Shabooty Interview Series: Jedi Mind Tricks

It is rare that I begin an interview introduction with “thank you,” but I just have to start off by giving a big hats off to Vinnie Paz and his Jedi Mind Tricks posse. After getting backstage time with Vinnie Paz, it comes as no surprise to find out he’s been in the game for over twelve years. The rap crew he has surrounded himself with is not just some shoehorned crew put together to fill a showbill, these are folks one can tell are as good as family. It is rare to see that in hip-hop these days and I was honored to be a witness to it all. They’re truely a fun and great bunch of people.

The name of the rap group Jedi Mind Tricks (Vinnie Paz, Stoupe, Jus Allah) comes from: Star Wars, a Jedi mind trick is a Force power. Jedi who know the power can, by using the Force, influence the actions of other “weak-minded” sentient beings. Let’s also remind everyone that 12+ years ago, the Star Wars series hadn’t shit the bed, yet.
There was also another phenomenon that occurred during my sit down interview with Vinnie Paz, frontman of JMT. Any and every “Howard Stern Show” superfan knows of this phenomenon… it’s as simple as this equation, a) Howard Stern fans are good people with great senses of humor, b) The show acts as an instant bond between fans, c) the interview…

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Shabooty: I heard you’re a big Howard Stern fan like myself?
Vinnie Paz/Jedi Mind Tricks: Yeah, man.

You did that Riley Martin song, Book Of Blood: The Coming Of Tan. So, are you a big fan of the “Space Cowboy?”
Yeah, they had me on Howard 100 News actually, one time.

Have you bought any of his symbols?
Nah, I haven’t man, but I will, though.

Are you a bigger Howard Stern fan or Starwars fan?
Howard – man, that’s like since I was… my earliest memories, man. When he was at NBC in New York, my Mom started listening to him.

Have you met Howard before in person?
Nah man, I wish.

The last few Star Wars sucked ass, right?
Terrible – they ruined the legacy, man.

How long were ya’ll working on the new record and when did you finish it?
We worked on it through the summer basically, and turned it in September/early October. We were in the studio most of the summer, though.

You have a favorite track?
I haven’t gotten to listen to to it yet.

What do you mean?
Well, we basically turned the record in and went on the road. So, I don’t really listen to my own music, really.

Like actors who don’t like watching themselves on film?
I just kinda do it and then I am done with it. To the point where I don’t even know the lyrics sometimes to perform the songs live and shit.

During your current tour, how many new songs are you performing vs old songs?
We really only do one new joint, ’cause that’s all I know right now. Probably by the next time we tour around… you know we do a Fall tour and then go back out in the Spring. Maybe by that time I’ll know the record more, but I don’t really know it at all right now.

What new song are you going to perform?
We do Monolith.

The first single?
Yeah.

What are your favorite cities to perform in?
Well, obviously Philly. We love performing in D.C., L.A., the whole tour has been great though, ya know.

Except the travel? Like when I tried to call you in New Mexico?
The twelve hour rides through the dessert are enough to make you want to kill yourself.

Is there a city that is the least of a sausage fest? (I am used to DC crowds).
Let me think, LA man…LA was like half chicks.

I say a DC 9 [out of 10] is an LA 7.
Actually, another Howard Stern reference, Artie always says…”She was a Cincinnati 10 and a Vegas 6.”

Do you mainly just tour with artists from same record label?
It’s just family man, people that are like my brothers anyway man, we don’t even – we don’t have business relationships as much as we have personal ones. ‘Cause that’s really the only way to be comfortable on tour with other people, for that excessive period of time – is people you get along with and care about. I’ve never really toured or been out on the road with people I didn’t know, with the exception of the Rock The Bells Tour, but that was so big, everyone was kinda doing their own thing anyway.

Are you a rabid Eagles fan?
Unfortunately this year, I am. All Philly sports teams. Everyone’s taking the eagles not doing well this season better than they normally would because the Phillies just won. I think there would be more anger in the city [otherwise], because we’re the angriest city in the f-ing country.

Isn’t it annoying that there are a bunch Steelers and Cowboy fans in every city?
I hate it. It baffles me, I don’t understand it. People that were born and raised in Philadelphia, and like the Cowboys, I’m baffled. Same with Steelers I don’t get it. I fucking hate that, too.

Did you vote for Barack Obama?
Yeah, I did.

Did you do anything special on election night?
We were driving from Vegas to Cali, and we had satellite radio on, waiting for the results. I was on the road so I had the absentee ballot. I gave it to my Mom, or whatever.
We were calling back to Philly as it happened. All of these things happened within a short period of time. The Phillies won and then Obama [won], it was just sort of a crazy time to be a Philadelphian and living in the states, when you sort of feel like a shift of power, it was sort of surreal… But we were in a fucking van, though.

LOL. Yeah, I was running, high-fiving people sticking out of moving cars in Capitol Hill.
It’s crazy man. That says something about the job that Bush did that – personally, I cant remember an election when people were beeping horns and jumping in the streets. When Clinton won I knew everyone was happy, but god damn, celebrating in the streets…

Were you proud that PA went blue?
I guess they considered it a swing state, but for us, we live in Philly man, where it’s crazy liberal, and you forget. You might remember Clinton’s adviser during his campaign (James Carville) he said something to the effect of Pennsylvania is Arkansas with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in between. It’s true you think of Philly it’s Philly, but you don’t realize that whole state is country as shit outside of Philadelphia. I guess it was a huge deal to win that state, but its not something I ever consciously think about causes of how liberal of a city I live in.

How are you different as an artist now, compared to ten years ago?
I think just as you grow as a person you grow as an artist. I haven’t really made any conscious moves in terms of what I do or how I approach it. They say art imitates life. Anything that’s changed would be more of a reelection of who I am as a person, than a conscious effort I made as an emcee or an artist.

I’m an apple-fanboy, have you gone exclusively Apple products?
You know what, it’s ironic what I do for a living and how technically retarded I am. I was the last one in the world to buy an iPod. I barely know how to use my cellphone, I don’t answer it…

You don’t use a mac?
I have a PC, I barely know how to use that. I’m interested in all that shit, I’m just not really technically inclined.

Who do you look up to in the hip-hop game?
There are different people for different reasons. They’re people that I don’t listen to, but I respect their business acumen, and then there’s people that are heroes to me, but they haven’t really ever sold a lot of records. To me the greatest of all time is Kool G Rap. But then, there are people that I don’t necessarily listen to, but I just respect their hustle and their ability to cater to their own niche and not really give into corporate ideas of how things should be done. A lot of those guys like down south and a lot of those guys in the bay in California, just sort of cater to their own fan base and move hundreds of thousands of records and make money and take care of their family. And no one outside of their area knows who they are. I just respect their hustle.

What countries out side of the U.S. would you say you have the biggest following in?
All of Europe is huge. We’ve never gone to another country and not had a great show. That’s fact, it’s not like braggadocio type shit. It’s just always great. They’re just more passionate there.

You have a favorite European country?
I love Greece, I love Switzerland. We were just over in Switzerland. It was us, Joell Ortiz, Cali Agents, Dipset and De La Sol. It was like 12,000 kids, it was crazy. Being over there its just a whole different experience really than being over here. I think people are jaded here… because they were born into the culture really. Where as over there, it’s something that you have to get involved in… [you have to actively find it] yeah, you have to actively try to get involved in it. Where as opposed to us and our generation, you’re just born into it and it’s in your own backyard. If you’re in or near any major city in the country, you can check out a show. I don’t think those kids take that for granted over there [in Europe].

When you’re in DC, do you ever hit up “Ben’s Chili Bowl”?
No, I haven’t, you know what it is, the unfortunate thing is that it appears that when you tour, and tour the country and tour the world, it’s perceived as traveling. But it’s like: tour bus, hotel, try to get sleep, go the show, back to the hotel, leave. So, when people are like, “Yo, did you eat at this spot or this spot?” I’m like I want to, I’m fat, I wanna eat wherever I can, but it’s like shitty food, in the tour bus all day.

What’s your favorite food?
My mom’s food. My mom’s home made Italian cooking.

Mozzarella like Artie Lange?
Yeah, yeah mozzarell balls!

What you think of Eric the Midget [from the Stern Show]?
Eric the Midget is my favorite fucking thing in the world and the more people hate him, the more I love it.

He’s mad at Natalie Maines…
Yeah, I love it, he’s just like this delusional great… delusional midget. He’s the only one who gives Beetlejuice a run for me – Beet’s my favorite. I could listen to Beet every day.

Have you had the chance to see ‘The Killers of Comedy’ yet?
No, I haven’t. Being in Philly though, and just being out and about, I saw Beetlejuice in Atlantic City at a fight. You see people around, like Bob Levy…love him.

I’ve interviewed a bunch of those guys from the Stern show (Rev. Bob, Yucko, Sal, etc).
I’m envious, man.

As far as your situation at your label, is it the happiest you’ve ever been?
Nah not really, at this stage of our career we don’t need that anymore, we don’t need a middle man in our pocket. The reason you sign to a label, at least the reason you did when I was young when hip-hop was in its infancy was because the label provided marketing and promotional money. They’re not spending any money, but we’re still selling records, so I’m like what is it that you exactly do then, other than take money out of my pocket. So, essentially that’ what Baby Grande [records] does, they take money out of my pocket that they don’t deserve at this point. We’re well past the point of us having our… we should have our own label with a distribution deal set up and that’s something that will happen. This was the last Jedi record we owed them  We owe ‘em and Army of Pharaohs record and when that’s turned in …a handshake and nice doing business with you.

Are you tight with any guys at Def Jux?
I’ve known El-P for a really long time. Same with [Mr.] Lif. I’ve known both of them for over 10 years.
I’m on [Lif's] new record – we did a song called Folklore. It came out real good.

Have you met Vinnie Paz, the boxer?
Oh, that’s my man!

In real life, you met him?
All the time – we have a real good tight relationship. There’s a big chunk of our DVD that is coming out in December [dedicated to Vinnie Paz the Boxer]. It’s called Divine Fire: The Story Of Jedi Mind Tricks – it’s a documentary. You know these f’n hip-hop DVDs, they’re so ghetto and horribly put together and you’re like what is this? It’s just like – bad live footage and a bad interview and like they wrap it up.
[Our DVD is] done like to the point where we could submit it to film festivals. There are three acts and it’s just really well done and were really proud of it and it basically traces the group from it’s infancy in the early 90’s to present day, so there’s a huge part of me and Paz just hanging out at a show and sort of talking about each other and stuff. He’s a great dude, though.

He’s like Chuck Zito?
Him and Chuck Zito are actually really tight friends. Paz is crazy man, he still is. He’ll still knock someone the f- out. He’s still in shape and he’s in his 40’s now. He’s a great dude, man. I love him.

Is it fair to say you’re a night person?
Yes def. – that would be the understatement of your journalistic career. Me and the day don’t get along very well – I just rolled out of bed to come here [to the venue] and I’m still f’n tired. I don’t know what it is, or what it stems from, but I just like to be awake when other people aren’t.

Thanks Vinnie Paz/JMT [Homepage | Myspace]

Shabooty & Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind Tricks)

Permalink Posted in: apple, artie lange, celebs, concert, dc, el-p, hip-hop, howard stern, interview, los angeles, music, shabooty, shabooty exclusive, show, sirius Comments(5) November 26, 2008