Army of the Pharaohs

Vinnie Paz, frontman and MC of Jedi Mind Tricks, conceived the horrorcore collective Army of the Pharaohs after the Wu-Tang Clan’s influential supergroup model. He assembled its original late-’90s lineup from Bahamadia, Chief Kamachi, Virtuoso, 7L & Esoteric, and fellow Jedi Mind Tricks members Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind and Jus Allah. The crew’s debut appearance came via the 1998 Superegular Recordings 12-inch coupling “Five Perfect Exertions” with “War Ensemble,” after which the project fell silent for several years. By 2003, following further Jedi Mind Tricks successes and a new Babygrande contract, Paz revived the project, expanding the roster with Outerspace (Planetary and Crypt the Warchild), Celph Titled, Reef the Lost Cauze, King Syze Des Devious, Faez One, and Apathy while Bahamadia, Virtuoso, and Jus Allah had already departed. Babygrande then released the “Tear It Down” 12-inch and the group’s first full-length, The Torture Papers, in 2006. On the 2007 follow-up Ritual of the Battle, JMT protégés Doap Nixon and Demoz entered the ranks and Jus Allah rejoined.