While the spoken-word opener could suggest that Jedi Mind Tricks’s latest album might continue the group’s previous style, Violence Begets Violence is a far cry from the former JMT that spoke of figures like Gandhi. Perhaps it’s the lack of founding producer/D.J. Stoupe, or maybe M.C.s Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah wanted to go back to their Violent by Design days. Whatever the reason, the latest offering from JMT is merely a shallow portrayal of the group, filled with enough over the top murder descriptions and staccato raps to make it border on ridiculous.
Fans of JMT’s old work will probably be satisfied with this new release. However, even the most dedicated will notice that the lack of Stoupe’s production painfully shows in almost every track on the album. There are tracks like “Imperial Tyranny” that come close to a song that could have been produced by the Enemy of Mankind himself. Unfortunately, most of the beats meld into one repetitive loop after multiple listens.
Production aside, the lyrics and delivery of Paz and Allah somehow come off as both overly harsh and dull. Words that vividly describe grotesque massacres can only be said so many times before they lose their edge. While tracks like “Design in Malice” shine through the gritty muck by presenting the group’s traditionally anger-infused lyrics without making it sound like like a competition for the most disgusting image, cuts like “The Sacrilege of Fatal Arms” exemplify how absurd and repetitive the lyrics can be. Although fans may gravitate towards Violence Begets Violence, there are plenty of other underground hip-hop acts to check out that provide more than homicidal monotony.
Ian Birnam is the lead music critic.
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The opening is Richard Ramirez the serial killer far cry from ghandi bro
Pleeeease this album rocks as does every album put out by all the aotp dudes in the last year. The new outerspace, the hour of reprisal, heavy metal kings, honkey kong, nineteen ninety now, kill devil hills, I mean all these cats are putting out their best work yet. The beats are too layered and the lyrics are too street for critics yet the actual street loves it.
Uhh everyone is in competition for the sickest lyric that’s hard bodied hip hop and it feels good like violent movies violent books etc
Nwa and geto boys felt good because they made people uncomfortable that’s the whole aotp click these days….pay attention
The absence of stour shows give me a break quit reading magazines and meet real people dude. Stoupe is a legend but tons of cats make awesome beats and these guys get sent beats that rock from all over the world and they pick awesome beats out of the litter on all releases