Customer Reviews

Legacy of Blood

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Jedi Mind Tricks bill themselves as hardcore underground hip-hop and have had a devoted following since the release of Violent by Design. The beats on this disc are killer and Stoupe incorporates some sick samples. Based on their previous releases, you can expect a good deal of gun talk. However, what I did not anticipate was Vinne's very graphic depiction of how he would beat and kill homosexuals. It was present in the past, but has reached new levels. If you subscribe to the doctrine of Islam (as Vinnie claims to), you know that there are more positive ways to uplift people. This album is outstanding for what it is...a legacy of blood. But be cautious if you are buying this dics because it is underground and the beats are tight. Album summary...I hate you, I hate everything about you and I will kill you all.

So JMT makes two really great albums (the Psycho-Social and Violent By Design) and underground heads everywhere get really excited. Then, they make a mediocre album (Visions of Gandhi) and those same heads start to think "oh no, now they're gonna start to really stink" because that's what happens in the music world, right?

Apparently not because Legacy of Blood is definitely not a mediocre album. It's a freakin awesome album. Stoupe and Vinnie Paz are making a strong statement here, keeping that hardcore, truly dangerous feel, but not slipping into that kinda cartoonish stuff that they did last time around.

Vinnie P. continues to be the most beautifully unhinged MC around. His flow has continued to develop and I'm missing Jus'Allah less on this than I was on Visions. (Not to say I wouldn't be pleased to hear him again - just sayin.) The lyrics are the usual blend of violence, menace, hate, and islamic allusion - going places where others don't, won't, and can't. It's good stuff and it will make you think a little when you really listen to the man.

Stoupe... what can you say about Stoupe other than that he's the best out there, period? The best beats and the strongest samples every time. You listen to the differences between this album and (say) Violent By Design and you hear a progression - not just the same dirt over and over again from the over-rated 'genius' producers in the mainstream.

So yeah; get on this, get on it today, you won't be sorry. Find out what explicit lyrics are all about - hardcore rhymes that you'll NEVER, EVER hear on the radio. (And that's all right by me, man...)

Philly crew JMT are back after the controversial stylistic departure that was 'Visions Of Gandhi', which in all honesty wasn't quite the travesty that fans made it out to be. Despite the early press reports, 'legacy of blood' doesn't simply revert to the dirty and grimy style of 'Violent Be Design' as it attempts to bridge the significant gap between said album and VOG, merging the darker atmospheric tracks of the former with the ethnic inflected and orchestral 'tearing down the walls' type sonic beat downs of the latter.


'The age of the sacred terror' kicks off the proceedings in a remarkable fashion, taking the JMT sound back to its origins and belting out one of their finest tunes ever. This album has less guest MC's on it than VOG, which is a positive or negative depending on where you stand, but they have roped in higher profile cats this time in Killah Priest and Gza, both of whose contributions enhance the quality and credibility of this release in general. It's quite satisfying that JMT have now received the stamp of approval from the Wu, especially since for years they were branded as mere clones. Of course sceptics may argue that given the shoddy nature of recent wu product their endorsement hardly counts for anything nowadays. Regardless, Killah Priest tears it up on 'Saviourself', with Paz making references to all things mythical and religious, perfectly complimenting K.P's wise flows. Gza jumps aboard for 'on the eve of war', a track that showcases Stoupe's knack for using classical music to inflict bodily harm, although perhaps not to the same jaw dropping effect as 'Animal Rap'. 'Verses Of The Bleeding' is perhaps the most brooding of the lot, reaching almost cinematic heights with Des Devious stealing the show from Paz with one of the albums strongest verses. Sean Price also comes nice on 'Beyond The Gates Of Pain' while the beat is perhaps the most understated beat on display, working its considerable magic in a more subtle manner than usual. 'Before The End Of The Collapse' is the surprise cut of the album, with Paz revealing a more intimate side to his nature than we have seen before, an interesting flipside to the hard as nails persona that us fans have become accustomed to.


The rest of the tracks are of a uniformly similar quality, with quality beats and rhymes abound. Stoupe is proving himself to be the hottest producer in the underground and while 'LOB' isn't quite his best work, it effectively demonstrates his ability to weave many complex elements into a satisfying whole that's never just the sum of its parts with his mix of disparate influences signifying more than you'd expect at first, almost telling an entirely different story on their own. If there was ever a flaw with JMT since 'Violent By Design', it's that the beats suggest reflection, the idea of something brewing underneath and yet the verses seldom rise to the occasion. It's not that Paz is a bad rapper, his technique has improved tenfold over the years but he has less to say now than ever. The main complaint fans have is his over-reliance on thug cliches. Vinnie has always been full of rage, arguably one of the biggest candidates for textbook psycho-analysis in the whole rap genre next to Eminem, but nowadays it's misdirected. While it succeeds on a visceral level where most fail, it just lacks the creative fire of the almost metaphysical rhymes of VBD where Paz had torture down to a kind of abstract science. I'm sure most fans would agree that their feelings towards him are contradictory as his presence is undeniably both a strength and weakness, contributing and detracting from the material in almost equal measure. In spite of all this, `LOB' is definitely recommended to JMT fans and others alike. While it may lack the immediacy and surprise factor of their previous two it's definitely one of the more consistent underground rap albums of the year. however, it remains to be seen how much longer JMT can keep playing this card before they exhaust their options.

Ja Rule? U can't be f*****g serious. Vinnie Paz rhymes are nothing like Ja's. Yes, their are rhymes about killing etc. But if you deaf mfers actually listen to this album, Vinnie Paz is right. Vinnie Paz actually uses words and phrases that are not "It's Murda!!", "Holla", "Word To Mother". Vinnie learned religion and politics. Just listen to saviorself. If you hate JMT, you probably don't want to be educated about Islam. You people who compare VP with Ja obvuisly didn't listen to the lyrics. You are also the same people who critizied Ja rule for singing love songs. Find one song for me where VP sings. One f****n song. And don't even get me started on how good Stoupes production is.

This album is too nice for words. Vinnie fell a bit off lyrically before, his lyrics were a bit weaker (content wise) on Visions of Ghandi, and I was a little disappointed. But, on this album, from the very first track that kicks in, it completely sets it off. He's as raw as he ever was, with insane delivery. Stoupe, the Enemy of Mandkind, is a pure genius. His beats are definately some of illest beats i've ever heard, and that's completely evident on this album. I'd rank Stoupe up there with Premeier. If you wanna hear some raw music to workout to, blast in your whip, chill back and bang out, this is definately the album for you. Insane Collabs, like Killah Priest (on a sick as hell spanish flavored beat), and Gza (on a raw war-like beat), make this album a personal favorite of mine. DEFINATELY cop this LP quick, Highly recommended.

With this release, JMT finally proved they don't need Jus Allah to stay up, and Vinnie shows they still are lyrically raw.

One love.

Reppin Brick City

Kasino One

this is in my opinion the better sequel to Violent by Design, the shoes that ghandi didn't quite fill. The total rawness is ressurected and put back into full motion. JMT decided to have less collabs than previous albums to show a more unique JMT feel, i think it was a good idea, but i also like the Psycho-Social idea with only 1-2 solo songs. Jus Allah (not Jus-uh-la..) started dissing Paz and Paz retaliated so they split up obviously, but the gap wasn't very big, and it is their second album without him so its not totally different, i see it more as Jus being a heavily featured artist on VBD. The few collabs JMT come with are very effective (GZA!!!), and entertaining. Song after song is just rawness, and Stoupe's producing work is more art than work, never, ever, ever a weak beat, and Paz has very little weak lines compared to that of VoG (Nada Cambia). In all, a very good album, and a more fitting sequel to Violent by Design, only with the departure of Jus Allah. Rawness.

Pick it up definately

Thank God for Jedi Mind Tricks. With the overall rap scene becoming way to commercial, Vinnie Paz and Stoupe come through with the hardcore underground sound that makes them the best. Vinnie's lyrics are intelligent and thought provoking and are delivered with that raw hatred that true JMT fans love. With Legacy Of Blood, Stoupe has cemented himself as the #1 producer in the business, surpasing the rugged, hypnotic sound of Wu-Tang's RZA. This is truly a classic.

What makes a group amazing is the ability to create a sound that is different but at the same time creates a sound that our ears embrace. JMT had carved its niche into the hip hop scene by doing just this. The main theme i have learned from listening to JMT is that rap is war music. Legacy of Blood keeps with that theme. Thought many people continue to say Paz sucks and Stoupe is great in reality, if they where to separate where would Stoupe go? Only the lyrics and voice of Vinne Paz go hand in hand with amazing beats in songs like "Saviorself", "Me Ne Sballo", "Before the Great Collapse", and "The Philosophy of Horror". The amazing, third world sound in the song " Me Ne Sballo" could only be accompanied by 3rd would lyrics, war and violence. JMT brings something to the hip hop scene that no one else has ever brought before, and thus it needs an outstanding character like Paz to create lyrics that most rappers would never venture into. Legacy of Blood incites hate but at the same time inspires. Like someone before me said, even the interludes are masterpieces and are not crappy time fillers thrown onto a cd. Where Stoupe gets the ideas for his beats, i have no clue. JMT is for people who want music that gives them new ideas, not the same static song after song heard on the mainstream scene.

Building from the solid production explored on VOG, Legacy Of Blood brings strong lyricism back to the raw duo known as Jedi Mind Tricks. Vinnie Paz, after abandoning his Ikon persona, is a much-better balanced blend of insight and raw anger on this effort. Stoupe, as always, makes the entire album beg for an instrumental co-release. Songs like "Scars Of The Crucifix", "Saviourself (ft. Killah Priest)", and even the hidden track "Without A Plan (ft. Des Devious)" all possess a raw, orchestral Stoupe-masterpiece that is flawlessly matched with a well-crafted verse from an increasingly-capable Vinnie Paz. Little guest appearances, more raw JMT exposure, and an overall strong album. Even the interludes are worth replaying over and over. Buy this or miss out on a masterpiece of Hip-Hop that should be handed out like Bibles.

This is aggressive, violent hip hop. The group doesn't apologize for it. You won't find Paz imitating Slug by feeling the need to follow up each violent bar with something sensitive.

That should be clear to potential listeners, because this record is not for people who are easily offended. JMT targets Christians, gays, pacifists, the government and a range of other people and groups.

There are some tracks that seem more inspired than others, and a lot of the same themes and material from past albums are recycled here, so there is some truth to the complaint that Vinnie Paz can get repetitive.

But Stoupe's beats are brilliant, to the point where it's hard to believe some cuts were almost wasted by being used as interludes, and more than a few times the beats and the rhymes come together perfectly.

My personal favorite track is "Savoirself." The beat is ridiculously catchy and the imagery is classic JMT -- heiroglyphs, Greek gods, ancient war and mysticism. "The Age of Sacred Terror" is perversely violent, "Me Ne Shalto" is bouncy and sharp, and the GZA and Killah Priest guest spots are both throwbacks to the days when Wu was at the top of their game.

Overall this isn't Violent By Design, but it's a far better effort than Visions of Ghandi and probably the group's second best album.