Last fall, T.I.R.M. President and uber-Pharoahe-fan Charles Pressley put us all onto “Push”, an early released single from Pharoahe Monch’s long awaited follow-up to 1999’s Internal Affairs. When you’re first introduced to “Push” with it’s exhortation to “keep on pushin’” and its call-to-action horns and Pharoahe’s vocal tone (part struggle, part triumph); you can’t help but get jittery at the thought of what he has in store for the full-length LP. He began his recording career as one half of Organized Konfusion back in 1991, with their self-entitled debute, followed by another classic Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994) and their final album, The Equinox (1997). Through all three stellar releases, Pharoahe has always displayed a rare three-dimensional quality as an artist. He was a rapper and a singer; an emcee and a lyricist; a songwriter and a producer. And as dope and essential as his partner (Prince Po) was to the composite OK impact, Pharoahe stood out as the truly transcendent talent of the duo and it showed when he held down his remarkable solo-debut on his own. In the six years since Internal Affairs, Pharoahe has added even more layers. His cinematic internet-only video for “When The Gun Draws” – a video too dark and serious-natured for music television – and the pop culture satire of his Amy Winehouse “Rehab” remix are the kind of poignant, wickedly smart offerings that are rarities when a dude like Pharoahe is absent from the scene. Which is why, in early Spring, we were all set to feature Pharoahe on the site. This was derailed, however, when that Desire’s release date was getting pushed back to late June so Universal could tend the mushroom cloud Pharoahe created overseas and nurture some of the pop culture buzz he was getting from skewering the of America’s tabloid obsession with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie or whether Lindsay Lohan was snorting some lines at a club in West Hollywood. So, we held for a short and finally got at him recently when Vincent Thomas kicked it with Pharoahe about his hiatus, cereal aisles, his favorite emcees and rehab.
TIRM: A lot of times, when an album gets pushed back, it’s because it’s just not getting enough traction or the label wants to revamp. But with Desire, they were actually trying to capitalize on the buzz. You surprised with the way some “new” Pharoahe fans have latched on?
Pharoahe Monch: Not at all man. I have real high expectations for this one and have had ’em from the start. From the reception of the “Guns Drawn” video to the underground buzz to some of the stuff I’ve done that’s attracted a little more of a broader audience…I’ve done it all with the hope and understanding and approach of it doing really well. I mean, you never know in today’s climate. For instance, if I were to win a Grammy for the album, it’d be surprising, but I think it’s worthy of that kind of recognition. When I go in to do these songs, I always think it’s stuff that is worthy of whatever accolades it gets. That’s just how it is when you do music from the mind-state that I do it.
TIRM: The state that you do it? Give us a little insight into what you mean.
PM: Well, one of the reasons that the music I’ve put out the last few years has been very sparse is because I wait for inspiration to move me to make the music. Whether it’s something as serious as “Guns Drawn” or collaboration with Mos [Def] or something light and funny like “Body Baby” or the “Rehab” remix. You know, it’s a layered approach, so it’s hard to answer the question. But like, for instance, going into doing the Winehouse remix, I knew it was something that would turn up on perezhilton.com and get that pop culture buzz because I watch a lot of TV and I see who’s in rehab and it’s a serious issue. But I said, let’s make fun of the way the press covers this serious issue, so it turned into a lighter thing.
TIRM: You have been a bit of a "Hip-Hop Renaissance Man", rhyming, singing and making beats since the beginning and for close to 2 decades now. Are you happy to see the sudden emergence of artists following a similar path, not limiting themselves to just rhyming?
PM: Well, you know, people try to pin hop down to one layer and that’s just so ignorant. Once you start sampling from rock records and jazz records, you’re already infiltrating different genres. I’ve always allowed my music to move in whatever direction as long as it was tight and kept the hip hop roots there and did not forget about the culture. Hip hop has branched off; it just has to move you. And another thing is that I don’t pay attention to what’s goin’ on at the time I’m making my music. I like barricading in the dungeon and doing my studies.
TIRM: Who are some of your biggest musical influences, regardless of genre?
PM: Hmmm…Kool G Rap, Kool Keith, Rakim, De La Soul, Chuck D, Kane, Eminem. One of my favorite artists is Eugene McDaniel. He’s a soul jazz artist from early 70s; Tribe has sampled him a lot. You’d be surprised to hear much of his music is in hip hop. Oh, and this new artist named Georgia Anne Muldrow.
TIRM: Yeah, we featured her on the site a couple months back. She’s a problem.
PM: Yeah, I love her. She’s my favorite artist out, right now.
TIRM: What about you? Where do you put yourself as an emcee and artist, in terms of how you rank in hip hop history?
PM: (laughs) Man, I don’t know... My people put me up there really high. But, I don’t know... I will say that sometimes I remove myself from myself and then listen to my music and it moves me. But it’s just hard to put yourself past those artists that have always inspired you. One thing I don’t do is go by record sales.
TIRM: What do you think of the current state of hip hop and music in general?
PM: I just think music in general just needs to be broadened. We can keep radio out of the conversation, since it’s not even worth discussing. Still, it would be nice for people to have a grasp of different genres. In hip hop, you’re either labeled conscious or backpack or radio-friendly or gangsta or whatever. We need to stop being so narrow.
TIRM: Do you have a wide range of guest appearances on the album?
PM: I’m actually the only emcee, but that was a conscious decision. But I have Erykah Badu on it. Dwele is featured in a very intricate and interesting way. He plays trumpet and sings the chorus on “The Trilogy”. And production-wise I got The Alchemist, Lee Stone, who’s been a longtime collaborator. And this new producer that I’m very excited about named Black Milk.
TIRM: Yeah, Black is killin’ ’em on the boards these days. You know, we’ve talked about buzz and record sales and possible Grammys and your approach with the album… I know artists don’t always like this kind of question, but what do you wish to accomplish with the new album?
PM: The goal is to give people a proper reflection of who you are or who I was during the span of the recording. Now, that’s a little difficult for me because of the long hiatus that I had. It’s easier when you’ve been putting out consecutive albums where they can follow your growth. Because of my hiatus, you might worry a little bit that it might be too much to digest musically.
TIRM: Why?
PM: Well, because you grow and expand in all directions: mentally, emotionally, spiritually. And you want the listeners to be able to join you on that journey. One way I’m doing that on this album, which is different, is expressing myself through vocals. There are a lot of vocals on the album. Vocals can express so much emotion; they can come across dark, almost eerie.
TIRM: Are you excited about where things are headed with this album and your career in general?
PM: Yeah, man. I have high hopes. You know, at the very least, my cereal is in the cereal aisle. That’s what Universal is doing. It’s put my cereal in the aisle with the Cam’ron cereal and the 50 Cent cereal and all the other cereals. And my cereal has got vitamins and minerals and it’s certified with goodness, ya know? It makes you feel good. So, Universal has my cereal in the grocery store now and it gives people a chance to see it, pick up the box and say, “Hey, maybe I’ll buy that.”
