"Before the Great Collapse" is a single by Hip Hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 duo Jedi Mind Tricks

Jedi Mind Tricks

Jedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...

, released in 2004 through Babygrande Records

Babygrande Records

Babygrande Records is an independent record label based in New York City founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by the The Orchard, and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.-Discography:...

. The single was the lead-off for the group's fourth album, Legacy of Blood

Legacy of Blood

Legacy of Blood is the fourth album from hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, released in August 2004 on Babygrande Records. Album guests include Killah Priest, GZA, Des Devious, and Sean Price.-Track listing:# "Intro"# "The Age of Sacred Terror"...

. The song's intro contains a sample from "Freeman's Farm" by David Elon Preston, and the song's music contains a sample from "No Me Des Tu Adios" by Perla. "Before the Great Collapse" was the first JMT single to be solely performed by group vocalist Vinnie Paz

Vinnie Paz (rapper)

Vincenzo Luvineri, better known as Vinnie Paz , is a Italian-American rapper and the lyricist behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks...

, who uses the track as a suicide

Suicide

Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...

 letter, written to his mother. The track is followed up on JMT's Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell

Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell

Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell is the fifth studio album by hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. It was released September 19, 2006 through Babygrande Records. The first single, "Heavy Metal Kings", featuring Ill Bill of La Coka Nostra, was released in early August through iTunes and a limited...

 with the track Razorblade Salvation, in which Vinnie Paz retracts his suicide note, citing his obligations and goals as reasons to "stick around for a while."

While "Before the Great Collapse" was the single's official A-Side, the B-Side track "On the Eve of War" was Legacy of Blood's lead single. Like their previous album's lead single, "Animal Rap

Animal Rap

"Animal Rap" is the lead single by hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks from their third album Visions of Gandhi . The first vinyl pressing was released in 2002 and the CD pressing was released in 2003. The single was the group's first release on Babygrande Records...

", the single contains two mixes of the song, subtitled "On the Eve of War (Julio Cesar Chavez

Julio César Chávez

Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...

 Mix)" and "On the Eve of War (Meldrick Taylor

Meldrick Taylor

Meldrick Taylor is a former Olympic gold medalist and world boxing champion in two weight classes.-Amateur career:...

 Mix)", referencing the rivalry between the two boxers. The former features a symphonic sample, taken from the track "Palladio I - Allegretto" by Karl Jenkins

Karl Jenkins

-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...

. The latter features a melancholy guitar sample taken from the track "Peace" by Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly (musician)

Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...

. Both versions of "On the Eve of War" feature a guest appearance from Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...

 member GZA

GZA

Gary Grice , better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist and founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. He has also appeared on his fellow clan members' solo projects and has maintained a successful solo career...

. The single was followed in 2005 by "The Age of Sacred Terror

The Age of Sacred Terror

"The Age of Sacred Terror" is a single by Hip Hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks, released in 2005 through Babygrande Records. The single was the second released from their fourth album, Legacy of Blood, following 2004's "Before the Great Collapse". The song's title is taken from the book of the same name,...

".

A-Side

1. "Before the Great Collapse" (Clean Version)
2. "On the Eve of War (Julio Cesar Chavez Mix)" (Clean Version) (feat. GZA)
3. "Before the Great Collapse" (Instrumental)

B-Side

1. "On the Eve of War (Meldrick Taylor Mix)" (Clean Version) (feat. GZA)
2. "On the Eve of War (Julio Cesar Chavez Mix)" (Dirty Version) (feat. GZA)
3. "On the Eve of War (Julio Cesar Chavez Mix)" (Instrumental)