Pharoahe Monch - The War Interview '09

Few names in hip-hop resonate with the same level of excitement and emotion as Pharoahe Monch. Pharoahe Monch is an alien to me; an MC that was implanted in hip-hop from a planet all his own. The talent and skill that he possesses has rightfully earned him a spot amongst the greatest MCs in hip-hop, and that is NOT up for debate. As 1/2 of Organized Konfusion (originally Simply II Postive MCs), Pharoahe Monch entered the game in the early 90s & alongside Prince Poetry, Organized Konfusion released a total of 3 albums "Organized Konfusion," "Stress: The Extinction Agenda," and "The Equinox." As with most dope underground groups, their sales never matched the level of talent they possessed or the love that fans had for the crew. Their biggest tracks include, "Stress," "Fudge Pudge," "Stray Bullet," "Bring It On," and "Somehow, Someway." With the lack of sales and proper promotion, the crew decided to separate and preserve their reputation for having released dope music together. You will have the opportunity below to hear Pharoahe Monch speaking about their original demo, a new track, their 1st upcoming show together in over 10 years, as well as the rumors of a possible reunion album. For now, enjoy this first track, "Bring It On Remix," which made my tape pop I played it so much - listen to Pharoahe's verse & ask yourself, where did this man come from!?!

Organized Konfusion - Bring It On Remix

In 1999, Pharoahe Monch released his debut solo album, "Internal Affairs," on Rawkus Records. The album had a huge buzz surrounding the first single, "Simon Says," which is still an anthem for hip-hop heads. Unfortunately the track contained a Godzilla sample, which caused the label to take the CD off the shelves & have the single removed from the album. "Internal Affairs" is now out of print and fetching astronomical values online. Pharoahe's debut album furthered his reputation as one of the greatest MCs, but fans wanted more! It wasn't until December of '06 that we got another Pharoahe Monch album; "Desire." There were intermittent tracks, which kept us excited and anxious for more, but "Desire" was the answer for all fans looking for their next dose of this hip-hop icon. In the interview below, Pharoahe will discuss the growth in his music & the changes he underwent creatively from his earlier work with Organized Konfusion all the way up to "Desire." It's tough to pick which track was my favorite off that album, because it presented different styles from Pharoahe, but regardless of which I'd choose, it would still come with that dope multi-sylaballic style and uniqueness that only Pharoahe Monch could bring to a track.

Pharoahe Monch - Let's Go (Prod. By Black Milk)

The background for this interview is that I was at a press event for this year's Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival - at which Pharoahe Monch will be performing. They notified me on the spot that I'd have an opportunity to interview him and I'm pretty sure my brain vaporized lol. Nevertheless, I got to sit down with Pharoahe for a good 20 minutes and just speak with him about a wide range of topics, including his feelings about taking the stage in Brooklyn for this year's BHHF, as well as the various features he's done over the past few years. Yup, that is my segway both into the next track and my way of rapping up this write-up and bringing y'all the interview lol. Enjoy the fact that I got to interview someone in my top list of MCs and this banging remix to Erykah Badu's "Healer," which, of course, features Pharoahe over one of the sickest beats...

Erykah Badu Ft. Pharoahe Monch - The Healer Remix

1. What's good, Pharoahe?

Good, man, what up!?
2. Well, we're here at the Brooklyn Bodega press event for the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, so let's just talk for a bit about the significance of the BHF & how you feel about taking the stage at this event.

This shit is just really real, in terms of the excitement that I feel. From my heart, I'm happy to be this excited about performing at this venue, because its New York, because its Brooklyn, because of what Brooklyn means to hip-hop, and because what New York means to hip-hop - its some real shit & not to mention the other acts that are on the bill! This is something that you take serious, ya know? Its not a game! *laughs* I'm just really pleased to be on this venue & I know to some people that might sound cliche or they may not know how honest that is, but I'm a real real big fan of hip-hop and I still go to shows, I still buy people's albums, I don't download for free, ya know, I support the artists & I promote the artists that I like, because I feel like we need that right now!

Just for me, I can't speak for anyone else, it's just real important to get in front of an audience and introduce them and reintroduce them to what I've done. My career has kinda been like that, ya know? So many people today were like, "yo, I was introduced to your career through "Simon Says," ... "My LIfe," and its just too extensive and it goes so far back beyond that. Even with the last record, "Desire," it garnered a lot of new fans, because when I was touring, people were responding to that stuff that knew that, but didn't know my other stuff, as well. Thats a blessing within itself, so to get out in front of New York City, live, in that atmosphere, and rock like that, it's what it used to be; thats what its about! It was about the park jams, an element that is so lost with a lot of new artists coming up and finding their voice in the studio, but learning that it's a whole other thing to perform live in front of a bunch of people, too.


3. You talked about introductions and reintroductions to the fans and to the music, so how do you feel your style and your overall sound has progressed over the years from the early 90s to now, as you make your next (re)introduction?

Man, it's still growin, man! *laughs* The new project I'm working on right now, its called "War," and I've been co-signing and validating and standing behind this shit, and I think this is the best work. I think any person who considers themself an artist is just constantly trying to paint that next best picture or masterpiece, ya know, so it never stops. Just the growth from Organized to now, is very unique, there are different eras and this is what is great about hip-hop history, because when I go back to listen to the Organized stuff, its very detailed and intricate flow-wise. When I move to the Internal Affairs stuff, it's more the content and the emotion and the darkness of that record. Then we move to "Desire" and it's the light, and sun, and the soulfulness of the record, so all of those things are different experiences and why people gravitate to these different Phroahe Monch's. Even still, I'll be doing a show and I can tell certain audiences are like, "do the dark shit! Kill somebody! Blood!" *laughs* ya know? Damn, its like so much has transcended from one thing to another and now with this "War" project, sonically, it sounds like it's somewhere between "Internal Affairs" and "Desire." Production-wise and content, the sound, its crazy; its fuckin me up! I'm just referring back to different styles & content that are in these songs and I think it's gonna be real provacative - it'll provoke conversation between people about the content and more so than that, from "Internal Affairs" to "Desire" to this "War" project, conversation about which is the best of these three albums. That's exciting for me, because I'm a hip-hop fan and I would love to be outside of myself having that same conversation.


4. There was a recent interview with Bobbito, where he discussed how the Simply II Postive Original Demo (Organized Konfusions 1st crew name) got in his hands, and how he brought it to Russel Simmons, but he passed on it, so therefore, when he got Nas' original demo, he didn't bother bringing it to Russel to check out. Like, how does it feel to know that the history of all this goes that far back & that you are mentioned along with some of the best albums and best lyricists in hip-hop by fans, as well as your peers?

Wow, I can only shake my head. I can only shake my head, and Im speechless, ya know what I'm sayin? I don't even have words for it - those types of compliments, I don't even know if I'm prepared to accept them. Like, whoever this reaches *points at camera*, its like the cats that get at me and say that I'm in their top whatever, that's the biggest compliment that you can ever give an artist. Honestly. That's what an artist does this for, not necessarily to be top of or king of new york or any of that, but just to be recognized for the art that he makes, and its such an honor! Its even more of an honor for me to still be excited about growing and getting better.


5. There were "rumors" about 6 or so months ago from Po, yourself, or whoever, that there may be new Organized Konfusion music coming out - if so, where are you guys with that & what can you tell us about that possibility?

Well, its not a rumor, at all. Po had done this previous recording and I heard it and it was just sick; it felt really dope. I haven't heard him sound that free, that loose and that matter of fact with his flow, so matter of fact - like, this is nothing, its effortless, it just blew me away. I hadn't heard anything like that from hip-hop in a long time, so I called him up, asked him if I could jump on the record & also put a chorus, so we did that and got it in our bag of tricks to like give to the fans. We're trying to find out how to give it - literally give it, because we know once its out, its out, and we're not even trying to sell it - we're just trying to find the best way to give it to the fans. As far as Organized Konfusion is concerned, we haven't performed together in over 10 years, but we're doing this show at Liberty State Park with the Beastie Boys on July 31st, its gonna be fuckin insane! We're tryin to pull out the fuckin bag of tricks for this one - bring out Large, Tip, OC, and people that were on the records. Try to put on a dope show & as far as records, I really doubt if there will be any albums from Organized Konfusion.


6. With the new album you are working on & as a veteran MC, certainly times have changed a little since your last release, so how do you feel about coming back out under the current climate in hip-hop?

There are a lot of different opinions and emotions that I'm privy too - one of them is, people are really fuckin disappointed, upset and just not interested in hip-hop as an artform. Some of the artists are even ashamed to say that this is what they do anymore in a coversation amongst colleagues. Its not the most poignant statement to say that this is what you do for a living. I think thats how its looked upon right now. The flipside of it, you've got these 17 or 18 year old kids that the labels and the industry were supossed to be brainwashing that are now using the internet to go back and listen to Illmatic, Public Enemy, and Stress The Extinction Agenda, BlackStar and all these records, so now they are like "yo! what the fuck is this shit you are giving us now!?!" So, now you have this surgance of consumers who are like, "Im not buying that!" You can play it as much as you want on the radio, put it in a commercial, shove it down my throat, I just don't believe this artist. That's rock, thats pop, thats hip-hop, thats all music - unless artists are doing something you can really feel, its not really gonna move anything. Unless its become such a part of pop culture, that people buy it because thats what they are told! The actual kids who are into what they feel, I don't think they are supporting what's being put out right now. All I'm trying to do is reach out to the kids and if that means that there are 75-150K kids worldwide, then that's what it is! I believe, however, that there are 1 million kids who don't know certain things exist and thats what the content and the consciousness behind this "War" album is all about. Thats what the "War" is going against - the industry that tries to shut down the people from being conscious to a Black Milk album being out there, or Guilty or Torae, or ... an Invincible album that kids, who would love that shit, don't even know it exists, ya know what I mean? So, thats literally the fight with the content of this record. Its not just me, its like even if you are not engaged in it, let me put you in the right direction, so that the love of this shit is not lost!


7. I think that's an important message! So, do you think artists need to bring it back to a more grassroots approach to support one another in that regard?

I think so. One of the things that needs to happen is, these types artists need to be a collective. Not make a super song or create a super label, but just really reach out to one another, be there for one another and mention each other in these interviews, because we are really all in the same system. We all really have been, because it's been the same shit for a long time; its not a new thing. If it wasn't me, it was Eugene McDaniels in the 70s or whoever in the 80s and 90s, but I'm proud to be known for the art that I do, because you can't take away the history of it - "Desire" is still gonna be there for people to discover. The shit might even sell another 100K copies 5 years from now, so its really all good.


8. How important is it to do feature tracks like you did with Erykah Badu & the joints you did with Black Milk, just to keep your name out there & stay relevant between releases? What was the inspiration to choose those tracks to work on?

Those tracks were stuff I was just really feeling, and I don't move creatively unless I get that inclination to really be inspired. I'm not one of these dudes that gonna do a freestyle a week for a blog, ya know? I'm not even tryin to play that game, but we are trying to give you something unique visually, and every time there is something, you'll be like, "That shit was pretty good!" *laughs* It has to be above the standard, because otherwise I think Pharoahe becomes disposable, because music is disposable right now - you erase it off your computer, download it - its not even a tangible thing anymore, so for me to put out high levels of freestyles a week, it becomes something that's disposable, because then you expect it from me.


9. Well, it looks like that's all of our time, so big thanks to you, Pharoahe ... I know its been a crazy day and it means a lot to sit down with you on this!

No doubt, man! To the readers, you know what it is, I'm rockin with the homie, DJ SAV*ONE, on The Underground Come-Up! Peace, One.