Heavy Mental
title: "Heavy Mental" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["killah-priest-albums", "1998-debut-albums", "geffen-records-albums", "albums-produced-by-true-master", "albums-produced-by-4th-disciple"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Mental" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Heavy Mental |
| type | Album |
| artist | Killah Priest |
| cover | Heavymental.jpg |
| released | March 1998 |
| recorded | 1997–98, 1995 (B.I.B.L.E.) |
| 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 | |
| next_title | View from Masada |
| next_year | 2000 |
| :: |
| 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. Killah Priest is an associate of hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and a member of the group Sunz of Man.
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 and No. 4 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts.
Critical reception
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1Score =
|rev2 = Robert Christgau
|rev2score = A−
|rev3 = NME
|rev3score = 8/10
|rev4 = RapReviews
|rev4Score = 8.5/10
|rev5 = The Source
|rev5score =
|rev6 = Spin
|rev6score = 8/10
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.
| 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 = | extra2 = True Master | length2 = 4:20
| title3 = Blessed Are Those | writer3 = | extra3 = Y-Kim the illfigure | length3 = 3:28
| title4 = From Then Till Now | writer4 = | extra4 = Y-Kim the illfigure | length4 = 3:44
| title5 = Cross My Heart | note5 = Featuring Inspectah Deck and Genius/GZA | writer5 = | extra5 = True Master | length5 = 3:46
| title6 = Fake MC's | writer6 = | extra6 = 4th Disciple | length6 = 3:36
| title7 = It's Over | writer7 = | extra7 = 4th Disciple | length7 = 3:29
| title8 = Crusaids | writer8 = | extra8 = 4th Disciple | length8 = 0:58
| title9 = Tai Chi | note9 = Featuring Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin and Father Lord: R.I.P. | writer9 = | extra9 = 4th Disciple | length9 = 4:02
| title10 = Heavy Mental | writer10 = | extra10 = Killah Priest | length10 = 4:16
| title11 = If You Don't Know | note11 = Featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard | writer11 = | extra11 = True Master | length11 = 5:15
| title12 = Atoms to Adam | note12 = Featuring Shangai the Messenger | writer12 = | extra12 = 4th Disciple | length12 = 5:28
| title13 = High Explosives | writer13 = | extra13 = The Arabian Knight | length13 = 3:04
| title14 = Wisdom | writer14 = | extra14 = 4th Disciple | length14 = 2:03
| title15 = B.I.B.L.E. | writer15 = | extra15 = 4th Disciple | length15 = 4:52
| title16 = Mystic City | writer16 = | extra16 = Y-Kim the illfigure | length16 = 4:11
| title17 = Information | writer17 = | extra17 = 4th Disciple | length17 = 4:42
| title18 = Science Projects | note18 = Featuring Hell Razah | writer18 = | extra18 = 4th Disciple | length18 = 4:19
| title19 = Almost There | writer19 = | extra19 = 4th Disciple | length19 = 3:55
| title20 = The Professional | writer20 = | 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
::data[format=table]
| 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
References
- (2021). "From the Streets of Shaolin: The Wu-Tang Saga". Hachette Books.
- (2007). "New York Calling: From Blackout to Bloomberg". Reaktion.
- (2015). "The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World". ABC-CLIO.
- (Apr 18, 1998). "Billboard 200".
- "Heavy Mental Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine".
- "Killah Priest".
- "Killah Priest Heavy Mental".
- (June 29, 2004). "Killah Priest Heavy Mental".
- Reeves, Marcus. (April 1998). "Killah Priest – Heavy Mental".
- (Apr 1998). "Mama Said Knock You Out".
- (1998). "Heavy Mental". Geffen/MCA Records.
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