The Thief and the Fallen

Last updated
The Thief and the Fallen
The Thief and the Fallen cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 2, 2015 (2015-06-02)
Recorded2014–15
StudioBadtape Music
Genre
Length42:46
Label Enemy Soil
Producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind
Jedi Mind Tricks chronology
Violence Begets Violence
(2011)
The Thief and the Fallen
(2015)
The Bridge and the Abyss
(2018)
Singles from The Thief and the Fallen
  1. "Deathless Light"
    Released: May 6, 2015
  2. "Fraudulent Cloth"
    Released: 2015
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
RapReviews7.5/10 [2]

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.

Contents

Background

In March 2015, Jedi Mind Tricks founders Vinnie Paz and Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind announced they had reunited to make their first album together since 2008's A History of Violence . Former member Jus Allah, who rejoined the group in 2006 but then left again in 2013, did not appear on the album, making it the first Jedi Mind Tricks album in which he did not appear since 2006's Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell . [3] On May 6, 2015, the duo released a single and music video for "Deathless Light", along with a release date and cover art. Vinnie Paz's lyrics on the album were partly inspired by the written works of British author Clive Barker. [4] The album cover was designed by Andrew Haines, and was intended to be unlike other hip hop albums.[ citation needed ]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Intro" Kevin Baldwin 0:31
2."Poison in the Birth Water"2:55
3."Rival the Eminent" (featuring Lawrence Arnell)
3:09
4."Hell's Messenger"
  • Luvineri
  • Baldwin
2:56
5."Merchant of War"
  • Luvineri
  • Baldwin
2:41
6."La Montagna del Dio Cannibale (Interlude)" (featuring Yes Alexander)
  • Baldwin
  • Yes Alexander
  • Ish Quintero
1:18
7."Fraudulent Cloth" (featuring Eamon)
4:11
8."And God Said to Cain" (featuring A-F-R-O, R.A. the Rugged Man and Eamon)
3:38
9."Destiny Forged in Blood"
  • Luvineri
  • Baldwin
2:19
10."Il Tuo Wizio e una Stanza Chiusa e Solo Io Ne Ho la Chiave (Interlude)" (featuring Yes Alexander)
  • Baldwin
  • Alexander
1:01
11."Deathless Light"
  • Luvineri
  • Baldwin
  • Brian Profilio
  • Thomas Brenneck
  • Daniel Foder, Jr.
  • Jared Tankel
  • Andrew Greene
  • Mike Deller
2:42
12."No Jesus, No Beast"
  • Luvineri
  • Baldwin
2:28
13."The Kingdom That Worshipped the Dead" (featuring Dilated Peoples)3:36
14."The God Supreme"
  • Luvineri
  • Baldwin
  • Mario Collazo
  • Craig Lanciani
3:10
15."In the Coldness of a Dream" (featuring Thea Alana)
  • Luvineri
  • Baldwin
  • Thea Alana Finstad
  • Quintero
3:19
16."Lemarchand's Box" (featuring Yes Alexander)
  • Luvineri
  • Baldwin
  • Alexander
2:52
Total length:42:46
Sample credits

Charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [5] 105
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [6] 11
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) [7] 10
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [8] 11
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [9] 1
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [10] 10

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jedi Mind Tricks</span> American hip hop group

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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".

<i>Visions of Gandhi</i> 2003 studio album by Jedi Mind Tricks

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.

<i>The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness</i> 1997 studio album by Jedi Mind Tricks

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.

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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.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retaliation (song)</span> 2001 song performed by Jedi Mind Tricks

"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.

<i>A History of Violence</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Jedi Mind Tricks

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.

<i>Decalogue</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind

Decalogue is the first full-length solo album from Jedi Mind Tricks producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. The album was released on March 31, 2009 under Babygrande Records. Vocals are provided by various rappers and the production is entirely handled by Stoupe himself.

<i>Season of the Assassin</i> 2010 studio album by Vinnie Paz

Season of the Assassin is the debut solo album by Jedi Mind Tricks frontman/Army of the Pharaohs leader Vinnie Paz. The album was originally called Assassin's Creed.

<i>Rip the Jacker</i> 2003 studio album by Canibus

Rip the Jacker is the fifth studio album by American rapper Canibus. Produced by Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind of the group Jedi Mind Tricks, the album was released on July 22, 2003, through Babygrande Records.

<i>Violence Begets Violence</i> 2011 studio album by Jedi Mind Tricks

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".

<i>The Bridge and the Abyss</i> 2018 studio album by Jedi Mind Tricks

The Bridge and the Abyss is the ninth studio album by underground American hip hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks. The album contains a feature from Sean Price on the track "Legacy of the Prophet", who died in 2015.

References

  1. Jeffries, David. "The Thief and the Fallen - Jedi Mind Tricks | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  2. Jones, Grant (June 23, 2015). "RapReviews.com Feature for June 23, 2015 - Jedi Mind Tricks' "The Thief and the Fallen"". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  3. Adams, Gregory (March 18, 2015). "Jedi Mind Tricks Reunite for 'The Thief and the Fallen' | Exclaim!". Exclaim! . Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  4. Grefe, Cliff (May 6, 2015). "Jedi Mind Tricks "The Thief And The Fallen" Release Date & Cover Art". HipHopDX . Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  5. "Jedi Mind Tricks Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  6. "Jedi Mind Tricks Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  7. "Jedi Mind Tricks Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  8. "Jedi Mind Tricks Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  9. "Jedi Mind Tricks Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  10. "Jedi Mind Tricks Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2021.