A visionary, raw underground classic. The sophomore release from Jedi Mind Tricks, Violent By Design, is fierce. It has all the pieces that arguably make it one of the great underground hip-hop releases. You have the impeccable production chops of Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind, creating atmospheric soundscapes through the use of deep, obscure vocal snippets, moody string-laden passes, and various film scores that puts him in the same echelon as RZA's production strength on 36 Chambers. The two emcees - Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah - rap with a burning ferocity, providing blistering, thought-provoking lyrics with a continuous flow. My personal favs are "Speech Cobras," "I Against I," "Sacrafice," "Trinity," and "Heavenly Divine". Through the blend of esoteric sounds with dark lyricism and fluid-like delivery, the group knows "how to intimidate without gangsta pretensions and they know how to create menace without losing sight of humor and clarity". This album is evidence of an amazing chemistry between emcees and producer, and this long-awaited proper re-release will thrill heads and new listeners alike. 20 tracks in all, pressed onto clear vinyl in an edition of 500 copies. Released by Babygrande. Recommended.

• limited to 500 copies
• 2 LP clear vinyl
• remastered
• music label: Babygrande 2018

reviewed by Ralphy Corduroy 2/2019