#1 Suspect

“#1 Suspect” is the debut album by Memphis rapper Gangsta Pat, released in 1991 through Atlantic Records.

The story

Gangsta Pat, born Patrick Hall in Memphis in 1973, is the son of Stax Records drummer Willie Hall. His move to Atlantic made him one of the first rappers from the city to go from an independent label to a major. The ten-track album was recorded at G.T.G. Studios, and MC Rod appears on several songs, including the title track, “Legion of Doom” and “Project Pimps.”

Sound and production

Hall is credited as producer, writer and arranger, and he played the instruments on his early releases himself. Niko Lyras and Tim Forster contributed guitar and engineering, and D.J. Slice Tee provided scratches. The album runs about 39 minutes and sets hard gangsta themes on tracks like “Homicide,” “Incarcerated” and “Shootin’ on Narcs” against funk- and R&B-influenced production.

Legacy

Gangsta Pat followed the album with “All About Comin’ Up” in 1992 and kept releasing records steadily through the 1990s and beyond. “#1 Suspect” stands as an early example of a Memphis rapper reaching a major label before the city’s underground tape scene broke nationally.

More from hip hop in 1991.