Heavy Mental
Heavy Mental is the debut album by rapper Killah Priest, an associate of hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and a member of the group Sunz of Man. It was released on March 10, 1998,[2] on Geffen Records.
Heavy Mental | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 10, 1998 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1997-98 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 74:12 | |||
Label | Geffen/MCA Records GEFD-24971 | |||
Producer | True Master Y-Kim 4th Disciple Killah Priest The Arabian Knight John the Baptist | |||
Killah Priest chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
NME | |
RapReviews.com | |
Spin | |
The Source |
The album is resplendent with references to Judeo-Christian-Islamic mythology and theology, drawing parallels to the condition of Black people in the United States to that of the Jewish people during Exodus. A notable track on the CD is B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth), which had already appeared on GZA's 1995 Liquid Swords album in a slightly different form. Another is the title track, which features Killah Priest rhyming in a style reminiscent of slam poetry and prominently features a didgeridoo. “One Step,” with its refrain of “Your arms too short to box with God,” reached #84 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop singles chart. Priest released the album through Geffen/MCA Records, which already had a relationship with Wu-Tang Clan. The album peaked at 24 on the Billboard top-200 and at 4 in the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts.
Track listing
Track listing information is taken from the official liner notes and AllMusic.[3][4]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Intro" | 0:53 | ||
2. | "One Step" (Featuring Tekitha and Hell Razah) | True Master | 4:20 | |
3. | "Blessed Are Those" |
| Y-Kim the illfigure | 3:28 |
4. | "From Then Till Now" |
| Y-Kim the illfigure | 3:44 |
5. | "Cross My Heart" (Featuring Inspectah Deck and Genius/GZA) |
| True Master | 3:46 |
6. | "Fake MC's" |
| 4th Disciple | 3:36 |
7. | "It's Over" |
| 4th Disciple | 3:29 |
8. | "Crusaids" |
| 4th Disciple | 0:58 |
9. | "Tai Chi" (Featuring Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin and Father Lord: R.I.P.) |
| 4th Disciple | 4:02 |
10. | "Heavy Mental" |
| Killah Priest | 4:16 |
11. | "If You Don't Know" (Featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard) |
| True Master | 5:15 |
12. | "Atoms to Adam" (Featuring Shangai the Messenger) |
| 4th Disciple | 5:28 |
13. | "High Explosives" |
| The Arabian Knight | 3:04 |
14. | "Wisdom" |
| 4th Disciple | 2:03 |
15. | "B.I.B.L.E." |
| 4th Disciple | 4:52 |
16. | "Mystic City" |
| Y-Kim the illfigure | 4:11 |
17. | "Information" |
| 4th Disciple | 4:42 |
18. | "Science Projects" (Featuring Hell Razah) |
| 4th Disciple | 4:19 |
19. | "Almost There" |
| 4th Disciple | 3:55 |
20. | "The Professional" |
| John The Baptist | 3:48 |
Total length: | 74:09 |
Notes
- "Mystic City" features uncredited vocals by Shangai the Messenger.
- "The Professional" is only found on CD versions of the album.
Samples
- "From Then Till Now" contains a sample of "Diamonds Are Forever", written by D. Black/J. Barry and performed by London Starlight Orchestra, and a sample of "The Man In The Raincoat", written by W. Warwick and performed by Marion Marlow.
- "Fake MC's" contains a sample of "My Little Brown Book", written by B. Strayhorn and performed by John Coltrane & Duke Ellington.
- "Atoms to Adam" contains a sample of "Sweet Pain", written by M. Brook/Ali Khan and performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn, and dialogue from the speech "Blue Eyed Devil" by Malcolm X.
- "Information" contains a sample of "All The Kings Horses", written by A. Franklin and performed by Grover Washington, Jr..
Album singles
Single information |
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"Cross My Heart" (featuring GZA and Inspectah Deck)
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"One Step" (featuring Tekitha & Hell Razah)
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"If You Don't Know" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard)
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References
- Heavy Mental (booklet). Killah Priest. Geffen/MCA Records. 1998. GEFD-24971.CS1 maint: others (link)
- "Heavy Mental - Killah Priest". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2020.