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Wrath of the Math
Studio album by Jeru the Damaja
Released	October 15, 1996
Recorded	1995–1996
Genre	East Coast hip hop
Length	51:47
Label	Payday FFRR PolyGram Records
Producer	DJ Premier
Jeru the Damaja chronology
The Sun Rises in the East (1994) Wrath of the Math (1996) Heroz4Hire (1999)
Singles from Wrath of the Math
"Ya Playin' Yaself" Released: September 23, 1996 "Me or the Papes" Released: March 11, 1997

Wrath of the Math is the second album by the hip hop artist Jeru the Damaja. 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.

Background

The album was produced entirely by DJ Premier and continues the themes of Afrocentricity, preserving hip-hop culture, and more about the harms of materialism that were discussed on The Sun Rises in the East. In the album's liner notes, Jeru the Damaja declares: "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, Foxy Brown and Bad Boy Records kidnapping somebody named Hip-Hop. The Notorious B.I.G. 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, 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, the one guest emcee, as he was on Jeru's first album.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Christgau's Consumer Guide
Entertainment Weekly	B+
Muzik
RapReviews	9/10
The Source

The album was well-received, but was not as critically acclaimed as his first album. John Bush of Allmusic was one of the few critics who felt that it was just as strong as Jeru's first album.

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

Vibe: "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: 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: Ranked #43 on Melody Maker's 1996 list of Albums of the Year.

Track listing

• All songs produced by DJ Premier

Charts

Singles chart positions

References

1. Jeru the Damaja (1996). Wrath of the Math (liner notes). Payday Records. 697-124-119-1.
2. ^ Bush, John. Wrath of the Math at AllMusic
3. Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 150. ISBN 0-312-24560-2 – via Internet Archive.
4. ^ "The Week: Jeru the Damaja – Wrath of the Math". Entertainment Weekly. No. 361. New York. January 10, 1997. p. 58. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
5. Ashon, Will (November 1996). "Trainspotting: Jeru the Damaja – Wrath of the Math" (PDF). Muzik. No. 18. London: IPC Media. p. 141. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
6. Doggett, Tom (January 25, 2005). "Jeru the Damaja :: Wrath of the Math :: Full Frequency Range Records". RapReviews. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
7. ^ Coolidge, Warren (December 1996). "Record Report: Jeru the Damaja – Wrath of the Math". The Source. No. 87. New York. pp. 126, 130.
8. Vibe, November 1996, p. 153
9. Melody Maker, December 21–28, 1996, pp. 66–67
10. "Jeru The Damaja | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
11. "Jeru The Damaja Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
12. "Jeru The Damaja Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.

External links

• Wrath of the Math at Discogs (list of releases)

• 1996 albums
• Jeru the Damaja albums
• Albums produced by DJ Premier
• FFRR Records albums