Rewind to 2000: Jedi Mind Tricks' Violent by Design

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This article was written as a part of the Rewind review series, brought to you by Listen In.

There is a certain undeniable integrity to be had by promising something and delivering it in full. With their 2000 LP Violent by Design, Philadelphia-based hip-hop group Jedi Mind Tricks did just that. From beginning to end, brooding, eerie production and unabashedly violent, obscene rhymes prevail. I say this now to save you some time: if you dislike hip-hop with profane, violent, controversial, and sometimes bigoted lyrical content, this record is not for you.

Jedi Mind Tricks has been active in the Phillie hip-hop scene since 1992, officially debuting in 1996 with the Amber Probe EP. Their first full-length release, The Psycho-Social LP, was released in 1997. Emcee Vinnie Paz (formerly known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram) and producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind form the core of the group. Violent by Design is Jedi Mind Tricks' second LP, and the best-received critically of all their releases.

Lyrically, Vinnie Paz and a long list of guest artists shine in spots but generally underwhelm. The rhyme schemes and execution are generally serviceable, though the lyrics are indecipherable in a few places. Like other Jedi Mind Tricks albums, Violent by Design is rife with references to religion, mysticism, history, science fiction, and the like. I find this sort of stuff fascinating, so it took me awhile to cut through the veneer of mystical coolness and realize that nothing much is there beneath it.

Violent by Design is dominated by incoherent, meaningless ramblings liberally seasoned with threats of violence against various individuals, groups, and institutions. References to interesting religious concepts and historical figures are largely used in similes describing the group's tendency toward violence, or are simply dropped in passing for no identifiable reason. Stereotypical hip-hop braggadocio is also prominently featured.

Case in point:

We ravenous
Exhume the tomb of Lazarus
You blasphemous
We bring war to pacifists
Tarantulas, burnt flesh like a nine glock
Your mind stops from nine of my divine shots
A pine box is fine for a killer to run
Swing from vines and rhyme like Attila the Hun
Bring the gun, your tongue is what I'm slicing
We slap tracks and attack like M. Bison
Elohim, @!$%# the pagans we mark them
And take turns to burn religious doctrines
Concoctions of pain hits from eight angles
Locked in the brain to lacerate ankles

[Vinnie Paz's verse from "Death March"]

It's almost as though Vinnie and his lyrical collaborators sat down and wrote a list entitled, "How can I kill thee? Let me count the ways."

It's a shame this album never goes anywhere lyrically, because Stoupe's production is absolutely superb. You won't find a more coherent aesthetic or a more eclectic sample library this side of RZA. Violent by Design opens with a verbal sample from Planet of the Apes and moves smoothly through Pi, Antz, and Apocalypse Now as well as various kung fu I can't identify. Instrumental samples are just as diverse: Killah Priest, Nancy Sinatra, Cal Tjader, and Yo-Yo Ma all make appearances.

Stoupe has clearly spent a lot of hours digging the crates and watching movies. It pays off with interest here. Violent by Design exemplifies sample-based production at its finest, with many-layered beats that are loop-based without being overly repetitive. Stoupe juxtaposes good old-fashioned hip-hop fundamentals with incredibly varied musical samples to weave a series of beautiful tracks. His production is clean and precise, complex but uncluttered. My personal favorite is "Heavenly Divine", but every beat is very solid.

Ultimately, Vinnie Paz and the other emcees detract from Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind's production, lessening the impact of Violent by Design as a whole. There are some clever lyrical moments, and I enjoy the album very much overall, but it could have been better and it's easy to see how.

Cross-posted from the new ListenInMusic.com.

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© 2007 Evan Mix for Listen In. Some rights reserved.

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