A Jedi Mind Tricks show is less of a typical concert and more like a bar-room brawl set to chest-thumping beats and rhymes. Taking London's Jazz Café by storm on the last date of their European Assassin's Creed tour, the trio of Vinnie Paz, Jus Allah and DJ Kwestion proved in no uncertain terms why, over a decade since the release of the classic 'Violent By Design' album, Jedi Mind Tricks remain one of the most entertaining yet uncompromising acts to stomp across the hip-hop landscape.
It was clear from the outset this show was going to be something a little different from the norm. At just after 8pm the venue was uncharacteristically busy, with a clear sense of anticipation and energy already palpable in the air. Following a polished set from UK duo Prose, chants of "JMT! JMT!" began to gain momentum, with the sold-out crowd not having to wait long before the main attraction hit the stage to a sea of raised hands, roars of approval and persistent shouts of Vinnie Paz's trademark "Brraaappp!!". To say the place exploded as Paz, Jus Allah and hype-man Crypt of Outerspace made their way down the Jazz Café stairs is an understatement; within seconds the middle section of the audience was a mass of bodies crashing into one another with complete disregard for personal safety, the sound of breaking beer bottles could be heard, and a drunken audience member who thought he'd attempt an early stage dive was promptly shoved back into the crowd by a visibly vexed Jus Allah.
Ripping through back-catalogue bangers such as the brilliant 'Heavenly Divine' and the rowdy 'Heavy Metal Kings', Vinnie maintained a gleeful grin throughout, no doubt taking immense satisfaction from the pure pandemonium his music was inspiring. Yet even the Pazmanian Devil had to pause when fights began breaking out amidst the mosh pit, telling the crowd that, as much as he wanted to see people having a good time, he didn't want "nobody to go to jail". Although that didn't stop the gravel-voiced rapper from issuing a few threats of his own after an object was launched towards the stage - "I'll break the face of the next motherfucker who throws some shit at me," Paz exclaimed. "I ain't no faggot! I ain't Atmosphere!"
Unlike most live events where it's possible to break the performance down into particular highlights, JMT's Jazz Café assault was a pure adrenaline rush from beginning to end, a throwback to certain hip-hop jams of the late-80s / early-90s where the excitement of seeing an artist perform was also mixed with the tension of knowing you could get caught up in some drama at any moment.
As the crew ended the night with a freestyle session over Dr. Dre's "Xxplosive" instrumental, the boisterous crowd began to make their way outside. Some were bloodied and bruised, but all no doubt felt satisfied they'd just witnessed Jedi Mind Tricks deliver one of the best rap gigs London has seen in recent times. Rough, rugged and raw doesn't even begin to cover it.
