Fat Pat

For other uses, see Fat Pat (disambiguation).

Patrick Lamark Hawkins (December 4, 1970 – February 3, 1998), better known by his stage name Fat Pat (also known as Mr. Fat Pat), was an American rapper from Houston, Texas, who was a member of DEA (Dead End Alliance) with his brother John "Big Hawk" Hawkins, DJ Screw, and Kay-K, all original members of the Screwed Up Click (S.U.C.).^[3][4]

Fat Pat
Hawkins in 1997
Background information
Birth name	Patrick Lamark Hawkins[1][2]
Born	(1970-12-04)December 4, 1970 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Died	February 3, 1998(1998-02-03) (aged 27) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop Southern hip hop
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	1993–1998
Labels	Screwed Up Click Wreckshop

Wreckshop Records released his first two albums, Ghetto Dreams and Throwed in da Game in 1998 after his death. Later releases were on the Screwed Up Click label.

Murder

On February 3, 1998, Hawkins was fatally shot by an unknown gunman at 10440 South Drive, Houston, Texas, after going to a promoter's apartment to collect an appearance fee. The promoter was not home, and he was shot in the corridor outside the apartment.^[4] He was 27 years old.^[5][6] Fat Pat's murder still remains unsolved.

Eight years later, his brother, rapper Big Hawk, was also shot to death by an unknown assailant.^[7]

Legacy

Houston-based UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis uses Fat Pat's 1998 single Tops Drop as his walkout song when he fights,^[8] including when he fought Ciryl Gane for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 265 in Houston.^[9] Comedian Shane Gillis used the same track as his intro music for his 2023 Netflix comedy special "Beautiful Dogs". The Houston Cougars men's basketball team uses "Tops Drop" as its intro song for home games at the Fertitta Center. As reported by the Houston Press, well over a decade since Hawkins' death, his music continues to be played heavily in the Houston area.^[10]

Discography

Albums

• 1998: Ghetto Dreams
• 1998: Throwed in da Game
• 2001: Fat Pat's Greatest Hits
• 2004: Since The Gray Tapes
• 2005: Since The Gray Tapes Vol. 2
• 2008: I Had a Ghetto Dream

With Dead End Alliance

• 1998: Screwed for Life

Singles

Year	Song	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. R&B	U.S. Rap	Album
1998	"Tops Drop"	-	46	5	Ghetto Dreams

Featured singles

Year	Song	U.S. Hot 100	U.S. R&B	U.S. Rap	Album
1997	"25 Lighters" (DJ DMD featuring Lil' Keke & Fat Pat)	-	-	-	Twenty-Two: P.A. World Wide
1999	"Wanna Be a Baller" (Lil Troy featuring Fat Pat & Big Hawk)	70	40	31	Sittin' Fat Down South
2006	"Swang" (Trae featuring Fat Pat & Big Hawk)	-	-	-	Restless

See also

• 27 Club
• Houston hip hop
• List of murdered hip hop musicians
• List of unsolved murders

References

1. "Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997". familysearch.org. FamilySearch. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
2. "University of Houston Digital Library: HAWK Photographs and Memorabilia: Obituary (Memorial service program) for Fat Pat".
3. Simmonds, Jeremy (2008) The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches, Chicago Review Press, ISBN 978-1-55652-754-8, p. 575
4. Newton, Michael (2009) The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Crimes, Facts On File Inc, ISBN 978-0-8160-7818-9, p. 160
5. Lindsey, Craig D. (February 11, 1999). "That's the Breaks". www.houstonpress.com. Houston Press. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
6. "Texas Music Office -". www.governor.state.tx.us. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
7. "Rap Deaths: John Edward Hawkins". CBS News. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
8. Young, Matt (August 6, 2021). "Houston shows love to UFC's Derrick Lewis with mural east of downtown". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 20, 2021. It's hard to find another professional athlete who reps Houston the way Derrick Lewis does. From his patented walk to the UFC octagon as Fat Pat's "Tops Drop" plays to always throwing up the H, Lewis constantly shows love to his hometown.
9. Fridley, Mike; Pettry, Jay (August 7, 2021). "The Walkmen: All UFC 265 Walkout Tracks". Sherdog. Retrieved December 20, 2021. Hometown headliner Derrick Lewis kept his flavor local as he went with the late Fat Pat's "Tops Drop," a Southern rap hit from the late 1990s.
10. Serrano, Shea (February 3, 2021). "Fourteen Years After His Death, Fat Pat's Legacy Continues Acting Bad For Scrilla". Houston Press. Retrieved December 20, 2021.