Heavy Mental
{{more citations needed|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Heavy Mental
| type = Album
| artist = Killah Priest
| cover = Heavymental.jpg
| alt =
| released = March 1998
| recorded = 1997–98, 1995 (B.I.B.L.E.)
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = 74:12
| label = Geffen/MCA
GEFD-24971
| producer = True Master
Y-Kim
4th Disciple
Killah Priest
The Arabian Knight
John the Baptist
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = View from Masada
| next_year = 2000
}}
Heavy Mental is the debut studio album by the American rapper Killah Priest, released in March 1998.{{cite book |last1=Fernando Jr. |first1=S. H. |title=From the Streets of Shaolin: The Wu-Tang Saga |date=2021 |publisher=Hachette Books}}{{cite book |editor1-last=Berman |editor1-first=Marshall |editor2-last=Berger |editor2-first=Brian |title=New York Calling: From Blackout to Bloomberg |date=2007 |publisher=Reaktion |page=354}} Killah Priest is an associate of hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and a member of the group Sunz of Man.{{cite book |title=The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World |date=2015 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=709}}
The album contains 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 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 No. 84 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop singles chart. The album peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200{{cite magazine |title=Billboard 200 |magazine=Billboard |date=Apr 18, 1998 |volume=110 |issue=16 |page=83}} and No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts.
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |title=Heavy Mental Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/heavy-mental-mw0000033248 |website=AllMusic |access-date=21 May 2024}}
|rev2 = Robert Christgau
|rev3 = NME
|rev4 = RapReviews
|rev5 = Spin
|rev5score = 8/10{{cite magazine |last1=Frere-Jones |first1=Sasha |title=Mama Said Knock You Out |magazine=Spin |date=Apr 1998 |volume=14 |issue=4 |page=123}}
}}
Spin noted that Killah Priest's rapping is "more consistently metaphysical than Ghostface's blunt confessions but still in line with the Wu belief that black soul is more interesting than black violence." Robert Christgau deemed the album "Shaolin mystagogy meets millenarian panic in music for the end time."
Track listing
Track listing information is taken from the official liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=Heavy Mental|others=Killah Priest|year=1998|type=booklet|publisher=Geffen/MCA Records|id=GEFD-24971}}
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| headline = Heavy Mental
| total_length = 74:09
| title1 = Intro
| length1 = 0:53
| title2 = One Step
| note2 = Featuring Tekitha and Hell Razah
| writer2 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Derek Harris}}
| extra2 = True Master
| length2 = 4:20
| title3 = Blessed Are Those
| writer3 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Ernest Aye}}
| extra3 = Y-Kim the illfigure
| length3 = 3:28
| title4 = From Then Till Now
| writer4 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Ernest Aye}}
| extra4 = Y-Kim the illfigure
| length4 = 3:44
| title5 = Cross My Heart
| note5 = Featuring Inspectah Deck and Genius/GZA
| writer5 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Derek Harris|Jason Hunter|Gary Grice}}
| extra5 = True Master
| length5 = 3:46
| title6 = Fake MC's
| writer6 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra6 = 4th Disciple
| length6 = 3:36
| title7 = It's Over
| writer7 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra7 = 4th Disciple
| length7 = 3:29
| title8 = Crusaids
| writer8 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra8 = 4th Disciple
| length8 = 0:58
| title9 = Tai Chi
| note9 = Featuring Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin and Father Lord: R.I.P.
| writer9 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard|C. Smith|F. Cuffie}}
| extra9 = 4th Disciple
| length9 = 4:02
| title10 = Heavy Mental
| writer10 = {{hlist|Walter Reed}}
| extra10 = Killah Priest
| length10 = 4:16
| title11 = If You Don't Know
| note11 = Featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard
| writer11 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Russell Jones|Derek Harris}}
| extra11 = True Master
| length11 = 5:15
| title12 = Atoms to Adam
| note12 = Featuring Shangai the Messenger
| writer12 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra12 = 4th Disciple
| length12 = 5:28
| title13 = High Explosives
| writer13 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Sulayman Ansari}}
| extra13 = The Arabian Knight
| length13 = 3:04
| title14 = Wisdom
| writer14 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra14 = 4th Disciple
| length14 = 2:03
| title15 = B.I.B.L.E.
| writer15 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra15 = 4th Disciple
| length15 = 4:52
| title16 = Mystic City
| writer16 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Ernest Aye}}
| extra16 = Y-Kim the illfigure
| length16 = 4:11
| title17 = Information
| writer17 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra17 = 4th Disciple
| length17 = 4:42
| title18 = Science Projects
| note18 = Featuring Hell Razah
| writer18 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra18 = 4th Disciple
| length18 = 4:19
| title19 = Almost There
| writer19 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|Selwyn Bogard}}
| extra19 = 4th Disciple
| length19 = 3:55
| title20 = The Professional
| writer20 = {{hlist|Walter Reed|John Hitchman, Jr.}}
| extra20 = John The Baptist
| length20 = 3:48
}}
Notes
- "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
| class="wikitable"
! Single information |
"Cross My Heart" (featuring GZA and Inspectah Deck)
|
| "One Step" (featuring Tekitha & Hell Razah)
|
| "If You Don't Know" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard)
|
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Killah Priest}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Geffen Records albums