Vinnie Paz - Season of the Assassin (Album Review)

Vinnie Paz is a member of the seminal hardcore underground hip-hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. The lead singer, if you will; the group's soul emcee for all but two of their six albums. His lyrics are super aggressive, delivered in his trademark growl that frightens children and I. He frequently ends a line with one word over and over (usually "muhfucka" or something similar) and acts like this makes it rhyme. His content is extremely angry, usually about being a "real" Muslim (and calling those who aren't pussies or some variant thereof), killing people, and conspiracies/big-brother-is-watching. Also, raging homophobia. So much so that it's clear that Paz is either a complete idiot or a closet homosexual; they're both highly likely. That being said, Jedi Mind Tricks is an amazing amazing group. That's because of the producer end of the duo (sometimes trio), Stoupe. His epic and often-imitated (but never replicated) beats have carried Paz's extremely offensive and frequently subpar lyrics. This album is Paz's test as a rapper, as Stoupe doesn't make a single appearance. Paz will have to do it without dope beats.

Or not. Just because it isn't Stoupe on the boards doesn't mean it's me. Paz got his paws on some great producers on this one, and just about every beat bangs. It's definitely a different sound from JMT though; this one much more raw and street-oriented, where Stoupe's production often sounds like a hip-hop composition of an epic film.

For anyone unfamiliar with Paz's style, the opening lines of the LP pretty much illustrates the main thrust of his oeuvre:

I'm out for whatever you wanna call it - cash or paper
My only purpose to kill, perfect assassinator
I'm on the path of Islam, you on the path of Vader
My nickname buck-50 cousin, pass the razor
The 750 eye turn you from a fan to hater
Feeling myself, like I'm a chronic masturbator

The only thing missing from his style there is his signature homophobic rhymes, which are - thankfully - largely absent from the album. It certainly adds to the enjoyment, as some of the vocal fantasizing he would occasionally indulge himself in on previous works was both weird and unlistenable.

One of the standout tracks is "Role of Life," home to a murky Bronze Nazareth instrumental that is relatively new territory for Paz but turns out to be right in his sweet spot. His vocals compliment the beat perfectly, creating a grim and amazing cut. Lyrically, Paz doesn't go for consistently using the same rhyme seven or eight times in a row, going for more conventional (and effective) rhyme schemes that are reminiscent of his old style, with a few quotables to boot (You motherfuckers don't belong in rap/ fuck with me, you gotta better chance taking an abortion back; and I run with Puerto Rocs, morenos and vagabonds/ And Paz'll shoot this motherfucker up like Barry Bonds).

Paz sounds hungry, and the fairly consistent lyrical content becomes more and more bearable. At times it gets a bit old, but songs like the one above make the listener all but forget their displeasure.

Perhaps the most exciting track on Season of the Assassin is "Bad Day," which offers Paz going in a new direction without some of the oddly emo stuff that resulted from his previous similar attempts. "Bad Day" is Paz spitting a sort of day-in-the-life rap that is clearly exaggerated, but still relatable to the common man (especially if that common man is living a somewhat similar life that Paz is self-deprecatingly glorifying). The hook pretty much illustrates the rhymes perfectly:

Every time that I feel that shit is going my way
Something come along and fuck up my day
I had a rhyme in my mind, now there's nothing to say
And cousin that just fucked up my day
Driving down the block, someone cut in my way
That shit went and fucked up my day
Rap critics, they always got something to say
I would never let that fuck up my day

These are, I would say, the most easily relatable lyrics of Paz' career. Maybe it's the weed, but "Bad Day" feels like the definition of a hip-hop blues song.

Other songs that aren't about murder are "Keep Movin' On" and "Same Story (My Dedication)." As far as this style (non-murder) of Paz goes, these songs are also incredibly strong for him, probably the best of his career. "Keep Movin' On" is a story track about folks down-on-their luck, while "Same Story" is a personal story from Paz to his sick sibling. Neither of them achieves the emotion gained from other rappers telling similar stories (just last year Paz's fellow Army of the Pharaohs member Apathy did it better a few times on his album), but it's still better than his previous efforts. It is clear he is improving in this regard. That being said, these are two of the weakest tracks on the LP, for two reasons: one, they feel very out of place and serve to break up some of the ferocious momentum Paz built up in songs before it (this is especially true of "Same Story," the finale that follows the vicious and sneer-inducing "Drag You to Hell"), and; two, they both are fairly formulaic, with Stoupe knock-off beats that don't contain the same poignancy that the other's soulful instruments incur and a generic female singer belting out a hook.

Guests play a substantial role on the album, as is true with most JMT-related releases. On their best albums, supported is provided through excellent guest spots (or, in the case of Violent By Design, the old Jus Allah); on their worst, the supporting cast is substantially less talented (or, in the case of History of Violence, the new Jus Allah). Here, the guest spots are crazy dope. Familiar faces like R.A. the Rugged Man and Ill Bill (two of my favorite rappers ever) show up, as do (surprising) first-time collaborators like Freeway, Beanie Sigel, and Paul fucking Wall. Holy shit.

Ultimately, Season of the Assassin is a surprisingly high-quality record. This is definitely in the top handful of releases of the year, and might even by my favorite album released this year - time will have to determine that. It looks as if Paz can survive without Stoupe pretty easily, with an album twice as strong as the previous Jedi Mind Tricks LP, while Stoupe's solo effort last year was the weakest output of his career. What is going on? Have we been wrong all along?

Probably not. Either way, this is an excellent album, a must for anybody who won't be put off by the lyrical content. For fans of vintage Jedi Mind tricks, this album is a dream come true, and provides for one of the year's best LP's.

Grade: 9/10