Fat Pat: Ghetto Dreams, The Documentary (1999)

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Fat Pat is commonly heralded as a musical icon down in Houston, Texas for being the first rapper to freestyle on a DJ Screw cassette. Pat’s sturdy lyrical flow set the standard for not only the other members of the Screwed Up Click, but also thousands of aspiring rappers across the Lone Star state. A dozen years since his tragic murder, the ability to recite Fat Pat verses verbatim continues as a prevalent initiation rite for young Texas mc’s looking to earn their initial stripes.

Ghetto Dreams: The Documentary showcases footage of Pat “doing the things that g’z do.” Cameras follow Pat as he drives to the beach in Galveston, where his song “G Town” blares so loudly from the trunk of his posted slab that not a party-going passerby can resist vibing with Pat and his crew. Along with his Wreckshop Records compatriots, Pat performs on stage to adoring fans in Beaumont and Lafayette. And most notably, at DJ Screw’s house on the Southside of Houston, Pat skillfully improvises rhymes with Lil Keke and it just doesn’t get any more classic than that.

Forlorn over the loss of their hero and friend, countless Houston artists make wordy appearances in order to pay homage to Fat Pat. Knowing that some, including DJ Screw, HAWK, Big Steve, and Mafio have since followed Pat up to the big studio in the sky, only makes the nostalgic feel of the tape all the more crucial. Watching Pat’s celebratory video for “Tops Drop” and realizing that he didn’t even get the chance to be in it, more than anything, makes it apparent how much Pat was loved by his fans and family.

In fact, check the names cited by the closing credits: Ke-Ke, Pooh-Pac, Pooh, Slick Rick, Scott, Troy D, Lil D, Den-Den, BLACK, SOC, Lil T, Joe P, Tra-Boo, Ben-Do, Boo-V, Noc-Noc, Toe, Stick-1, Tic, Robot, Duke-Duke, Phill, 8-ball, Lil-George, Twinz, McCoy, Jamal, Jef, K-Pac, Third, B-Hawk, Juice, Ace Dogg, Thomas L, Kool-B, Black, Big Mike, Ebony, Candy, Floyd, Monica, Fe Money, Perk, Lady 1, Tash, Lillian, Greyhans, Bui, Nu Nu, B.J., Ice, Lil D, Marcus, Jasmine, Raven, Kiki, Fredy-D, Lil Doug, J.T., and Feloney. Now, if that doesn’t sound like a squad one can trust to point the way to some quality rap realism!