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Heavy Mental

Studio album by

Killah Priest

Released

March 10, 1998 ^[1]

Recorded

1997-98

Genre

Hip hop

Length

74:12

Label

Geffen/MCA Records
GEFD-24971

Producer

True Master
Y-Kim
4th Disciple
Killah Priest
The Arabian Knight
John the Baptist

Killah Priest chronology

Heavy Mental
(1998)

View from Masada
(2000)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
NME	link
RapReviews.com	link
Spin	link
The Source

Heavy Mental is the debut album by rapper Killah Priest, an associate of hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and a member of the group Sunz of Man. It was released on March 10, 1998,^[2] on Geffen Records.

The album is resplendent with 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 already 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 #84 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop singles chart. Priest released the album through Geffen/MCA Records, which already had a relationship with Wu-Tang Clan. The album peaked at 24 on the Billboard top-200 and at 4 in the Top R&B/Hip Hop charts.

Track listing

Track listing information is taken from the official liner notes and AllMusic.^[3]^[4]

*Heavy Mental*
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro"			0:53
2.	"One Step" (Featuring Tekitha and Hell Razah)	Walter Reed Derek Harris	True Master	4:20
3.	"Blessed Are Those"	Walter Reed Ernest Aye	Y-Kim the illfigure	3:28
4.	"From Then Till Now"	Walter Reed Ernest Aye	Y-Kim the illfigure	3:44
5.	"Cross My Heart" (Featuring Inspectah Deck and Genius/GZA)	Walter Reed Derek Harris Jason Hunter Gary Grice	True Master	3:46
6.	"Fake MC's"	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	3:36
7.	"It's Over"	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	3:29
8.	"Crusaids"	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	0:58
9.	"Tai Chi" (Featuring Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin and Father Lord: R.I.P.)	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard C. Smith F. Cuffie	4th Disciple	4:02
10.	"Heavy Mental"	Walter Reed	Killah Priest	4:16
11.	"If You Don't Know" (Featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard)	Walter Reed Russell Jones Derek Harris	True Master	5:15
12.	"Atoms to Adam" (Featuring Shangai the Messenger)	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	5:28
13.	"High Explosives"	Walter Reed Sulayman Ansari	The Arabian Knight	3:04
14.	"Wisdom"	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	2:03
15.	"B.I.B.L.E."	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	4:52
16.	"Mystic City"	Walter Reed Ernest Aye	Y-Kim the illfigure	4:11
17.	"Information"	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	4:42
18.	"Science Projects" (Featuring Hell Razah)	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	4:19
19.	"Almost There"	Walter Reed Selwyn Bogard	4th Disciple	3:55
20.	"The Professional"	Walter Reed John Hitchman, Jr.	John The Baptist	3:48
Total length:				74:09

Notes

"Mystic City" features uncredited vocals by Shangai the Messenger.
"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

Single information
"Cross My Heart" (featuring GZA and Inspectah Deck) Released: 1997 B-Side:
"One Step" (featuring Tekitha & Hell Razah) Released: 1998 B-Side: "Moanin'" (feat. Killa Sin) / "Street Opera" (feat. Hell Razah)
"If You Don't Know" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard) Released: 1998 B-Side: "Blessed Are Those"

v t e Killah Priest
Studio albums	Heavy Mental View from Masada Priesthood Black August Black August Revisited The Offering Behind the Stained Glass The Exorcist Elizabeth The 3 Day Theory The Psychic World of Walter Reed Planet of the Gods
Group albums	The Last Shall Be First The First Testament The Horsemen Project Black Market Militia Beautiful Minds
Songs	"4th Chamber"
Related articles	Sunz of Man The HRSMN Wu-Tang Killa Beez Wu-Tang Killa Beez discography Liquid Swords

References

^ "Heavy Mental - Killah Priest | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
^ "Heavy Mental - Killah Priest | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
^ Heavy Mental (booklet). Killah Priest. Geffen/MCA Records. 1998. GEFD-24971.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ "Heavy Mental - Killah Priest". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2020.