Pharaohe Monch, W.A.R, We Are Renegades

I’ve been a fan of Monch since he was cussing people out for stealing his last piece of chicken. The irony is that if I heard about a song called “Who Stole My Last Piece Of Chicken” in 2011 I would probably throw my iPod against a wall. But since then Pharoahe Monch has proven to be one of the most thought-provoking artists I’ve ever heard (maybe there is hope for the Weezy after all.)   This year he joined forces with Duck Down records to release his third solo album, W.A.R. We Are Renegades. After one listen the album impressed me so much that I constructed a making of the album, interviewing almost a dozen different people that contributed to it. While his previous project Desire showcased his wide range of abilities, Monch chose this time to constrict his focus and deliver the heavy-hitting linguistics and jaw-breaking production that earned him fans across the globe. Instead of raging against the machine Monch gave detailed instructions on how to break into it and dismantle it from the inside.

“If you are not performing fellatio for radio rotation /What’s the ratio for radio play at your station? /If you’re not paying to play, the record is dead /Puts a whole new spin on radio head/Radiohead”–The Hitmen

Steal this song: “Still Standing” /F Jill Scott

DJ Quik, The Book of David

While everyone played a game of “hurry-up-and-wait” with Dr. Dre’s Detox, another West Coast veteran laced us with his eighth studio album, The Book of David. Mr. Blake reinforced why he is one of the best rapping producers alive walking the line of being a gangsta (“So Compton”) and a gentleman (“Luv of My Life”). “Records like ‘Luv of My Life’ are reddish, greenish, orange,” he said in our interview. ” ‘Real Women’ is clear, it’s colorless. It’s a white diamond. I sampled that from Dave Grushen and Angela Bofill. Don’t you love my range and my diversity?” Yes, we do.

Steal this song: “Time Stands Still” f/ Dwele

Kendrick Lamar, Section 80

I literally discovered this brother by accident proving that word of mouth still matters. When I interviewed producer Wyldfyer he told me he’d done the track “Kush and Corinthians” for this album, so I downloaded the entire thing on GP and was not disappointed.  I used to think every 80s babies had their life graded on a curve before listening to Section.80. However, Kendrick Lamar has a gift for making simple truths seem profound that I haven’t felt since Ice Cube’s Death Certificate, but with the musical sentiments that harken back to Bone Thugs N Harmony. “And then she started/ And then she started/Feeling herself like no on else in this apartment/Beg your pardon/Oh I rap baby, how old are you?/She say 22, I say 23/Ok then we are crack babies…”

Steal this song: “No Make Up” F/ Colin Munroe

Phonte Coleman, Charity Starts At Home

The subtitle of this album should be “Mind Of The Married Man” because I don’t think any hip-hop album has so dealt with the realities and challenges of matrimony so honestly before. We’ve had songs about relationships, sure. But this whole album is just over your head if you’re under 30 and never had to share bills under the same roof with somebody. There, I said it.  When he rhymes on “Sending My Love” that he was “arguing about some shit rooted in some other shit/ long story short it was a night I ain’t feel like coming home…” every man in a long term relationship is going “chu’uch” and “tabernacle.” So I’m personally thankful that there is somebody addressing emotions from a man’s perspective that doesn’t drunk dial his exes.

Steal this song: “Who Loves You More”

Torae, For The Record

For the past five years or so New York hip-hop has endured slander of epic proportions. Nicki Minaj notwithstanding, MCs from the 5 boroughs have had to learn to subsist on a subterranean level like the folks in Demolition Man. And like that movie, much of what is being served on the surface is Taco Bell level filler. Thankfully MCs like Coney Island’s “Young Veteran” Torae have not rejected their city’s boom-bap DNA while still managing to evolve. After recording his collabo album with producer Marco Polo, Double Barrel, Torae has complete his first official solo album with production from DJ Premier, Large Professor, Diamond D and many more. But beyond the headphone friendly beats, Torae manipulates words like a Soul Train scramble board contestant cheating on their SATs: “I got the energy of Left Eye/ride through the Honduras like it’s Bed Stuy/The good die young so at 12 I got the double breast, a pair of steps and a neck tie…”

Steal this song: “Imagine”

Focus, Music Of The Misinterpreted

Most of you reading this probably don’t know how much Focus has impacted your musical life. The Grammy Award winning producer was once a staff producer for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label and is responsible for laying the sonic foundations to Beyonce’s “Yes” , J.LO’s “Dear Ben”, Marsha Ambrosius’ “Tears” and Busta Rhymes’ “Respect My Conglomerate” just to name a microspic sample of his catalog. Not to mention that his father is former CHIC bassist, the late Bernard Edwards, so music is literally in his blood. But this year the producer has stepped from behind the boards to deliver his message on the mic with a little help from his friends. After having Music Of The Misinterpreted on repeat for several days I’m convinced this man should have been rapping way before this.
“Seems like I’m always gettin’ looked over, cold shoulder, but I bear with it–polar/Me and the industry was like lovers/put nothin above her/ but we’re growin apart as I get older/now I find a niche sink my teeth in–molar/I’m eatin and seen with the big stars–solar/I came a long way and taught a couple cats and now I’ ma force to be wreckoned with–Yoda.”

Music Of The Misinterpreted is what the 99% would sound like if they had…focus.
Occupy Beat Street, bitches.

Steal this song: “1ne” (feat. Embassy Music Board & Tez McClain)

Jill Scott, The Light Of The Sun

In an era when artists are churning out albums on an annual basis Jill Scott has mastered the art of making us wait. While I’m sure the contractual wranglings with her former label Hidden Beach contributed to the four year hiatus after The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol 3., it served to whet the collective appetites of her fans, stans and google images stalkers. Once I stopped staring at the album cover the music was every bit as confident, seductive and renewed as the front image led us to believe.  Who do you know can craft a female empowerment anthem like “Womanifesto” then turn around and sing about  diamond d*cks without sounding the least bit contradictory? Jill Scott, that’s who.

Steal this song: “Rolling Hills”

Saigon, The Greatest Story Never Told

To say that I was happy this album dropped is an understatement. Back when I was the editor of Scratch magazine I’d featured Saigon and his producer Just Blaze on the cover in homage to Gang Starr. Sai played me several cuts back then that thoroughly impressed me and five years later the world finally got to hear what I did. For folks who were missing that aggressive, slap-your-chef-for-using-too-much-paprika level of sonic ignorance from Just Blaze GSNT had all you were waiting for. Then add Saigon’s sicker-than-your-average lyrics and this is one story you can tuck your wealth in at night to.

Steal this song: “Preacher”

Eric Roberson, Mr. Nice Guy

That line between love and hate isn’t always thin. There is a whole four-lane highway’s worth of experiences and emotions that singers like Eric Roberson tap into with ease. Ever since I was first introduced to erro via “Find A Way” and “Couldn’t Here Me Over The Music”  and “Def Ears” from his The Vault vol 1 I’ve felt a kindred spirit with this brother.  Some woman at some point in his life has jacked.him.up! And I’m man enough to say that I can relate. Whether it’s that one you had that didn’t quite work out or the one you didn’t have that never got a chance to fail, Eric paints those shades of gray with broad strokes. His latest collection, Mr. Nice Guy, is arguably his most complete album since The Vault and any fan should scoop this up immediately.

Steal this song: “Love’s Withdrawal” f/ Omari Hardwick

Killer Mike, PL3DGE

I’ve been an admirer of our Rhyme of The Week recipient since his days of rapping about “A.D.I.D.A.S” but I honestly haven’t consumed many of Killer Mike’s albums since then. As talented as he is on the mic (and articulate in person) I never felt like his beats did him justice. However, after hearing the high praise for his PLEDGE series I decided to take a listen to the third installment and Mike Bigga has truly evolved. From the political chin-check of “That’s Life II” to the unlicensed bravado of “Ric Flair” he’s more than found his groove and I was happy that I could find songs with substance with beats I wanna ride to. Word to PE.

Steal this song: “That’s Life II”

It’s no coincidence that several of these artists have collaborated with each other on their respective projects. I’m just tuned into a certain frequency I guess. If you like my list check out more of my selections on BlackplanetRadio.com. CLICK HERE

To counter act this beatsmiths have taken to releasing mixtapes of their work just to let people know that they were responsible.  DJ Khalil put out a “Grammy edition” of songs he produced for Eminem and Dr. Dre and even Double-O from Kidz In The Hall dropped “If You Didn’t Know, I Produced That.”

Taking note is Soul Council member Fatin “10″ Horton. The Greensboro, NC based producer got his start making beats for KRS-One in 2003 and has contributed music to Season 2 Of The Boondocks animated series.

“People know my music more than they know my name, so I’m trying to match it to certain things,” he says of his mixtape Missing Identification.“So they know going forward what to look for from me. Hope ya’ll enjoy the music.”  Take a look at the list of the songs he’s produced and download them for yourself.

1. “Da Beginning Of Da End” – From Heltah Skeltah’s 2008 album “D.I.R.T (Da Incredible Rap Team)”. Rock and P destroyed this beat . . . Gladiator style.
2. “Invincible” - Recorded in 2004 as part of a series of jams done when Ness came to NC and worked with myself, 9th Wonder, and Khrysis. There’s a vault worth of jams that he has with us that most of the world has never heard. This is one of them.
3. “The Cake” – Taken from Lloyd Banks 2006 album “Rotten Apple”. One of my favorite beats and the song Banks said was his favorite off the record. I need to give him another smoker, cause him and 50 killed this.

4. “Let My People Go” - From Pharoahe Monch’s 2011 new classic “W.A.R. (We Are Renegades). This song was 5 years in the making . . . and well worth the wait.
5. “Like You” - Off Sean Price’s 2007 album “Jesus Price Superstar”. First two bars of his rhyme are CLASSIC . . .
6. “Superwoman” – From Darien Brockington’s 2010 release “The Cold Case Files” . . .
7. “Next Day” – This was a bonus cut off of Little Brother’s 2007 release “Getback”. Straight forward and to the point. Heat. Word to my nigga Phonte.
8. “You Gon Go?” – From KRS-One’s 2003 release “Keep Right”. This was one of two songs I placed on this album (“Phucked” was the other) and I got my first “official” check for this. I felt it was a sign to have my first two placed tracks for pay with a LEGEND.
9. “Think It Over” – Another joint from the Ness vault from NC . . . Enjoy, because here may be the closest you see those songs seeing the light of day.
10. Desparada – One of three songs that I did off the “Jeanius” album (2-32’s and Smashmouth were the others). Jean came to NC in 2004 and recorded that album in five days flat. There’s a lot to be said for talented artists that work hard. That album was a product of that formula. Word to Jean and 9th for that look.

Download “Missing Identification” HERE

Follow Fatin on Twitter @Fatin10

“But after all the rappity-rap sh*t I gave you in the beginning of the album I wanted the listener to say “ahh, water.” [laughs]. At some point I need a break. It’s not even about the consumer. I literally take a deep breath on Black Hand Side. The strings do that for me, the tempo, the content and the singing.”

RELATED POSTS:

The Art of “W.A.R”: Making Pharoahe Monch’s We Are Renegades (Part 1)

Pharoahe Monch “We Are Renegades” (Album Review)

Pharoahe Monch “Clap (One Day)” Extended Music Video

The ceiling rumbles with sonic booms from Skyzoo’s opening set upstairs. Monch is dressed in a military jacket but the real fatigue is on his face. It’s been two days since his third solo album We Are Renegades has been in stores. But since its release W.A.R. has meant “working a record.” Tonight is Monch’s  fourth performance in as many days. Monday he was in Boston. Tuesday he was in Philly shooting a video with Jill Scott. Then performed at Best Buy. 36 hours from now he’ll be at the Comedy Central Comedy Awards recording the “John Cryer Will Fuck You Up” routine. A week later he’ll be in Germany to begin his European stretch.

“It was amazing man,” he says of the tour weeks later. “We knew what we were up against in the industry right now with this type of record. We just set the bar high knowing we were going to have to work. In other countries the majority of the country was speaking a different language. When we got to London it was crazy. The entire crowd was singing the lyrics to all the new songs. I don’t want to say it took me by surprise but it did. I was blown away.”

But how did this all come together?  No longer on a major label Monch and his manager Guy Routte partnered with Duck Down Records to bring this album to the masses. In this exclusive TheUrbandaily and Nodfactor.com speak to the many renegades–art directors, producers, engineers, singers, MCs  and many more about their contributions to this album.

“It was really people saying, I want to work with Pharoahe,” says Guy. “That’s what twenty years in the game will get you. I told him that he has to do an album for your core, that speaks directly to the Internal Affairs fan base, people that want to hear you spit. I don’t think you need to go and get Drake’s fans. You just need to re-awaken your own.”

Album Cover (front)

Ola Kudu (Art Director): This cat shot for a full day in a gas mask. It was my personal gas mask but the filters weren’t working. Monch was on a juice fast for three days before the shoot. I was worried. He was in a gas mask that didn’t function properly—with asthma. That’s dedication.

Pharoahe Monch: I was out of breath. I was getting my inhaler from time to time. We could dramatize it but I got this guy here, D-Nice is here, both are here because they heard some music that they felt excited about and moved them emotionally. Let’s work. Man up. Gotta nail the shot. We gotta nail the shot. That’s it.

Guy Routte: D-Nice came through, we gave him some turkey and cheese sandwiches and he was good. Ola is the father of the hip-hop the website. I called him to get advice on who I could get to do the graphics and he said “I’ll do it. We’ll work something out.” They shot it on the roof of Pharoahe’s apartment when he was living in Brooklyn.

Album Cover: (back)

Pharoahe Monch:

[The asthma inhalers]represent the one thing I haven’t defeated yet. I was paying monthly for private health insurance and got dropped by the carrier. We’re still trying to figure out why I was dropped from the carrier. Guy is still trying to figure it out. My lawyer is reading through the contracts. There’s been a discrepancy since I left the major label and now I’m independent.

1.) The Warning F/ Idris Elba

Produced by: Pharoahe Monch

Pharaohe Monch: I know not many people are on the same frequency [as me]. So we started there by saying that “if you’re on this frequency you’re a renegade” and that helps people feel like they’re part of the project and feel like hey “I’m a smart motherfucker too!”

In writing the intro I approached it as something to think about in terms of the future and the past. I spoke with Dr. Cornel West about the overall message of the album and whether it was a message in vein. A lot of the content was very KRS-One, PE, Black Star, Rakim…it’s been done before. King, Malcolm and Ghandi…Jesus tried to raise the consciousness of the people to another level. He said this message has already been inspired, you can’t be wrong in what you’re doing. That gave me the balls to write the intro.

Just like film you can have a great script and terrible actors, or great actors and terrible script. I thought what I wrote was pretty decent but it wasn’t coming across. So I was talking with Jean Grae about who could do this and we threw out some names of people who could get this across. We sent the script to Dris and not only did he do the one he sent, he did five other accents and characters. And they were all incredible, but this one was the most ominous.

2.) Calculated Amalgamation, Produced by: Lion’s Share Music Group

“One shot fired in hopes to inspire a nation…”

Nick (LSMG): It came out of left field. Pharoahe came by…we were playing some stuff for him and it was hours before the album went to mastering. He really liked this one, the drums, etc. He couldn’t decided if it was going to be the intro or the outro. We had 20 hours to recut the sample and get all the instruments he wanted, mix it and that’s what came out.

Pharoahe: Jazzie B from Soul II Soul was describing the group one time in his English accent and he said “Soul to soul is an amalgamation of…” and of course that was 20 years ago and I was like “amalga-what?” I looked it up. I’m a word person. In this era it’s like “google the shit.” My vocabulary is not expansive at all, contrary to the songs. I just gravitate towards words I don’t know, or phonetically have a rhythm to it. Like “Calculated Amalgamation.”

When I said “one shot fired to inspire a nation,” the whole Egyptian revolution was going on and to my accounts I heard that a guy who was selling goods in Syria had a stand but he didn’t have his proper license. The police came and knocked over his goods. He went to the place to protest and they disrespected him and kicked his fruit down the steps. Humiliated him. In protest he set himself on fire. This situation is said to be the one thing that made the people say “now that’s it.” Taking from that, what is the tipping point here?

3.) Evolve, Produced by Exile

Pharoahe Monch: I reused the verse I did on De la Soul’s “Ghostweed.” I’ve been on some time travel shit and science fiction shit since I can remember. In the original rhyme I said “Take a bullet for Malcolm X then vanish/ extinguish the sun/ When I’m through/play pool with the planets.” I meant literally go back in time and stop this assassination and disappear again and see what the occurrence is to see how things transpire. Those are where my thoughts have been. Now science is getting into moving things at light speed. That’s my character on “Assassins.” Known to move throughout time. So I’m being nerdy. Coltrane and those guys did revised records all the time. I even say in the song “I’m a sadomasochist MC, I bite myself.” If I’m gonna take from somebody take from yourself. How cocky is that?

4.)W.A.R. F/ Immortal Technique and Vernon Reid

Prod By Marco Polo, Mixed By Joe Nardone

Marco Polo: I’ve been trying to get beats to Pharoahe for a minute. I burned him a CD and we started working on that beat and another that didn’t make the album. Vernon Reid from Living Color is on this one and for me, having someone like that play on one of my beats is next level. He was just adding guitar parts to the beat that already existed. He sent us a bunch of material and Pharoahe and I sat in the studio on the MPC and chopped it up. We could have had 18 versions with different guitar parts. He just wanted to give us an abundance of options, God bless him.

Immortal Technique: I came to the studio and knocked it the f*ck out. Final product sounded real good. I heard the range of what it was going to be before any final mix and I could tell it would sound tough once it was really finished. Recording a song after all isn’t the end all be all, it has to undergo several other important phases, mixing, mastering…etc

Joe Nardone : Generally I went for hard hitting drums and extended low end. Of course I also try to preserve or enhance whatever it is that makes a song move. Clarity of the vocals was stressed by Pharoahe and I mostly stayed away from big or flashy vocal effects. The vocals stand up on their own.

Pharoahe Monch: “When The Gun Draws Got a million views/so that gave me permission to break the rules”

How are you going to say f*ck the radio, Viacom and BET on a record and then make a music video? You can only do that when you’re on that Malcolm X, MLK, not being fearful of industry repercussions.  What do you have to lose in an industry that’s model is completely changing? If people like this black and white video that I did from the perspective of a bullet which direction are you going to go in? It’s not even as rebellious as it sounds. I can’t make a Rihanna-esque beat and pay major label type money without those people being in our circle.

5.) Clap (One Day) Featuring Showtyme and DJ Boogie Blind , Produced by M-Phazes

M-Phazes: That beat is real old, it’s one of the first beats I made when I moved to Cubase from Nuendo as a workstation. I found the sample and loved it, chopped it up and added some real hard drums. Young Cee laid some keyboards and extra sounds on there and it was one of the first beats Monch picked. Showtyme always amazes me and he fit the track perfectly, and the cuts!! Boogie came through with some crazy shit you don’t hear on records much any more, especially on lead singles. The whole track is crazy from the concept to the rhymes to the hook to the video!

Boogie Blind: He told me he wanted to use Eric B and Rakim for the “Clap” scratches and the first thing they came to my mind was Ice Cubes’ “JD’s Gafflin” from Kill At Will. A lot of people don’t’ have that on vinyl.

P. Monch: I got asked about the Novus Ordo Seclorum line.  People see the gas mask and the eye and [make assumptions].  I say it was Egyptian before it was some Illuminati stuff. The Pyramids were the pyramids before that. My name is Pharoahe! Come on people. I’m not in the illuminati.

6.)Black Hand Side F/ Styles P and Phonte

Prod by Mike Leo

Phonte: P can sing and a lot of times cats send me a reference and they really don’t need me like that. His reference sounded cool to me. I just did it and added some things to make it more “me” and my own flavor on it. I sent it back and he hit me like “Yo you killed it.” I knew just the weight of that song, being that it was him and Styles and how big “My Life” was I knew I had to bring my” A” Game. I was just happy to be a part of it.

I did it back in ’09 early ’10. I remember it was one of the first jams I did when I set up my own studio recording in my crib. So I was even more nervous cuz I haven’t really mastered my sh*t yet. I turned my third bedroom into my studio/office. It’s real basic; the monitors are the KRK Rockit 8s. My pre-amp is a DBX 376 and that’s just my pre-amp/compressor that I run my mic through. My mic is a Rode NTK and I just run all of that into a little Yamaha USB mixer into my Macbook. I track and record everything in Garage Band. But I gotta good mix out of it. When I heard the finished version with the strings it took it to another emotional level.

Jean Grea: I did the string arrangements. I’m a huge fan of arranging strings and stacking harmonies. I sat down for a couple hours with Pro Tools. I’ve always enjoyed playing with placement and breaking the rules of song structure. So I was really happy that I got to do that, even though it took a big chunk out of my day and I wanted to go shopping.

Mike Loe: I bought the record we sampled downtown at Big City records. It used to be Sound Library. I took it home and looped it up and put some drums on it. I was playing it all day. I gave it to Pharoahe and he told me you got some joints. “BHS” was the second one we did.

Pharoahe Monch:I sing with a lot of soul but (Phonte) is a professional. I’m not a professional singer. There are some things I can carry. But after all the rappity-rap sh*t I gave you in the beginning of the album I wanted the listener to say “ahh, water.” [laughs]. At some point I need a break. It’s not even about the consumer. I literally take a deep breath on Black Hand Side. The strings do that for me, the tempo, the content and the singing.

Guy Routte: Mixing the songs the engineers wanted more dynamic on the bass side. But we couldn’t separate the bass in the sample. So we called my man Jeffrey Smith from Family Stand who lives around the corner and asked him if he could come play some bass. [laughs]

7) Let My People Go, Produced by Fatin

Fatin: Song started out basically…I played the beat for Monch in his car. He came up with chorus on the spot. It was originally supposed to be on Desire. The thing with Monch is that you have to trust his genius. The way things were going creatively…the way it fits on W.A.R. is perfect. I do all of my beats at home and I was still using the ASR-X at the time. It’s pretty straightforward. We had some stuff played over in post-production to give it a big feel and keep it hip-hop. Replayed organ. Those are live. We chopped up the sample and came back over and replayed it.

Pharoahe Monch: It’s a heavy record, but serves as a light moment for me. There’s deepness in the hilarity of the chorus. My name is Pharoahe and I’m saying “let my people go,” the irony is brilliant. And there’s history in the chorus. The character I’m playing, the pastor, is meant to be humorous. I felt like I had that on the last record. And I felt like it could stand alone and it could stand alone or be part of an album in the right place. Some people said they have problems with the name, but I looked at Pharoahe as something that was African and a dope prefix on some Grandmaster Melle Mel shit. So it lightens all of that up.

..READ PART TWO AT NODFACTOR.COM!

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Pharoahe Monch “Clap (One Day)” Extended Music Video

Pharoahe Monch “We Are Renegades” (Album Review)

Duck Down/War Media

You often hear MC’s, producers and artists in general trot out the old quote “if you don’t like it, it wasn’t made for you.” Normally it’s a cop-out reserved for projects that just so happen to be tanking with the critics and fans alike. But what do you do when it’s true? When you realize that you’ve been eating fast food so long that Tavern On The Green seems too fancy for your dumb-downed taste buds? Well, when it comes to W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) by Pharoahe Monch, you can either step your taste up or head back to the drive-through, because the Queens native is not in the hamburger business.

If you couldn’t tell from the opening with actor Idris Elba, W.A.R. is ambitious in it’s objective to not only raise the bar, but to include a concept while doing so.  The title track featuring Immortal Technique & Vernon Reid and the Showtyme and DJ Boogie Blind assisted “Clap” set up the visuals for a revolutionary –minded movie that is Renegades.

But the man that still shuts down shows with the Godzilla-infused classic “Simon Says” knows that the beats get your heart and the words get your mind. So whether it’s the organ heavy gospel feel of  “Let My People Go,” the cinematic sound of “Still Standing” with Jill Scott, or the classic rock influence on “The Grand Illusion” the production manages to run the musical gamut but still come together to support a complete narrative.

However, the real dessert for any true Pharoahe Monch fan would have to be in the rewind-worthy lines. Never one to hold back, the lyrical displays on “The Hitman,” (“I make headlines like corduroy pillows”) “Haile Selasse Karate” and the triple threat of “Assassins” with Jean Grae and Royce Da 5’9” throw the average rapper under the short bus with ease. On the latter Monch makes another case for MENSA membership in this verse:

“The formula, truth divided by innovative Ebonics/times Goose lime, crushed ice and a splash of tonic/Nigga my past lives are astronomic/Smoking hash in a cathedral with Nostradamus at mass. Discussing Martin Luther’s Free At Last speech/step on my British Walkers, get your ass beat.”

While W.A.R. is only the third LP in twelve years for Pharoahe Monch, it may help open a new chapter in the dumbed-down world of Hip-Hop today.  A veteran artist can make the kind of album his core fans have been begging for while blending skill and with a compelling concept. He even offers a backward warning in the intro to “Assassins,” “stop f*cking downloading music for free and we can save hip-hop.”

In a world of fast food music, We Are Renegades represents the work of a master chef. Step your taste up.

MC (Twitter @MrMecc)

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Raewkon–Shaolin vs Wutang

The Wutang Chef’s fifth solo album keeps the grit of this signature “Cuban Linx” franchise but invites unusual suspects like Rick Ross, Black Thought and Raheem DeVaughn to create a new and unique experience for his fans.

Talib Kweli–Gutter Rainbows

This is the album most fans were expecting when Reflection Eternal’s Revolutions Per Minute dropped in 2010.  With production by 88-Keys, M-Phazes and Ski Beatz is more raw and less experimental than the RPM but it is no less satisfying. Talib is still lyrical potent but feels more relaxed on the mic.

Saigon- The Greatest Story Never Told

The running joke for years was that Saigon’s title was a self-fulfilling prophecy. With every delay fans of this Just Blaze-produced  story thought it would never actually get told. But thankfully Saigon came through with the near flawless debut that everyone was hoping for. Even though 3/4 of the album is almost five years old it proved timeless in subject matter and sound.

Pharoahe Monch-W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)

The Queens-bread lyricist and singer pulls out all of the stops on his third solo project giving fans the “rappity-rap” album they’ve been wanting from him since his 1999 debut Internal Affairs. Styles P, Royce Da 5’9, Jean Grae and Jill Scott complete this warning from the future.

Keep checking back to see who we add to this  list throughout the year!

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AUDIO: Pharoahe Monch + Mela Machinko “Shine”

The 15th Annual National Day of Protest To Stop Police Brutality takes place each year in communities across the country to protest aggressive police tactics.  To show support for the day, supporters are wearing all black to show solidarity.

“My brother is a police officer so I know there are some well intentioned people wearing blue uniforms,” Pharoahe Monch told AllHipHop.com. “But the issue of police violence is much bigger than good cops and bad cops, it comes down to a broken system which criminalizes our communities, and must be completely transformed.”

Clap (One Day) from W.A.R. Media on Vimeo.

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In this episode of True Hip-Hop Stories, Pharoahe Monch discussed the making of the Rawkus classic recording “Oh No” featuring Mos Def and Nate Dogg.

He also breaks down the concept of his upcoming album “We Are Renegade” and being an MC with asthma.

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Queens, NY born emcee Pharoahe Monch is getting ready to release his third solo album, W.A.R. (We Are Renegades), later this year.

Peep the first single from the project featuring Mela Machinko, produced by the legendary Diamond D!

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If you find yourself taking a break from today’s summertime activities (or recovering from the weekend) take a moment to reflect on Memorial Day with some help from some of hip-hop’s finest.

Rhymefest Ft. Citizen Cope, “Bullet & A Target”

“He turned around and got a face full of hollow tips/but don’t be mad he died for the flag..”

Pharoahe Monch, “Agent Orange”

“What’s your identity today?/You on some John F. Kennedy or Timothy McVeigh?”

Q-Tip “We Fight We Love”
” You get to travel the world/ It’s better than college/ You get guns and you get knowledge”

Eric B & Rakim, “Casualties of War”

“I got a family that waits for my return/To get back home is my main concern/I’ma get back to New York in one piece/but I’m bent in the sand that is hot as the city streets”-R

Mos Def “War”

“You hotdamn right this war’s gone too far/ soldiers mistake the gun burst for the stars…”

J-Live, “Satisfied”

“It ain’t right that those cops and firemen died/shit is real tragic, but it damn sure ain’t magic/it won’t make the brutality disappear, it won’t pull equality from behind your ear/”

Mos Def F/ Slick Rick “Audiorium”
“Sit and come relax riddle off the mac, its the patch
Imma soldier in the middle of Iraq
Well say about noonish commin out the whip
And lookin at me curious, a young Iraqi kid (awww)
Carrying laundry, whats wrong G? hungry?
No, gimme oil or get f*ck out my country!”

A number of influential Hip-Hop acts will take part in City Parks Foundation’s 25th annual SummerStage concert series.

Jay Electronica, Pharoahe Monch, Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Force M.D.’s, Roy Ayers, Kool Herc, Nice and Smooth, The Awesome 2, EPMD, Brand Nubian, Gil Scott-Heron and others will hit the stage as part of Hip-Hop at SummerStage.

“Over SummerStage’s 25 year history, we have been responsible for bringing high quality, free concerts across all genres of music to the public,” City Parks’ Executive Director David Rivel told AllHipHop.com. “Hip-Hop has always been well represented in our offerings because it is a musical genre that grew up in NYC alongside of SummerStage.”

Read the whole article at AllHipHop.com

Find out more about Summerstage events here!

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Pharoahe Monch On Ghost Writing For Diddy from iHipHop on Vimeo.

“…3D holograms”? It even sounds like Monch…

AllHipHop.com has confirmed that Pharoahe Monch’s upcoming third solo LP W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) has found a home with Duck Down Records.

Originally, Monch announced last September that he would be leaving his previous label SRC to distribute W.A.R. through his own imprint, W.A.R. Media.

At the time, he cited the overall decline of the music industry as reason to forego a major label deal.

But with premier indie label Duck Down, Monch feels he has secured the distribution and creative control needed to make W.A.R. a success.

As heard on his last LP Desire (2007), Monch explained he will continue exploring spiritual elements while maintaining the high level lyricism his fans have come to expect since his 1991 debut with Organized Konfusion.

“I’m incredibly excited about my upcoming release W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) and my new partnership between my company W.A.R. Media, LLC, and Duck Down Music,” Monch told AllHipHop.com. “This album deals with conflicts and resolutions of the spirit, the soul, the government, and the industry among other things.”

READ MORE @ALLHIPHOP.COM

Pharoahe Monch talked about the album at last year’s Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival.

I’m officially getting a late pass on this. A few weeks ago we shared the Mos Def and Jim Jones track and this latest cut from the BlakRoc project features Pharoahe Monch and RZA, “Dollaz & Sense.”

Last week in NYC Pharoahe Monch lit up the stage at Le Poisson Rouge with The Cypher Band and his DJ Boogie Blind got in the mix as well. His new CD W.A.R. (We Are Renegade) should be dropping in early 2010.

Acapella

“Simon Says”

“My Life”

DJ Boogie Blind

She didn’t have that sexy little number Lil’ Kim would wear, or that outspoken outfit Queen Latifah would rock. It was a simple outfit a woman would wear to the grocery store. No make-up, hair not fully done, and no nails. Just straight up-as is. Eagle Nebula was her name, and last Saturday she performed at the 5th Annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival. The Empire Fulton Ferry State Park was filled with true-hip hop fans.

Rain did not stop the DJ’s from throwin’ down and MC’s from spittin’ the truth. The crowd was wild. Hundreds of fans moved to the hot beats of DJ Misbeahaviour, and DJ Brina Payne as they got pumped for dead prez[read their interview here], Styles P, and Pharoahe Monche[watch his interview here].

But it was the sounds of Eagle Nebula that left the crowd dry. I was confused. Had we not just been movin’ to these beats? She was speakin the truth. She calls herself a “ghetto sage” and opened with her single “Daily Debut” from her album Cosmic Headphones. “Look at the time, less than an hour. Gotta be swift like Jack Bower- so I can be on time. And time is of essence when it comes to learning lessons. That’s true, what else to do. Live it like you mean it, on your daily debut. Everyday. Everyday”.

I thought her delivery was on point and her words were powerful. But the fellas in the audience didn’t think so. Many of them started pulling out their phones to text, going to get something to drink or they would start talking to each other. “She could have pulled it off at a smaller event. But not with a hype crowd like this. She didn’t have a good introduction. There was no build up to her performance”, said Tristan Graham from Jamaica.

But was it all about the introduction? Does a good artist really need a big introduction? I would think it would be unnecessary. But perhaps Nebula lacked that sexy appeal a male fan would need, regardless of what your spittin’. She didn’t have that long hair to fling in her face, or that cute skirt to hyke up real quick. Maybe she was trying to be classy, or perhaps she was just straight up lazy. Is there a higher standard for female rappers than there is for male rappers? Can you be a sexy rapper who has the utmost respect from her fans, while still being fully clothed?

-Candice Celestin

For more information about the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival, please visit: http://www.brooklynbodega.com/

This weekend in NYC Styles P, Pharoahe Monch, dead prez, DJ Premier, and many more braved the rain to put on a great show at Empire Fulton Ferry State Park. The 5th Annual Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival was a well attended but tight run affair (how you gonna tell Monch to cut his set short??). Anyway  here are some clips courtesy of Itstheofficial.com.

Styles P @ Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival 2009 from Its The Official on Vimeo.

Pharoahe Monch @ Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival 2009 from Its The Official on Vimeo.

In preparation for the upcoming Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival MC Pharoahe Monch disclosed plans for his upcoming album, W.A.R, preparing the 10th Anniversary of his debut Internal Affairs and the independent hustle.

“This kid said that I sound like the Black Eminem” – Pharoahe Monch

Pharoahe Monch Declares W.A.R! from Jerry Barrow on Vimeo.