Project Pat is a phenomenal artist. He's a longtime affiliate of Three 6 Mafia, a double-felon convicted in federal court, and the North Memphis native who coined the exquisite neologism "Chickenhead" a few years back. But in addition to all this, Pat has one hell of an eye for album cover art.

Among his six albums are classic covers like Ghetty Green, which depicts Project Pat on security camera holding up a convenience store. A strategically placed Parental Advisory logo obscures what is surely a gun in Pat's hand. The best part of this cover is the cleark, a dorky white dude who takes up about half of the frame. The best track on this album: "Rinky Dink/Whatever Ho"--mainly because the skit at the beginning is fucking priceless, but also because it's a posse song.

So there's Ghetty Green--a great cover in its own right--but then there's Layin' Da Smack Down, a piece of album art that surely ranks in a top 10 list somewhere. The scene is a project landscape, and Pat, clad in black cap and mask, is spying a completely oblivious snitch. By the look in Pat's eye, and the suggestive album title emblazoned nearby, it is clear what's going to happen next. Layin' Da Smack Down, indeed. Best track on the album: "Shut Ya Mouth, Bitch"--wonder what was on Project Pat's mind when he put this disc together?

Perhaps Project Pat's best effort at a cover was his first. Murderer's and Robbers has cover art that feels a bit like Microsoft Paint, save for the bold texturing of the words "Project Pat," and the extruded font style used for "Underground album." Looked at objectively, the artwork reminds of a detective's cluttered desktop: just who is this 'Project Pat,' and what's he doing in North Memphis?! There are a bunch of (what appears to be) newspaper clips scattered around, the best of which reads: "Another Player Hater Robbed At Gun Point." Project Pat is so uncompromising. I love it.

It's unfortunate that Project Pat has fallen off as of late: Walkin' Bank Roll is just another step down a musical descent that started with Crook By Da Book: The Fed Story. Though both discs have some memorable moments, they pale in comparison to Pat's older, underground work. Their newer, cleaner cover art reflects a sonic atmosphere completely devoid of the grit and grime that made albums like Ghetty Green so credible (and infinitely bumpable).

Some of the last, best work Pat did was on 2006's Gangsta Grillz 15 (Hosted By Project Pat), but some will argue that Crook By Da Book was an unequivocal success. Though a fun listen, it's nowhere near the authentic, street-quality of the Gangsta Grillz mix, and "Been Gettin' Money" simply can't carry the entire album.

If you've never taken any time to explore Pat's catalog, I highly recommend his early work--take some time and explore the discs above. Good shit.