Fat Pat’s comrades and fans came together gladly to record for this tribute album speaks volumes about his impact.
“Dreams to Reality” also has the input from Fat Pat’s family, with his son Patrick “Lil Pat” Hawkins II serving as co-executive producer, alongside D-Reck and Noke D.
And from the vibes at the listening party and the reaction from the crowd there on that late November night, Fat Pat and Screwed Up Click fans probably will not be disappointed in the project.
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