"Horror"-core rappers can generally be counted on to pair their ultra-violent raps with dark, claustrophobic productions.
Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind
, trackmaster for the duo
Jedi Mind Tricks
, has broader aims though, and he uses the group's third LP to move their sound from rote
RZA
or
DJ Premier
knockoffs into new territory. It's clear from a cursory listen to
Visions of Gandhi
that the group was far better off when they concentrated on that sound; the backings here -- framed by Spanish guitars, a
Bobby McFerrin
-type sample, and the strings of light
classical
pieces -- simply don't carry the right mood for the raps of
Vinnie Paz
(aka
Ikon the Verbal Hologram
).
Paz
alternates righteous Muslim rhetoric with "horror"-core raps that fit in so many references to so many pieces of anatomy (all of which he plans on eviscerating) that it sounds more like med school than a
rap
album. A few features make for better listening, including
Ras Kass
' guest on
"Rise of the Machines,"
and
Kool G Rap
on
"Animal Rap."
~ John Bush