Troy Donald Jamerson (born 31 October 1972,[1] better known as Pharoahe Monch, is an American hip hop artist. He is known for his complex delivery, internal and multi-syllabic rhyme schemes.
Biography
Pharoahe Monch's name is derived from the monkey dolls, Monchhichis. After receiving a bad haircut, which left Monch looking like a "chimpanzee", girls in Monch's class at the High School of Art and Design began calling him "Monchhichi", which was later shortened to "Monch". Monch adopted the "Pharoahe" prefix after meeting future Organized Konfusion partner Prince Po.
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.
Pharoahe Monch then signed to Rawkus Records, an indie label. After making several guest appearances on albums like the best-selling Rawkus compilation Soundbombing 2, Monch's much-hyped debut, Internal Affairs was released in 1999. The first single of the album, Simon Says, was a major hit in 1999; he was later sued for the use of a Godzilla sample for the beat. He also had a 2001 hit with "Fuck You" off the Training Day soundtrack (the clean version was called "Got You"), though the single ultimately didn't sell well. 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".
Pharoahe's song "Simon Says" was featured in the 2000 cinematic release Charlie's Angels. Viewers will recognize the song and backbeat in the scene where Sam Rockwell is lighting a cigarette in the castle, while holding Drew Barrymore hostage. Two of Monch's songs, "Right Here" and "Simon Says" were featured in the movie Boiler Room.
Pharoahe is also affiliated with the rap group The HRSMN. Although not a member of the group (there are only four real members), he is constantly linked to someday join the group when/if they ever expand.
There were rumors his next album, Innervisions, was to be released under Denaun Porter's new Shady Records imprint Runyon Ave., but apparently the deal fell through; Monch has since announced a deal with Street Records Corporation, home of Wu-Tang Clan, David Banner and Terror Squad. 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. Monch released a second music video entitled "When the Gun Draws" at a Brooklyn music festival in February, 2007.
Monch also produced and ghost-wrote the track The Future and ghost-wrote the track Hold Up with Mobb Deep member Havoc on rap mogul Diddy's latest album Press Play. Critics contest that Monch's writing is evident in both the content and the delivery of Diddy's rhymes.
Pharoahe Monch sang the Madden NFL 2002 theme for the game and six years later Desire was featured on the soundtrack of Madden NFL 08.
Pharoahe Monch will release his third solo album W.A.R. (Let My People Go) in 2009. He revealed that the album will be a "throwback to 1993, '94 hip-hop" and will feature production by Black Milk, Mr. Porter, Lee Stone & M-Phazes. A ten year anniversary re-issue of Internal Affairs will also be released featuring a documentary about the making of the album. [2]
Discography
Albums
| Album information |
Internal Affairs
- Released: October 19, 1999
- Billboard 200 chart position: #41
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #6
- Singles: "Simon Says"/"Behind Closed Doors", "The Light"/"Right Here (Remix)"
|
Desire
- Released: June 26, 2007
- U.S. Sales: 12,200 (First week)
- Billboard 200 chart position: #58
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #13
- Singles: "Push"/"Let's Go", "Desire"/"When The Gun Draws", "Body Baby"
|
| W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) [2][3]
|
Mixtapes
| Album information |
| The Awakening
|
Singles
- 1999: "Simon Says"
- 2000: "The Light"
- 2001: "Fuck You"
- 2002: "The Life"
- 2003: "Agent Orange"
- 2007: "Push"
- 2007: "Let's Go"
- 2007: "Body Baby"
Appearances
- 1998: "Live from the DJ Stretch Armstrong Show with your host Bobbito The Barber" (from Lyricist Lounge, Volume One)
- 1999: '"Mayor"' & "WWIII" (from Soundbombing 2)
- 1999: '"Lyrical Fluctuation (feat. Jigmastas, Mr. Complex, Talib Kweli & Shabaam Sahdeeq)" (from the DJ Spinna album The Beyond Real Experience)
- 1999: '"Dirty Decibels"' (from the High & Mighty album Home Field Advantage)
- 1999: '"Take Me Home"' (from the Polyrhythm Addicts album Rhyme Related)
- 1999: '"The Anthem" (featuring Eminem, RZA, Tech N9NE, Xzibit, Kool G Rap, Chino XL & KRS-One) (from the Sway & King Tech album This Or That)
- 1999: '"Turnablist Anthem"' (from the Rob Swift album The Ablist)
- 1999: "Innovations" (from the Saukrates album The Underground Tapes)
- 1999: "Livin' It Up" (from the Next Friday Soundtrack)
- 2000: '"Why Don't Cha"', "Big Fronter" & "Divine Intervention" (from the Mr. Complex album The Complex Catalog)
- 2000: '"Ill Collabo (feat. Prince Po)" (from the Cella Dwellas album The Last Shall Be First)
- 2000: '"Kenny Rogers - Pharoahe Monch Dub Plate (feat. Kenny Rogers)" (from the Wyclef Jean album The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book)
- 2000: '"What Am I? (feat. L.I.F.E. Long)" (from the Antipop Consortium album Tragic Epilogue)
- 2000: '"Ghost Weed Skit 1" (from the De La Soul album Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump)
- 2000: '"One Four Love Pt.1 (from Hip Hop for Respect)
- 2000: '"Horsemen" (from the Canibus album 2000 B.C. (Before Can-I-Bus))
- 2000: '"Connect (featuring Xzibit & Gipp)" (from the DJ Hurricane album Don't Sleep)
- 2000: '"Oh No (feat. Mos Def & Nate Dogg)" (from Lyricist Lounge 2)
- 2001: "Fuck You" (Training Day (soundtrack))
- 2001: "I Pledge Allegiance" (from the Nate Dogg album Music and Me)
- 2001: "Last Dayz" (from the Adam F album Kaos: The Anti-Acoustic Warfare )
- 2002: "Madden 2002 Theme" (from the video game Madden NFL 2002)
- 2002: "Guerilla Monsoon Rap (feat. Black Thought)" (from the Talib Kweli album Quality)
- 2002: "The Life (featuring Styles P)" & "Round & Round (Remix)", (from Soundbombing 3)
- 2002: "The X (Y'all Know The Name) (featuring Xzibit, Inspectah Deck & Skillz)" (from the X-Ecutioners album Built From Scratch)
- 2002: "H! Vltg3 (featuring Evidence and DJ Babu)" (from the Linkin Park album Reanimation)
- 2002: "Frontline (featuring Prince Po, Mike Zoot & F.T.)" (from the El Da Sensei album Relax Relate Release)
- 2002: "Murda 1 Case (featuring KK)" (from the DJ Quik album Under Tha Influence)
- 2002: "See What I See" (from the Ras Kass album Goldyn Chyld)
- 2002: "Talking to You (feat. Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Rah Digga & A-Butta)" (Rawkus Single)
- 2003: "Oblivion" (from the Aimee Allen album I'd Start A Revolution (If I Could Get Up In the Morning))
- 2003: "What is the Law" (OZ Soundtrack)
- 2004: "Just Do It" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor II)
- 2005: "It Ain't The Money" (from the Macy Gray album The Very Best of Macy Gray)
- 2005; "Evaridae" (from the O.C. album Starchild)
- 2005: "New World Symphony" (from the Miri Ben-Ari album The Hip-Hop Violinist)
- 2006: "Fish Filet" (from the Sa-Ra double-single The Second Time Around)
- 2006: "Book Of Judges" (Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure Soundtrack)
- 2006; "Loose Ends (feat. Justin Timberlake & will.i.am)" (from the Sérgio Mendes album Timeless)
- 2006: "Love" (from the J Dilla album The Shining)
- 2007: "Rehab (Remix)" (feat. Jay-Z) (from Amy Winehouse album Back to Black)
- 2007: "Reachin'" (from the Polyrhythm Addicts album Break Glass)
- 2009: "Classic Example" (from Hilltop Hoods album State of the Art)
- 2009: "Salute" (from Slaughterhouse's self-titled album Slaughterhouse)
References
External links
