14 Mar Soultrain.com Q&A – Pharoahe Monch
It’s clear that Pharoahe Monch has seen every side of the music industry since his time as one half of Organized Konfusion almost two decades ago. As a solo artist, his legacy is cemented as being one the greatest MCs to ever touch the microphone. Since dropping his Rawkus Records debut Internal Affairs in 1999, there isn’t a hip-hop purest alive who can doubt his almost superhuman lyrical abilities. Not without controversy, however. His biggest hit, “Simon Says,” utilized an uncleared sample of Akira Ifukube’s “Gojira Tai Mosura,” leading a halt in distribution of Internal Affairs despite its current classic status. His follow-up,Desire, would again prove to naysayers his artistic prowess thanks to inspirational tracks like “Push” or the balls-out spitting “What It Is.” Though critically loved, the SRC/Universal Motown release would barely make a dent on the chart when released seven years after his groundbreaking Internal Affairs.
Done with “the machine,” he would form his own label—W.A.R. Media, and drop one of the best albums of 2011, W.A.R.(We Are Renegades). Not only did the album sport some pretty spectacular guest appearances from Phonte, Jill Scott, Immortal Technique and others, Monch rhymed like he was finally on the offense as a solo artist. Two years later, he’s preparing to drop one of his most personal records yet,PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), due for release April 15. Featuring the boastful “Bad MF” and the final installment in his bullet trilogy “Damage,” it’s clear Monch can now claim victorious in a war against an industry more concerned with money and false images than substance.
In this exclusive SoulTrain.com Q&A, Monch discusses PTSD, an almost deadly side effect to his asthma medication, W.A.R. media and more.
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