Search - Jedi Mind Tricks :: Violent By Design

From an intelligence favored music eclectic

Your Favorite Antagonist | Ramstein AB, Germany | 09/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ikon the Verbal Hologram is Vinnie Paz, to dissolve that confusion. The other MC is former member, Jus Allah. I'll dissect why this album is great with elaborate detail and supporting arguments.Foremost, the production...who likes listening to tracks with good lyrics and crappy production? Nobody soulful, to admit the least. No matter how great the lyrics are, after you give them a good listen if the music is garbage, it will not catch repetitive play on whatever music deck you have for your media. This cd, this album, this outfit of the Jedi Mind Tricks produces some of the most creatively diverse instrumentals I've ever heard and assembles them together. Their head nodder instros will put you in a neck brace, however they're not club oriented, they seem intended to resonate the speakers in your vehicle or headset instead. Definitely elite stuff. Without abandon Dj Stoupe created some sinister, aggressive, and flavorful beats that could inspire anybody to pause their current train of thought and listen.On to Ikon and Jus Allah. I happen to enjoy both styles, where as Ikon will project the more ruggedized and intelligent rhymes, Jus Allah can drop the same science, just not to the degree Ikon can but Jus Allah rhymes about some really enjoyable dun-hop type shiz. Ikon's style ranges from generating fantastic wordplay, involving punchlines and metaphors, to wonderfully phrased bars depicting imagery with scientific descriptions. Jus Allah also rhymes about the same subject content and both deliver to the extent where anybody with similar dispositions can empathize and they're influenced to vicariously imagine themselves as these artists. That is the result of the effort invested by this team. Stoupe - this guy beats out Alchemist, Prince Paul, Dan The Automator, Dre (and his team), Primo, anybody I can think of when it concerns consistent production.Ikon - this kid can only be rivaled by Canibus in my opinion, they drop similar scienceJus Allah - seems to have his influences in Mobb Deep, only this kid is sickerAnybody that likes battle rhymes, punchlines, metaphors, science, and innovative rhyme content...cop this material immediately. It will not disappoint."

The Underground At It's Best

realrapfan | 11/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is without doubt one of the dopest to emerge from the Philly underground scene for a long time, in fact it's one of the best underground albums ever. Stoupe "The Enemy Of Mankind"'s intricately created beats are the most underrated piece of the album, each filled equally with underground hiphop-styled samples and classical instruments alike. Ikon The Hologram (AKA Vinnie Paz) is one of (if not the) most on point emceeing reflection of violence and hatrid you'll ever hear, his lyrics are evil and yet compelling at the same time. His rough, raw-sounding flow only serves to add to this self-created style. His rhyme partner Jus Allah (AKA Megatraum) comes equally as hard, but is only in places as nasty as Ikon. However, his flow is better and like Ikon he slids over Stoupe's beats effortlessly. Both of their lyrics are overflowing with metaphors and similes and create a very complex lyrical language and rhyme pattern. To finish off the album there are several great guest artists, JMT could carry the album on their own, but this serves as the icing on the cake. Spots from Esoteric, Virtuoso, Bahamadia (the dopest female MC), Chief Kamachi, Louis Logic, Mr. Lif and L Fudge amongst others all fit to JMT's style and Stopue's beats well.
Overall if you are a fan of underground hiphop or want to listen to some underground hiphop you won't find another album like this."

The Pinnacle of Raw Hip-Hop

Jim | New York | 03/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a hardcore listener of various types of hip-hop ranging from Em to Pac to Biggie to Wu-Tang to Jin and having listened to quite a few sound samples of many other above- and under-ground emcees, Jedi Mind Tricks has presented the most unique type of music I have ever heard. And, quite frankly, Violent by Design is absolutely the optimal combination of dope instrumentals (courtesy of Stoupe a.k.a. The Enemy of Mankind) and ferocious lyrics (courtesy of Eyekon tha Verbal Hologram a.k.a. Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah a.k.a. Megatraum). I have never heard such a variety of excellent sound samples for loops... ever. I have listened to many samples by DJ Premier, RZA and other acclaimed producers, and Stoupe has absolutely tapped on the most original loops I have ever heard. He is unquestionably the most creative producer out there.Jus Allah and Ikon are on a relatively equal lyrical level, which is excellent because I don't prefer hearing one over the other as both are outstanding lyricists. Though they are not quite on the plateau of Rakim, Nas, Eminem, GZA, Pac, Biggie, et. al. in terms of creativity, they exceed every emcee out there in terms of how raw the lyrics are. I have never heard such provocative rhymes in my life, as my eyes widened after some of their verses. Their fierce, truculent lyrics can provoke any reaction from laughter to astonishment to anger.The collaborations are also pure excellence. The Philly underground is teeming with budding emcees that nobody has taken notice of. The Army of the Pharaohs, the group featured on the Five Perfect Exertions, is the best group of emcees this side of Wu-Tang. Virtuoso and Esoteric make the mic sizzle, and Bahamadia is the illest femcee out there because she's that much more intelligent with her verses. Every single emcee on this album impressed me, and there were around ten featured in the many collabos.All in all, this is the best CD I have ever heard. Everything is dope from the verses to the sound samples to the features with other cats. Seriously, the Philly underground needs to get noticed a lot more. I'm not even joking when I say that this Grammy quality music. Jedi Mind is that ill. It is very hard to achieve the equilibrium that they have reached as a group, and even though Jus Allah has left, the legacy that the trio has left on this album is enough to solidify their place in hip-hop history. I give this album a six out of five because it is so amazing. In short, if you gain anything from this review, it should be this: BUY THIS ALBUM. NOW."