Jedi Mind Tricks - Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell: Album Review
Jedi Mind Tricks, Servants in Heaven... (Babygrande, 2006)
I'd be lying if I said I knew what any of Jedi Mind Tricks' other albums are about, but obviously (based on its cover) this is their big political album. Whatever it is, it's motherfucking nails.
INTRO
Some vaguely epic-sounding dialogue from something or other over some "apocalyptic" strings. Obviously some shit's about to go down.
PUT 'EM IN THE GRAVE
A song about how Vinnie Paz could fuck something up if he wanted to, both literally and figuratively.
SUICIDE
Stoupe's production here has some surprisingly musical flourishes for this kind of rap. Vinnie Paz overcompensates by rapping a lot about things that result in someone's death.
UNCOMMON VALOR: A VIETNAM STORY
Here he raps in first person as a soldier in Vietnam. It comes off about as nerdy as you'd think, but still fairly impressive none the less. And wait until you hear RA the Rugged Man's verse.
A BLOOD RED PATH
A brief, rather jarring rap interlude. I suppose it had to be included.
WHEN ALL LIGHT DIES
Paz mentions something having to do with Israel and Lebanon, but I didn't really catch it. This sung chorus doesn't really do it for me.
SERENITY IN MURDER
I should note that there are a lot of great Primo-style scratched choruses on this, which is rapidly becoming a lost art.
PARIAH DEMISE
Another brief interlude, lest more than two whole songs go by in a row.
HEAVY METAL KINGS
A bit pointlessly aggro and formulaic for my liking, but I imagine kids will enjoy this. After all, they shot a video for it, which I've taken the liberty of posting below.
SHADOW BUSINESS
Vinnie Paz takes a principled stance against sweatshops, which are wrong.
TRIUMPH & AGONY
An interlude of some sorts. I'm sure it serves a purpose thematically.
RAZORBLADE SALVATION
Think that one song by Fort Minor, but much less teh ghey. The chick who sings on this is somehow associated with Sufjan Stevens, from what I understand.
OUTLIVE THE WAR
Sean Price, who only seems to get better, threatens to put a foot in someone's ass. This may also feature someone calling himself Block McCloud.
GUTTA MUSIC
Reef the Lost Cauze, the best thing to happen to nerd rap since complaining itself, guest raps here as well as Chief Kamachi, who's just okay.
TEMPLES OF ICE
One of the more "creative" of this albums several interludes, which is why it's right at the end.
BLACK WINTER DAY
Vinnie Paz reflects on how he's managed to make it this far despite his constant complaining.
COMMENTS: Jedi Mind Tricks have gone and made the best possible album you could ever imagine them making, for what it's worth. Vinnie Paz makes several "astute for a rapper" statements about everything from war and terrorism to capitalism and, obviously, death. Stoupe manages to expand his signature sound without teh-gheying it up too much. Arguably the year's best rap album so far.
BEST TRACKS: "Uncommon Valor" "Shadow Business" "Razorblade Salvation"
BONUS VIDEO: Check out the clip for "Heavy Metal Kings" featuring Ill Bill.
