
I have to start this post off by saying that this album is very close to me. This Philadelphia trio changed my entire perspective on music with their sophomore outing Violent By Design. The first time I heard Vinnie Paz, Jus Allah & Stoupe I was instantly hooked and I needed more of their music like a fiend needs rock. I have to say that this album can not and does not stack up to Violent By Design (because in my opinion nothing really can), but next to Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell it might be their best work since. I do feel however that Jus Allah might have fallen off a little bit since the VBD days. I had heard about Vin and Jus being in the studio again with that same dynamic as VBD and was overcome with joy, I just didn’t get that feeling when I heard Jus this time.
Stoupe’s production on this album is some of the most impeccable work he has done. I also want to mention that Vinnie Paz is on a completely new level when it comes to rhymes. I remember on VBD (Even though I still love Vinnie on that album) it would seem like Vinnie would be rhyming about nonsense, on this album that is not the case. Vinnie’s verses are full of metaphors and similes like you wouldn’t believe.
the first track on the album is “Deathbed Doctrine” and Vinnie comes out right away spitting fire over the impecable cuts of DJ Kwestion and the hard hitting murderous Stoupe beat. If you listen to the track you will know what I mean about Jus Allah, he still has some good rhymes but his flow has totally changed from the VBD days. “Deadly Melody” is a track where Vinnie really shines when it comes to the metaphor aspect: “I’m your worst nightmare/the reversal of Christ here/the only thing you seein’ is a shadow and knife glare… Y’all are pussy, watered down like a light beer/I don’t run from it I embrace it I like fear/Call me Texas Chainsaw Massacre I invite fear/Call me Leatherface motha fucka’ I’m right here/Call me any other person that’s an evil killa’/Pazienza Pontius Pilate they call me Jesus Killa/Call me Richard Ramirez because he spill venom/I’m Mark David Chapman before he killed Lennon…”. That trend continues for the rest of the album, and although Jus doesn’t sound as “fluid” as before he doesn’t greatly affect the album in a negative manner. The shining jewel of this album is “Trail of Lies“, which in my opinion might be Vinnie & Stoupe’s shining moment as a duo (Jus is not on this track). The beat on this track is mesmerizing and the sample is absolutely beautiful. Vinnie goes off on the current trend of fathers managing their daughters and “pimping them for cash and money” and “what’s gonna happen in like 50 years, when Hannah Montana turnin’ into Britney Spears?”. If there was one reason I wouldn’t watch TV and listen to the media at all it’s because of this song, it’s very on point and very powerful.
This album is very good, like I said before Jus doesn’t really sound the same at all, but it doesn’t throw away the replay value of this album for me. This is definitely an album worth picking up and giving a really good listen to. Vinnie Paz does some of his best rhyming to this date, and Stoupe gives an excellent performance behind the boards.
8.5/10