Biography
Who is Vinnie Paz?
Early life and real name
Vinnie Paz was born Vincenzo Luviner in Agrigento, United States, though sources note his birthplace in Sicily, Italy, where he lived for a short time before moving with his family to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He holds both Italian and American citizenship and is of Sicilian and Italian heritage. Originally known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram, he later changed his name to Vinnie Paz, naming himself after Rhode Island boxer Vinny Pazienza.
Vinnie started rapping in his basement with high school friend and fellow Jedi Mind Tricks member Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. The pair formed the group in Philadelphia in 1993, eventually releasing their debut EP titled Amber Probe in 1996 through Superegular Records. This early project featured guest appearances from The Lost Children of Babylon.
Jedi Mind Tricks albums
In 1997, Jedi Mind Tricks released their debut studio album titled The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness. The group released their second studio album, Violent by Design, in 2000 with the help of New Jersey rapper Jus Allah. During this era, Vinnie changed his stage name from Ikon the Verbal Hologram while working on the release.
The group continued releasing music with their third studio album, Visions of Gandhi, in 2003, followed by Legacy of Blood the next year. Their sixth studio album, A History of Violence, was released in November 2008 and sold 4,451 units in its first week. Later, the group released Violence Begets Violence in 2011 and The Thief and the Fallen in 2015.
Army of the Pharaohs
In 1998, Vinnie formed the underground hip-hop collective Army of the Pharaohs. The initial horrorcore outfit included members such as Bahamadia, Chief Kamachi, Virtuoso, 7L, Esoteric, and his Jedi Mind Tricks collaborators Stoupe and Jus Allah. The supergroup initially released 12-inch singles on Vinnie's own short-lived record label before returning years later.
The collective released their debut album, The Torture Papers, on March 21, 2006, through Babygrande Records. Vinnie later gathered members to release their second album, Ritual of Battle, in September 2007. They continued their output with albums like The Unholy Terror in 2010, followed by In Death Reborn and Heavy Lies the Crown, both released in 2014.
Solo career highlights
Vinnie launched his solo career with the release of his debut studio album, Season of the Assassin, on June 22, 2010. The album was originally supposed to be titled Assassin's Creed, but Vinnie changed the name due to legal issues with Ubisoft. Later that year, he released the Prayer for the Assassin EP, which contained four remixed tracks and a music video for the song Keep Movin on.
He released his second solo studio album, God of the Serengeti, on October 22, 2012. This was followed by his second EP, Carry On Tradition, on October 22, 2013. Vinnie continued his solo output with the release of his third LP, The Cornerstone of the Corner Store, on October 28, 2016, and his fourth solo album, The Pain Collector, in September 2018.
Birthday and age
Vinnie Paz was born on October 5, 1977, which makes Vinnie 49 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Vinnie shares the date with 56 other famous people.
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