Jedi Mind Tricks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Not to be confused with Jedi mind trick.
| Jedi Mind Tricks | ||
|---|---|---|
 Stoupe (left) and Vinnie Paz
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
| Genre(s) | Hip Hop | |
| Years active | 1996 – Present | |
| Label(s) | Babygrande Records | |
| Associated acts |
Army of the Pharaohs | |
| Website | http://jmthiphop.com | |
| Members | ||
| Vinnie Paz Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind |
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| Former members | ||
| Jus Allah | ||
Jedi Mind Tricks (JMT) are an underground hip-hop duo from Philadelphia. The duo is composed of high school friends Vinnie Paz (born Vincenzo Luvineri, formerly known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram) as rapper and Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (born Kevin Baldwin) as producer and DJ. The group is known for Stoupe's unique production and Vinnie's edgy, violent lyrics. Vinnie's tradmark is his use of poignant and poetic similies such as, "I'm fly like the life of a bird," "I'm one step above you like a pharmacist," and "Like Trump on the Apprentice I only fire at night." They have a long list of collaborations with both regional MC's and rap veterans, including Kool G Rap, Sean Price, Ras Kass, Canibus, Percee P, Killah Priest, Louis Logic, GZA, R.A. the Rugged Man and Tragedy Khadafi.
Contents |
[edit] Career
[edit] Amber Probe EP and Psycho-Social LP
JMT officially debuted with the Amber Probe EP in 1996. The B-side of that album was also included in their first LP, The Psycho-Social LP, which was released a year later. On this album Vinnie Paz called himself Ikon the Verbal Hologram.
The album contained themes of conspiracy theories and ancient Middle-Eastern mythology. It also featured the recording debut of fellow Philly rap-group Lost Children of Babylon and Connecticut's Apathy of the Demigodz on multiple songs. However the Lost Children of Babylon soon parted ways with JMT, and in a 2001 interview member Cosmic Crusader cited that while Vinnie Paz had assured them that his cause was all for spiritual hip-hop, he soon saw "that [Vinnie Paz] was not really spiritual at all, but only interested in tapping that fan base."[citation needed]
[edit] Five Perfect Exertions EP and Violent By Design
Sometime after the release of their first LP, Vinnie Paz conceived the idea of forming a rotating, collaborative super-group of underground east coast artists called the Army of the Pharaohs (abbreviated to AotP). 1998 saw the first result of these efforts in The Five Perfect Exertions EP. The release featured Chief Kamachi, Virtuoso, 7L & Esoteric, and Bahamadia as well as Vinnie Paz himself. The EP was later remixed for JMT's next LP, Violent By Design (2000).
For unknown reasons Kamachi's verses were omitted from the release. The LP, originally titled Polymatrix: Reincarnation of the Hologramic Christ, became seen as the group's best work. Vinnie Paz became noticeably more aggressive.The LP also introduced Jus Allah, a friend and fledgling rapper who had left for college but dropped out a short while after. A self-proclaimed five-percenter, Jus was present on every non-AotP track on Violent by Design as JMT's unofficial third member.
The list of guest artists on this album was also their longest, including Mr. Lif, Planetary of Outerspace, Louis Logic, Diamondback, L-Fudge, B.A. Barakus, J-Treds, Killa Sha, and Tragedy Khadafi, plus a couple of odd phone-call interludes by Mr. Len.
During the course of Violent By Design's 1999-2000 recording period, Paz changed his alias to Vinnie Paz, inspired by the boxer of the same name. The reason for this has been reported to be the result of a short-lived rivalry instigated by fellow Philly underground rapper "Icon the Mic King." Vinnie Paz decided to settle on his new moniker in order to prevent any further confusion. Also it was around this time he formally declared himself to be a follower of Islam, and references this numerous times on record.
[edit] Visions of Gandhi
In late 2001, JMT was made an offer by Babygrande Records founder Chuck Wilson to sign a deal. Jus Allah's uncertainty caused him to leave the group on good terms. Stoupe and Vinnie Paz closed their homegrown Superegular label and migrated to Babygrande. A short while after this, an interview allegedly conducted with Jus emerged on the Internet with intense accusations of his former partners being "white devil cavemen." This was apparently done to promote his upcoming White Nightmare EP on Virtuoso's "Omnipotent Records" label. The comments somewhat isolated Jus from the entire Philly underground scene; the two sides wouldn't talk to each other for over three years. Virtuoso was also estranged from JMT and AoTP for his support of Jus, among other reasons.[citation needed]
Mid-2003 saw the release of JMT's third LP, Visions of Gandhi. In an interview, Vinnie Paz said the title was inspired by Foxy Brown's verse in Nas's song "Affirmative Action," and expresses the need for a prominent figure of non-violent social change such as Gandhi in a post-9/11 world.[citation needed]
Stoupe, now supplied with a professional studio in New York, also expanded his variety of production, incorporating grand orchestral samples and a stronger Latino feel. In response, some longtime fans felt let down by Vinnie Paz's lyricism and delivery, as well as the abundance of slick, upbeat loops adopted by Stoupe. Nevertheless, the album helped expand the group's audience as its popularity and commercial success continued to grow.
[edit] Legacy of Blood and Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell
- "I Who Have Nothing" (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- From the Psycho-Social album.
- "Heavenly Divine" (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- From the Violent By Design album.
- "Kublai Khan" (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- From the Visions of Gandhi album.
- "The Age of Sacred Terror" (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- From the Legacy of Blood album.
- "Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story" (sample) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- From the Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell album.
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
Little over a year later, JMT continued their creative streak with Legacy of Blood, this time intentionally keeping guest artists to a minimum. Carrying with them their lessons from Gandhi, Stoupe and Vinnie tried to strike a balance between the past two albums. Vinnie Paz also added a more personal aspect to his lyrics, most notably in the last song "Before the Great Collapse."
In February, 2005, Babygrande officially announced that Jus Allah had signed on to the label after reconciling with his former partners. Babygrande released his long-awaited debut LP, All Fates Have Changed, in May of that year. However, after a dispute with label CEO Chuck Wilson soon after the album's release, Jus left Babygrande and denied any new association with JMT.
In March, 2006, a reunited Army of the Pharaohs released The Torture Papers LP. This time around the crew had grown considerably and now consisted of Vinnie Paz, Chief Kamachi, 7L & Esoteric, Apathy, Celph Titled, Planetary & Crypt the Warchild of Outerspace, King Syze, Faez One, Reef the Lost Cauze, and new Jedi Mind Tricks hype-man Des Devious. Virtuoso and Bahamadia were not featured and are no longer associated with the Army.
The fifth Jedi Mind Tricks album, which is titled Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell, was released on September 19th, 2006. The release coincided with the beginning of the album's supportive tour, which kicked off in New York City's Time Square. The album was widely acclaimed, unlike the group's two previous albums, which both received mixed reviews. A large part of the acclaim was due to the album's lyrical and musical diversity, which were missing from their previous efforts. The album featured the single "Heavy Metal Kings" with Ill Bill, the Shara Worden-assisted "Razorblade Salvation", and the storytelling track "Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story" with R.A. The Rugged Man. In early 2006, rumors spread that the group had reunited with estranged member Jus Allah, and that he would be featured on Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell, but no collaboration appeared. However, on September 20, 2006, a newly recorded Jedi Mind Tricks/Jus Allah collaboration, titled "The Rebuilding", appeared online. Jus is also planning to release his sophomore album, The Colossus, in late 2006.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Album cover | Album information |
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The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness
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Violent By Design
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Visions of Gandhi
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Legacy of Blood
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Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell
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[edit] EPs/Singles
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
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Amber Probe EP
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"Heavenly Divine"
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"Raw is War" (Vinnie Paz)
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"Genghis Khan" (featuring Tragedy Khadafi)
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"Retaliation"/"Retaliation (Remix)"
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"Animal Rap" (Arturo Gatti Mix) (featuring Kool G Rap)
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"Kublai Khan" (featuring Goretex & Tragedy Khadafi)
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"Rise of the Machines" (featuring Ras Kass)
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"Before the Great Collapse"
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"The Age of Sacred Terror"
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"Heavy Metal Kings" (featuring Ill Bill)
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[edit] Jus Allah discography
| Album cover | Album information |
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"White Nightmare" (EP/Single)
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All Fates Have Changed (Full-length album)
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"Pool of Blood" (featuring GZA) (Single)
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"G-O-D" (Single)
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[edit] Army of the Pharaohs discography
| Album cover | Album information |
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"The Five Perfect Exertions" (EP/Single)
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Rare Shit, Collabos & Freestyles (Compilation mix CD)
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The Torture Papers (Full-length album)
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"Tear it Down" (Single)
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