Themed albums occcasionally struggle for credible material in stages, but W.A.R is delivered by someone with the intelligence, social resources and mental capacity to fulfill entirely the demands of such a bold title. The music throughout sounds original and purpose-built; creating a dramatic yet Hip-Hop faithful setting for Pharoahe Monch's sermons, during which never feel like we're being preached to or patronised.
Staying rooted in the culture was obviously requisite number one during the production of this album. We'll find boom bap beats and references anchored in the simple codes of everyday people (eg. Black Hand Side) but Monch is unafraid to fade out with some strings, elevating the subject matter into something more divine at times. Almost every track snaps with a true-school tempo thats 1993 all over, and Monch's lyricism is at it's absolute finest throughout. We're thankful it's not littered too heavily with guest artists, otherwise the spirit of independence behind the whole album might be compromised. Saying that, watch out for Jean Grae and Royce Da 5'9 flexing on "Assassins".
Most impressive is how Monch's lyricism shares footing with the quality of the music on W.A.R. Rather than casting shadows over each other; the two elements forge a poweful bond; resulting in a memorable, highly engaging album with no compromises- which essentially sums up the theme of the album. Climaxing with the goosebumbs of "Still Standing" and "W.A.R", Pharoahe Monch defines a 'renegade' as a no-compromise, socially responsible individual who seeks the good, true, and virtuous in whatever they're doing; inspiring others around him; sometimes leading by example alone.
