Jedi Mind Tricks | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | JMT |
Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. U.S. |
Genres | Underground hip hop, conscious hip hop, hardcore hip hop |
Years active | 1996–present |
Labels | Enemy Soil, Babygrande Records, Superegular Recordings |
Members | Vinnie Paz Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind DJ Kwestion |
Past members | Jus Allah DJ Drew Dollars |
Website | jmthiphop |
Jedi Mind Tricks (JMT) are an American underground hip hop group from Philadelphia, founded in 1996 by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz (Vincenzo Luvineri) and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (Kevin Baldwin). In 1999, rapper Jus Allah joined the group to record their second studio album, Violent by Design . Jus left the group shortly after, but returned in late 2006 and began working on the sixth studio album, A History of Violence . In 2011 Stoupe left the group because "his heart wasn't in making JMT records anymore". [1] In 2013, Jus split from the group indefinitely, and Stoupe returned in 2015.
DJ Kwestion mainly scratches choruses on the turntable. Kwestion is also a part of the group Skratch Makaniks. Kwestion, who is the tour DJ, was a replacement for JMT's previous DJ, Drew Dollars, who is no longer affiliated with the group due to creative differences.
JMT has collaborations with both regional MCs and rap veterans, including GZA, Kool G Rap, 7L & Esoteric, Sean Price, Ras Kass, Canibus, Percee P, Killah Priest, Immortal Technique, Block McCloud, Virtuoso, Louis Logic, R.A. the Rugged Man, Tragedy Khadafi, Chief Kamachi, Necro, and Ill Bill. The group has sold over 250,000 albums in the United States and 450,000 albums worldwide, all of which were released independently. [2]
Jedi Mind Tricks officially debuted with the Amber Probe EP.
The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness , known as "The Psycho-Social CD" for short, was released by Superregular Recordings and was JMT's first full-length LP. It featured 12 tracks and the 2002 re-issue featured 6 bonus tracks, and included all the tracks that had appeared on the Amber Probe EP.
Prior to the release of their first LP, Vinnie Paz had conceived the idea of forming a rotating, collaborative super-group of underground East Coast artists called the Army of the Pharaohs (AotP). [3] 1998 saw the first result of these efforts in The Five Perfect Exertions EP. The release featured Virtuoso, 7L & Esoteric, Chief Kamachi and Bahamadia as well as Vinnie Paz himself. The EP was later remixed for JMT's next LP, Violent by Design (2000), albeit without Chief Kamachi's verse.
The LP was originally titled "Polymatrix: Reincarnation of the Hologramic Christ"[ citation needed ]. Vinnie Paz's style became noticeably more aggressive, abandoning his cosmic, paranoid rhyme style from The Psycho-Social CD for more violent lyrics. The LP also introduced Jus Allah, a founding member of JMT 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. Violent By Design contained a mix of braggadocio and horrorcore lyrics, combining hardcore/gangsta rap styles with mythological and fantasy imagery. According to Vinnie Paz, JMT used the proceeds from The Amber Probe to buy equipment to produce Violent by Design, which was recorded entirely in Stoupe's bedroom, without a mic booth or soundproofing. [4]
The list of guest artists on this album was also their longest, including Mr. Lif, Planetary of OuterSpace, Louis Logic, Diamondback, Philip King Rappah, Coffee Gangsta Child L-Fudge, B.A. Barakus, J-Treds, Killa Sha, C-Baz 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 from Ikon the Verbal Hologram 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. [5] It was also around this time that he formally declared himself to be a follower of Islam, alluding to this fact several times on record.
In 2003, JMT released their 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. [6] Stoupe, now supplied with a professional studio in New York, also expanded his variety of production, incorporating grand orchestral samples and a stronger Latin 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 [ citation needed ]. Nevertheless, the album helped expand the group's audience as its popularity and commercial success continued to grow. Despite the album's reference to Gandhi, its lyrics were violent and homophobic, with Pitchfork panning the album as "an awkward mix of murder rap and the shiniest boom-bap money can buy." The review also criticized Stoupe's production, claiming that the "mysteriously upbeat" tracks clashed with Vinnie Paz's horrorcore lyrics. [7]
A little over a year after Visions of Gandhi, JMT released Legacy of Blood , this time intentionally keeping guest artists to a minimum. Vinnie Paz also added a more personal aspect to his lyrics, most notably in the last song "Before the Great Collapse," which was written as a suicide note to his mother.
In February 2005, Babygrande 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. The crew 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. This time, however, Virtuoso and Bahamadia were not featured and were no longer associated with AotP.
The fifth Jedi Mind Tricks album, titled Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell , was released on September 19, 2006. The release coincided with the beginning of a tour to promote the album, which kicked off in New York City's Times Square. The album was widely acclaimed, unlike the group's two previous albums. A large part of the acclaim was due to the album's lyrical and musical diversity, both 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. A day after the release of the album, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks did an interview with The Breakdown, a show on ItsHipHop.tv where he discussed the album and his thoughts on Jus Allah. [8]
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. [9] However, on September 20, 2006 a newly recorded Jedi Mind Tricks/Jus Allah collaboration, produced by Brods and entitled "The Rebuilding," appeared online. In a January 2007 interview, Paz stated that Jus would be featured on the group's upcoming sixth album, titled A History of Violence . [5] Jus Allah, Doap Nixon and Demoz were added to the AotP roster in 2007, and contributed verses to the group's second studio album Ritual of Battle , which was released on September 25, 2007. Also, in summer 2008, Jedi Mind Tricks' Label, Babygrande, released a JMT DVD called "Divine Fire: The Story of Jedi Mind Tricks".
In an interview conducted in September 2007 on the Art of Rhyme website, Jus Allah announced that he has rejoined Jedi Mind Tricks. [10] In the interview, he stated "I'm back in the group [and that] I'm focused on... putting out the next Jedi Mind Tricks album... a History of Violence." A History of Violence was released on November 11, 2008. It would be the last JMT album released on Babygrande Records.
After a long time dispute with Babygrande Records, JMT decided to part ways and form their own record label entitled Enemy Soil. Enemy Soil features artists such as JMT, Reef the Lost Cauze, Dutch (the side group of Stoupe The Enemy of Mankind), and Army of the Pharaohs.
Vinnie Paz released his first solo album Season of the Assassin on June 22, 2010. Jus Allah is in the works of releasing his second solo album entitled MMA (Meanest Man Alive). Stoupe released the album for his group, Dutch, (which features Liz Fullerton on vocals) entitled A Bright Cold Day on June 8, 2010. Army of the Pharaohs released their third album as well entitled The Unholy Terror on March 30, 2010.
It was announced that JMT would be creating a new title called Violence Begets Violence. This album marks the first album without Stoupe behind production. Vinnie Paz stated in a blog on the JMT website that Stoupe has lost the inspiration for Hip-Hop and decided to focus on other things in his career, such as his sidegroups, and that Stoupe would not be producing any of the tracks on the new JMT album. Vinnie Paz stated that there is no conflict between the two and if Stoupe wants to be part of the next album, Paz would welcome him back. [11] JMT has since gotten numerous producers to fill in the slot and released a new single from the album entitled "Target Practice". The new album was released on October 25, 2011.
In November 2013, one of the first acts on Stoupe's new production company, Bad Tape Music, [12] Red Martina released their debut Intransit with Stoupe as the producer on all thirteen tracks. Other band members are rapper Noesis (from Philadelphia Slick), multi-instrumentalist Ish Quintero, and vocalist Hayley Cass. [13]
Jus Allah had left the group along with leaving the supergroup Army of the Pharaohs. The reason for his departure has not been disclosed. [14]
On November 7, 2014, JMTHIPHOP.com confirmed Stoupe's return to Jedi Mind Tricks. On November 27, 2014, a post on jmthiphop.com revealed that Vinnie Paz and Stoupe would be returning as Jedi Mind Tricks in 2015. [15]
Their album The Thief and the Fallen was released on June 2, 2015.
Vinnie Paz mentioned numerous times in 2016 on his podcast, "Broad Street Breakdown", that he and Stoupe were working on another Jedi Mind Tricks record.
The ninth studio album The Bridge and the Abyss was released on June 22, 2018.
From 2019, Vinnie Paz released several studio albums, including Camouflage Regime with Tragedy Khadafi. [16] [ circular reference ]
On November 19, 2021, Jedi Mind Tricks released their tenth studio album, The Funeral and the Raven, which was fully produced by Stoupe. [17]
Studio albums
Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.
Army of the Pharaohs is an American underground hip hop collective originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks founder Vinnie Paz in 1998. The collective has strong links to other underground east coast groups such as OuterSpace, Snowgoons, La Coka Nostra, Demigodz, 7L & Esoteric, and JuJu Mob. AOTP's affiliations and member roster has changed several times since its formation.
OuterSpace is an underground hip hop duo from North Philadelphia. Originally a trio consisting of three Puerto Rican friends that then took the artist names Planetary, Jedeye and Crypt the Warchild. The founding member Mario Collazo (Planetary) was then attending 10th grade, while the other two, Richard Cruz (Jedeye) and Marcus Albaladejo, were in 8th grade.
Violent by Design is the second album by underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. Despite never reaching any Billboard album chart, the album sold 50,000 copies in its first week on shelves. The album was originally released on JMT's self-run Superegular Records on October 3, 2000. JMT's previous label, Babygrande Records, re-released the album on May 25, 2004. The original vinyl release featured twenty tracks, while the original CD release featured two extra tracks: the "Heavenly Divine Remix", originally released on the B-Side to JMT's "Heavenly Divine" single, and "War Ensemble", originally released as the B-Side of the Army of the Pharaohs Five Perfect Exertions EP. Babygrande's Deluxe Edition featured three more bonus tracks: "Untitled", "Retaliation Remix" and "Blood Runs Cold", the latter two originally featured on the "Retaliation" single. The Deluxe Edition also included a bonus DVD, featuring a video scrapbook from their Visions of Gandhi tour, and the music video for the group's 1997 track "I Who Have Nothing".
Visions of Gandhi is the third studio album from underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, and their first album on the Babygrande record label. Jus Allah split from the group after the release of their album Violent by Design (2000), returning the group back to its original lineup of Vinnie Paz, Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind and DJ Drew Dollars. Producer Stoupe expands his dark sounds, including beats with grand orchestral samples and Latin-tinged production. Vinnie Paz lessens his lyrical topics to focus on his thug persona. Album guests include Canibus, Kool G Rap, Percee P, Ras Kass, and Tragedy Khadafi, as well as underground peers Crypt the Warchild, Planetary of OuterSpace, and Non Phixion members Ill Bill, Sabac Red, and Goretex.
The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness is the debut album of underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, consisting of rapper Vinnie Paz and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. The original version of the album was released in 1997, limited to 1,000 copies on vinyl by Superegular Records, and was re-released on CD in 2003 on Babygrande Records with six bonus tracks, featuring songs recorded by the group before their debut release. It has been a common misconception that the vinyl version was re-issued in 2001, possibly because the back of the vinyl release says "2001 Superegular." The album’s often esoteric lyrics focus on conspiracy theories, astronomy, religion, and violence, themes that JMT would expand on in later albums. The album was inspired by a lot of "crazy books" mentioned by Vinnie Paz in an interview, and is named after one of those books, a 1,900-page tome entitled "Matrix III - The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electromagnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness,” by Valdamar Valerian.
James Bostick, better known by his stage name Jus Allah, is an American rapper from Camden, New Jersey. He is best known for being a former member of Philadelphia-based hip hop groups Jedi Mind Tricks (JMT) and Army of the Pharaohs (AOTP).
Kevin Baldwin, better known by his stage name Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind or simply Stoupe, is an American hip hop producer, DJ, and member of the underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. Stoupe has worked with only a limited number of artists outside of Jedi Mind Tricks, including 7L & Esoteric, Canibus, Virtuoso, Guru of Gang Starr and Switch.
Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell is the fifth studio album by hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. It was released September 19, 2006 through Babygrande Records. The first single, "Heavy Metal Kings", featuring Ill Bill of La Coka Nostra, was released in early August through iTunes and a limited edition vinyl pressing. Additional guest appearances on the album are provided by Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond, Sean Price, R.A. the Rugged Man, Block McCloud and Army of the Pharaohs members Chief Kamachi and Reef the Lost Cauze.
Vincenzo Luviner, better known as Vinnie Paz, is an Italian-born American rapper and producer behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. He is also the frontman of the hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs.
Marcus Albaladejo, better known by his stage name Crypt the Warchild, is an underground rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Albaladejo is one half of the rap duo OuterSpace and is a member of Army of the Pharaohs. Crypt the Warchild is the older brother of rapper King Syze, who is also a member of Army of the Pharaohs.
David Albaladejo is an underground rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of Puerto Rican descent. He is a member of the underground hip hop supergroup Army of the Pharaohs (AOTP), having featured on all their studio albums. He is known for his frequent collaboration with AOTP members; OuterSpace. Outside of rap, Albaladejo works as a member of a trade union which has inspired the names of many of his studio albums.
Mario Collazo, better known by his stage name Planetary, is an American underground rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is one half of the rap duo OuterSpace and a member of Army of the Pharaohs.
"Heavenly Divine" is a single by American hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, released in mid-1999 through the group's self-run label Superegular Recordings.
"Genghis Khan" is a single by hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. The original press, distributed through JMT's Superegular Recordings, was released as a promo in early 2000. The group's second and former label, Babygrande Records, re-released the single in 2003 with wider distribution. The track is named after 13th century Mongol leader Genghis Khan. The song contains a sample from "Downloading", a symphonic composition by Harald Kloser, taken from the film The Thirteenth Floor.
"Retaliation" is a single by Hip Hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, the third released from their second album Violent by Design, following "Heavenly Divine" and "Genghis Khan". Released in 2001, the single was the group's last release on self-run Superegular Recordings. The following year, the group migrated to Babygrande Records. "Retaliation" contains a musical sample from "El Rio Y Las Rosas" by Rosita Peru, a vocal sample from "Cross My Heart" by Killah Priest, and a vocal sample from "Money in the bank" by Kool G. Rap. The single also contains the edited "Retaliation (Remix)", and the B-Side track "Blood Runs Cold", featuring Heltah Skeltah's Sean Price, both originally only available on this single. Babygrande Records re-released Violent by Design in 2004, including both "Retaliation (Remix)" and "Blood Runs Cold" as bonus tracks.
"Kublai Khan" is a single by hip hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks, released in 2003 through Babygrande Records. The song was the second single released from the duo's third album Visions of Gandhi, following "Animal Rap", and followed by "Rise of the Machines". "Kublai Khan" is a sequel to the group's 2000 single "Genghis Khan", this time, named after Genghis' grandson Kublai Khan. The song, like "Genghis Khan", features an intense symphonic sample, courtesy of group producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. New York City rapper Tragedy Khadafi, who appeared on "Genghis", also appears on the track. Former JMT member Jus Allah, who split from the group in 2001, is replaced by Goretex, of the group Non Phixion.
A History of Violence is the sixth studio album by Philadelphia hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, released on November 11, 2008 on Babygrande Records. The album followed multiple summer releases from the Jedi Mind Tricks camp, including the group's first DVD, titled Divine Fire: The Story of Jedi Mind Tricks, and the Vinnie Paz-executive produced projects Jedi Mind Tricks presents Doap Nixon: Sour Diesel, Jedi Mind Tricks presents King Syze: The Labor Union, and Jedi Mind Tricks presents OuterSpace: God's Fury. The album's first single Monolith was released on October 2, 2008. Their second single Godflesh was released on their website and it featured King Magnetic and Block McCloud. The album features former Jedi Mind Tricks member Jus Allah's return to the group.
Violence Begets Violence is the seventh studio album by underground Philadelphia hip hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks. This is their only album to not feature production from Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind because "his heart wasn't into making JMT records anymore" as well as the fact that both Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah grew tired of waiting. Two singles were released, "Target Practice" and "When Crows Descend Upon You," for which a video has been made. In addition, Shuko remixed the song "Target Practice".
The Thief and the Fallen is the eighth studio album by American Philadelphia-based underground hip hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks. It was released on June 2, 2015 through Enemy Soil Entertainment. Production was handled entirely by Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind, who had left the band before their 2011 album Violence Begets Violence. It features guest appearances from Yes Alexander, Eamon, A-F-R-O, Dilated Peoples, Lawrence Arnell, R.A. the Rugged Man and Thea Alana. The album peaked at number 105 on the Billboard 200, at number 11 on both Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Independent Albums charts, at number 10 on both Top Rap Albums and Tastemakers charts, and at number one on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States.