Visions of Gandhi
The menacing, cryptic style of Philly boys Vinnie Paz and Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind has served them well on cult classicsThe Psycho-Social CDandViolent By Design, making them champions of the underground. On the highly anticipatedVisions of Gandhiit's Stoupe's production--split evenly between moody, down-tempo beats and not-quite-commercial, mariachi- and salsa-inflected rhythms--that once again carries the day. Unfortunately, the lyrical content--a mélange of clichéd hip-hop signifiers and mixed religious metaphors--just can't match up to Stoupe's beats. The copious guest appearances (includingKool G Rap,Non Phixion, andRas Kass) are sure to draw curious bystanders to JMT's special brand of esoterica, but they can't hide the fact that lyrically the duo seems to have lost a bit of their visionary edge. If you’re looking for dope Stoupe beats with lyrics to match, you might do better to check out another 2003 Stoupe production, Canibus’sRip the Jacker.--Rebecca Levine