Pharoahe Monch | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Troy Donald Jamerson |
| Born | October 31, 1972 |
| Origin | South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | |
Troy Donald Jamerson (born October 31, 1972), better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes. [1]
Monch released three albums as part of the rap duo Organized Konfusion with partner Prince Poetry: The self-titled Organized Konfusion , Stress: The Extinction Agenda and The Equinox . The duo handled a large amount of production on these albums themselves. All albums received positive critical reviews, but moderate sales. As a result, the duo split up after recording their final album The Equinox in 1997. Prince Poetry has since denied the possibility of an Organized Konfusion reunion. [ citation needed ]
Pharoahe Monch then signed to Rawkus Records, an indie label. After making several guest appearances on albums like the best-selling Rawkus compilation Soundbombing II , Monch's much-hyped debut, Internal Affairs was released in 1999. The first single of the album, "Simon Says", became a hit single, peaking at No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its success, the song caused controversy when Monch was later sued for its unauthorized use of a sample from Akira Ifukube's Gojira Tai Mosura, the theme song to the 1992 film Godzilla vs. Mothra . This resulted in a halting in his album's distribution.
Following the controversy, Pharoahe would not release another solo project for several years, but still released some songs and had guest appearances. In 2000, he collaborated with Mos Def and Nate Dogg on the hit song "Oh No" from the Rawkus compilation record Lyricist Lounge 2 . He contributed the song "Fuck You" to the Training Day soundtrack in 2001 and rapped the theme song to Madden NFL 2002. He also provided vocals on the track "Last Dayz" on the 2001 Adam F Album Kaos: The Anti-Acoustic Warfare and remixes of the track on the follow-up Drum & Bass Warfare, released the following year. In 2002 he was featured by Mike Shinoda as a guest on the remix track "H! Vltg3" a remix of "High Voltage" from Hybrid Theory on the remix album Reanimation with Linkin Park. In 2003 Pharoahe released his final single through Rawkus Records, "Agent Orange", a war inspired song which revisited the 1991 Organized Konfusion track "Releasing Hypnotical Gases".
There were rumors his next album, at first tentatively titled Innervisions, was to be released under Denaun Porter's new Shady Records imprint Runyon Ave. They reached out to Stevie Wonder and were at the beginning processes of recording the album [2] but apparently the deal fell through; Monch later announced a deal with Street Records Corporation, home of Wu-Tang Clan, David Banner and Terror Squad. On December 19, 2006, Pharoahe Monch released his first and only official mixtape, The Awakening, hosted by Clinton Sparks, DJ Boogie Brown. [3] In June 2007, Monch released his second solo album Desire to critical acclaim. Monch said about the album; "...it's very soulful, very gospel, a fresh, new sound for me." The album's lead single was the self-produced track "Push", with "Let's Go" as its B-side. The song's music video and single were released in late September 2006. Pharoahe Monch released a second music video entitled "When the Gun Draws" at a Brooklyn music festival in February 2007. The track was inspired by a song he did with Prince Po entitled "Stray Bullet" which was featured on the Stress: The Extinction Agenda album. A final video was made for the title track "Desire" in late 2007. It was directed by New Zealand director Andy Morton and shot on the Rock the Bells tour with full band. The video features both MeLa Machinko and Showtyme.
On July 9, 2009, Pharoahe Monch allowed hip hop website HipHopDX.com to leak a song from his forthcoming album W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) . The song was called "Shine" and featured vocals by MeLa Machinko and was also produced by Diamond D. On February 14, 2010, another song from Monch was leaked, which is called "Clap (One Day)," produced by M-Phazes.
Pharoahe Monch released his third solo album W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) in March 2011. It featured guest appearances from Jill Scott, Styles P, Citizen Cope, Jean Grae, Royce da 5'9", Immortal Technique, Vernon Reid, Phonte, Mr. Porter, Mela Machinko, Showtyme & DJ Boogie Blind. [4] Pharoahe revealed that the album is a "throwback to 1993, '94 hip-hop" and featured production by Exile, Marco Polo, M-Phazes, Fatin, Diamond D, Mike Loe, Samiyam, Adam Deitch, Eric Krasno and Pharoahe Monch himself. [4] Four singles have been released from the album: "Shine", "Clap (One Day)", "Black Hand Side", and "Assassins". A ten-year anniversary re-issue of Internal Affairs will also be released featuring a documentary about the making of the album. [5]
In 2011, Pharoahe Monch was a judge on the Ultimate MC TV show alongside Royce da 5'9", Sean Price, Planet Asia, and Organik. [6]
Pharoahe Monch recently made his second appearance on an R&B song - the first being "It Ain't The Money" on Macy Gray's 2003 album The Trouble With Being Myself - performing on Eric Roberson's album track "The Cycle" from Roberson's 2014 album The Box. [7] [8]
Pharoahe released his fourth album, PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder , on April 15, 2014, under his independent label, W.A.R. Media. The album is a conceptual follow up to his third album, W.A.R. (We Are Renegades). The album featured two singles, "Damage" and "Bad M.F.", both produced by Lee Stone.
In late 2017 Pharoahe Monch was featured in a song by Keyon Harrold titled "Her Beauty Through My Eyes" from Keyon's latest album Mugician.
In 2019, Pharoahe formed the rap-rock supergroup th1rt3en, featuring guitarist Marcus Machado and drummer Daru Jones; releasing their debut single "Palindrome" in September 2019. [9] On October 19, 2019, Internal Affairs was finally released to streaming services, on its 20th anniversary. [10]
Th1rt3en's debut album A Magnificent Day for an Exorcism was released two years later on January 22, 2021, and was supported by the three singles "Fight" featuring rap group Cypress Hill, "666 (Three Six Word Stories)" and "Cult 45". [11]
Pharoahe Monch is acclaimed for his complex rapping technique; [1] AllMusic says he has, "a reputation as one of underground hip hop's pre-eminent lyricists, crafting intricate and intelligent raps." [12] Kool Moe Dee ranks him at 26 in his best MCs of all-time list, from his book, There's a God on the Mic , [13] noting: "Pharoahe Monch is like an eloquent linguistics professor moonlighting as a rhyme serial killer terrorist, challenging the listeners' I.Q. while daring him or her to keep up." [13]
Having been afflicted with chronic asthma since the age of thirteen months, [14] Monch developed new and creative ways to deliver his lyrics when rapping. In an interview with HipHopDX , he stated that "asthma forced [him] to really go against the issue and push the envelope in terms of breath control," developing a technique he "wouldn't try if [he] didn’t have asthma." [15]
Monch compares writing and recording his lyrics to writing and filming a movie - in the book How to Rap he says he will 'punch-in' vocals so he can "retake some things, just like a film", [16] and he 'rewrites' lyrics, saying he will "go back as a screenwriter and rewrite scenes and leave more to the imagination." [17]
For his biggest hit, "Simon Says", he comments that he wrote the choruses before he wrote the verses, [18] and fellow rapper and collaborator O.C. notes that Monch will write single lines down and then use them five years later. [19] His vocal delivery is inspired by Jazz music and musicians such as John Coltrane. [20]
Organized Konfusion (OK) is an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York, composed of Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch.
A Gangster and a Gentleman is the debut studio album by American rapper Styles P. The album was released on July 9, 2002, through Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records. Styles P was the second member of the Lox to record a solo album, after Kiss Tha Game Goodbye by Jadakiss was released in August 2001.
Stress: The Extinction Agenda is the second full-length album by Queens hip hop duo Organized Konfusion, released on August 16, 1994, on Hollywood BASIC.
Omar Gerryl Credle, better known by his stage name, O.C., is an American rapper and member of the group D.I.T.C. He has been involved with several underground hip hop groups, namely Crooklyn Dodgers '95, Luv NY, and Perestroika.
The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness is the debut album of underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, consisting of rapper Vinnie Paz and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. The original version of the album was released in 1997, limited to 1,000 copies on vinyl by Superegular Records, and was re-released on CD in 2003 on Babygrande Records with six bonus tracks, featuring songs recorded by the group before their debut release. It has been a common misconception that the vinyl version was re-issued in 2001, possibly because the back of the vinyl release says "2001 Superegular." The album’s often esoteric lyrics focus on conspiracy theories, astronomy, religion, and violence, themes that JMT would expand on in later albums. The album was inspired by a lot of "crazy books" mentioned by Vinnie Paz in an interview, and is named after one of those books, a 1,900-page tome entitled "Matrix III - The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electromagnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness,” by Valdamar Valerian.
Organized Konfusion is the debut album by Queens hip hop duo Organized Konfusion. The album was released on October 29, 1991 under Hollywood BASIC. The album and the group have received a large cult following throughout the years. The record was originally given a rating of 4 out of 5 in The Source in January 1992. The effort has received perfect ratings from many sources, including Allmusic and RapReviews. Group members Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po were praised for their highly skilled lyrical ability, making use of intelligent vocabulary and metaphors. The content on the album ranges from light-hearted tales, to extreme, politically influenced songs, to religious influence. AMG writer Stanton Swihart wrote in All Music's album review:
The inspired debut album from the duo of Prince Poetry and Pharoahe Monch was arguably the best underground rap album of the 1990s...Organized Konfusion may be, alongside Main Source's Breaking Atoms, the quintessential cult hip-hop album from a decade full of forward-looking efforts.
The Equinox is the third and final album by heralded Queens hip hop duo Organized Konfusion. It was released in 1997 on Priority Records.
Internal Affairs is the solo debut from former Organized Konfusion member Pharoahe Monch, released on Rawkus Records and Priority Records. Monch creates a harder sound than heard on the previous Organized Konfusion records. The album spawned the Hot 100 hit "Simon Says".
Desire is the second solo album from hip hop artist Pharoahe Monch, released on June 26, 2007. The album comes eight years after the rapper's critically acclaimed solo debut, Internal Affairs, which followed the break-up of Monch's former group Organized Konfusion. After a short stint on Geffen Records, a number of labels began a bidding war for the rapper, including Eminem's Shady Records, Denaun Porter's Runyon Ave. Records, Bad Boy Records and Sony Records. In early 2006, it was announced that Pharoahe had signed a deal with Steve Rifkind's Street Records Corporation for the release of his second album. The first song released from the album was "Let's Go", produced by Black Milk. "Let's Go" was featured as the B-side on the album's first proper single, "Push", released in September 2006. A music video for "Push" was also released in late September 2006, and has received play on MTV Base. The video is set in the New York City blackout of 1977. A ten-minute internet-only video for the track "When the Gun Draws" was released exclusively to AllHipHop.com on January 3, 2007. Desire features production from Monch, longtime collaborator Lee Stone, The Alchemist, Denaun Porter, Black Milk and Sean C. Album guests include Erykah Badu and Denaun Porter. The single Desire is featured in the video game Madden 08.
Lawrence Baskerville, better known by his stage name Prince Po, is an American rapper and record producer from Queens, New York City, New York. He is a founder of Ice Bearz Movement.
"Rape" is the fourth track on Internal Affairs, the debut album of Queens rapper Pharoahe Monch. Allmusic critic Steve Huey says in his review "Monch lives up to his reputation as one of hip-hop's most technically skilled MCs. Nowhere is this balancing act more evident than on "Rape," a rather disquieting extended metaphor for his mastery of hip-hop ."
Marcus Vialva, better known by his stage name Shabaam Sahdeeq, is an American alternative hip hop artist from Brooklyn, New York City. He first reached fame with Rawkus Records and was featured alongside artists including Busta Rhymes, Redman, Method Man, Kool G Rap, Common, Mos Def and Eminem. Shabaam Sahdeeq is notable for his work on the Soundbombing and Lyricist Lounge series in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. In 1998, Sahdeeq collaborated with DJ Spinna, Mr. Complex and Apani B to form the hip-hop collective Polyrhythm Addicts, a supergroup renowned for its pivotal role in the explosion of late 1990s indie hip-hop. The single "Not Your Ordinary: gained a positive critical and commercial reception, which paved the way for their first album, Rhyme Related, released in 1999, and widely regarded as a hip-hop classic. After this success, the group disbanded to focus on their individual careers. Sahdeeq's distinct voice and unique delivery catapulted him to mainstream stardom on the "Simon Says" Remix alongside label mate Pharoahe Monch. He is currently releasing music independently. Shabaam Sahdeeq's recent work has been receiving rave reviews in some of the biggest hip-hop publications.
W.A.R. is the third studio album of American hip hop artist Pharoahe Monch released on March 22, 2011 under Duck Down Records. Producers include Lion's Share Music Group, Exile, Marco Polo, M-Phazes, Mike Loe, Fatin "10" Horton, Diamond D, Samiyam, and Fyre Dept.'s Adam Deitch and Eric Krasno, while vocal features are contributed by Idris Elba, Immortal Technique, Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Showtyme, Styles P of The LOX, Phonte, Mela Machinko, Mr. Porter, Jean Grae, Royce da 5'9", Citizen Cope and Jill Scott. Scratches are provided by DJ Boogie Blind of The X-Ecutioners.
PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Pharoahe Monch, released on April 15, 2014 under his independent label, W.A.R. Media, in partnership with INgrooves. The album features guest appearances from Black Thought, Talib Kweli, Denaun, The Stepkids and Vernon Reid, as well as production from Lee Stone, Marco Polo, Jesse West and Quelle Chris amongst others. The album was promoted by two Lee Stone-produced singles: "Damage" and "Bad M.F.".
"Damage" is a song by American hip hop artist Pharoahe Monch, released as the lead single from his fourth studio album, P.T.S.D. . Prior to its release date, Pharoahe Monch's independent label, W.A.R. Media, published a visual trailer to YouTube on September 22, 2012. The song was officially made available for purchase worldwide on September 27, 2012, on the iTunes Music Store by W.A.R. Media in conjunction with Duck Down Music Inc. The Lee Stone-produced song is the final piece to Pharoahe's "bullet" trilogy in which he anthropomorphizes a slug fired with the intent to annihilate, and tackles the issue of gun violence. The song and its cover art provide a chilling reminder that bullets have no name.
PA2: The Director's Cut is the second solo studio album by Canadian hip hop producer Marco Polo, released on November 12, 2013, via Soulspazm Records. The first installment of the Port Authority series was released in 2007 under Soulspazm and Rawkus. In May 2013, the second installment of the Newport Authority series, Newport Authority 2, was released for free as a prelude to PA2.
"Simon Says" is the debut single by American rapper Pharoahe Monch. It was released in 1999, as the lead single from his debut studio album Internal Affairs (1999). "Simon Says" is Monch's most popular song, and samples the theme song of the 1964 film Mothra vs. Godzilla.
Animal Serum is the first collaborative album by hip hop artists Prince Po and Oh No. It was released on February 4, 2014, by Wandering Worx and Green Streets Entertainment. The work on Animal Serum started in 2007, with a few songs recorded as an experiment, before it turned into a full-length album. The album took several years to finish due to Oh No's involvement in other projects. Animal Serum received mostly positive reviews from music critics, but some of them found Oh No's production to be monotonous.
"Oh No" is a song by American rappers Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch featuring American singer Nate Dogg. It was released in November 2000 by Rawkus Records, as a single from the compilation album Lyricist Lounge 2 (2000). The song was produced by Rockwilder.
"The Life" is a song by American rapper Styles featuring American rapper Pharoahe Monch. It is the second single from the former's debut studio album A Gangster and a Gentleman (2002) and previously appeared on Rawkus Records' compilation album Soundbombing III (2002). The song was produced by Ayatollah.
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