''Wrath of the Math'' is the second album by the hip hop artist

Jeru the Damaja Kendrick Jeru Davis (born February 14, 1972), known as Jeru the Damaja, is an American rapper and record producer. He is known for his 1993 single " Come Clean" from his debut album, ''The Sun Rises in the East'', ranked as one of the 100 great ...

. The album spawned the 2 singles "Ya Playin' Yaself" and "Me or the Papes". The album peaked at number 3 on the US Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, and number 35 on the US Billboard 200.

Album information

The album was completely produced by

DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop duo ...

and continues the themes of

Afrocentricity Afrocentricity is an academic theory and approach to scholarship that seeks to center the experiences and peoples of Africa and the African diaspora within their own historical, cultural, and sociological contexts. First developed as a systema ...

, preserving hip-hop culture, and more about the harms of materialism that were discussed on ''

The Sun Rises in the East ''The Sun Rises in the East'' is the debut album by American hip hop rapper Jeru the Damaja, released May 24, 1994 on Payday Records. Production on the album was handled by DJ Premier. The album features fellow Gang Starr Foundation member Afu-R ...

''. In its liner notes, it even says, "This album was created to SAVE hip-hop and the minds of the people who listen to it." One significant track that intends to uphold Jeru's vision of hip hop is "One Day", where he tells a story of

Puff Daddy Puff may refer to: Science and technology * Puff, a small quantity of gas or smoke in the air ** Puff, a light gust of wind ** Exhalation ** Inhalation * Puff model, volcanic ash tracking model developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks * PUF ...

, Foxy Brown and

Bad Boy Records Bad Boy Records (or Bad Boy Entertainment) is an American record label founded in 1993 by rapper Sean "Puffy" Combs. It operates as an imprint of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. It has been home to many artists, including ...

kidnapping somebody named Hip-Hop. The

Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

took offense to the song, as he was signed to Bad Boy Records, and was closely connected with Puff Daddy and Foxy Brown. Biggie retaliated by throwing subtle jabs at Jeru in the song " Kick in the Door" (which was aimed at other rap artists as well). The track "Me or the Papes" contains aim for Puff Daddy, Jeru stating, "My name ain't

Puff Puff may refer to: Science and technology * Puff, a small quantity of gas or smoke in the air ** Puff, a light gust of wind#Gustiness, wind ** Exhalation ** Inhalation * Puff model, volcanic ash tracking model developed at the University of Alaska ...

, I ain't got loot to waste", to which Puff Daddy did not respond. It contains many tracks that are sequels to songs on Jeru's first album such as "Revenge of the Prophet (Part 5)", "Me or the Papes" and "Physical Stamina", featuring

Afu-Ra Aaron Phillip (born January 31, 1974), better known by his stage name Afu-Ra, is an American underground rapper. A member of the Gang Starr Foundation, he has worked closely with its members, including Gang Starr, Jeru the Damaja, Big Shug an ...

, the one guest emcee, as he was on Jeru's first album.

Reception

The album was well-received, but was not as critically acclaimed as his first album. John Bush of ''

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

'' was one of the few critics who felt that it was just as strong as Jeru's first album. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'': "Combined with DJ Premier's head-bobbing minimalist funk, Jeru tells it like it is like no other." ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'': "Armed with a prophet's sense of social responsibility, Webster's vocab, and the best beats in the business.... Jeru's at his best...when he fights playa-ism with its most potent weapon: sharply visual, action-packed narrative." ''

The Source ''The Source'' is an American hip hop and entertainment website, and a magazine that publishes annually or . It is the world's longest-running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988 by Jonathan Shecter. David Mays was the ma ...

'': 3 Mics: Good—"Returning with an unabashed intolerance for the artistic moves of some well-known rap figures...Jeru the Damaja proves that his musical compositions are too mentally stimulating to be ignored." ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'': Ranked #43 on ''Melody Maker's'' 1996 list of Albums of the Year.''Melody Maker'', December 21–28, 1996, pp. 66–67

Track listing

*All songs produced by

Album singles

Album chart positions

Singles chart positions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wrath Of The Math 1996 albums Jeru the Damaja albums Albums produced by DJ Premier FFRR Records albums