Four hours, 11 minutes and 32 seconds after the doors opened at Skully’s Music Diner, a packed room of eager Project Pat fans screamed and cheered Saturday as they finally welcomed the long-awaited rap artist onto a crowded stage to perform.
“It took long enough but it was surely worth the wait,” said Ashly White, 22. “I was beginning to get a little restless but once he hit that stage and I saw his face and those gold teeth shining, I forgot all about the aggravating wait.”
White, an Ohio State student, said she could’ve done without the local talent showcased before Project Pat’s performance. She cited those performances as the promoters’ attempt to pass time, time that she would have rather spent watching Project Pat perform.
Patrick Stephen Houston, better known as Project Pat, began his performance by welcoming fans onto an already-packed stage to join him and his crew of hype men for a pre-performance drink. The rapper spent nearly five minutes pouring cup after cup of his bottle, sharing with his fans.
“That was sweet,” said aspiring photographer Douglas Williams, 22, of Columbus. “I always envisioned him as a cool dude and someone who knows how to have fun and I was right. He was having a ball and so were we.”
Williams, armed with his camera, displayed his excitement, snapping photograph after photograph of who he describes as one of his favorite southern rappers.
Jennifer Brown, 24, of Columbus said she had always wanted to attend a Hypnotize Minds concert of some sort, but time and location had always prevented her from doing so. She said that after finding out about the event the day before, she was determined not to miss it.
Project Pat, who arrived on the mainstream scene after providing the hook on Oscar-winning group Three 6 Mafia’s hit “Sippin on Some Syrup,” has had his share of hits. His brother Juicy J, co-founding member of the Memphis-based group, has featured the artist on several projects including “Choices.”
Project Pat’s “Mista Don’t Play: Everythang’s Workin'” album marked his breakthrough in 2000, becoming the most successful album ever for an independent artist on the Hypnotize Minds label, according to the label’s website.
While serving four years in prison for parole violation and possession of a firearm, he released “Layin Da Smack Down.” In 2006, after his release, his “Crook by da Book: The Fed Story,” made No. 64 on Billboard’s top-200 list in December 2006.
With seven albums and four mix-tapes under his belt, Project Pat had no shortage of songs. Short on time, he performed excerpts of popular songs such as “Ooh nuthin,” “Gang signs,” “I choose you,” and “Chicken head.”
Both White and Douglass said they would have enjoyed a longer show but were satisfied with the performance.
The event was sponsored by Royal Columbus.
