Gypsy Soul's newest contributor Shani Elliott was able to catch up with Pharoahe Monch during the DMV leg of the Duck Down 15 Year Anniversary Tour produced by Hip Hop Livs. Check out their quick convo! Photos by Jati Lindsay Photography
Shani: We’re down here at Sonar for Duck Down’s 15 Year Anniversary with Pharoahe Monch. You just got off the stage and ripped it up. Right now, you’re promoting your new cd, W.A.R., right?
Pharoahe Monch: Yeah, yeah, yeah! I did a joint venture with my record label, W.A.R. Media and Duck Down, and their 15 years of the doing the independent label thing. It’s such a beautiful thing working with them, one of the premier independent labels. This is my first time being independent; the last couple of records were major record labels. I finally reached a point where I like “I can handle this on my own and get out here and work it.” It’s just like having your own flower shop or any of your own business. You get up in the morning and open that store, it’s yours. I’m out here grinding.
Shani: So, moving to an independent label, would you say that you have more creative freedom? What was your big push to be independent?
Pharoahe Monch: I have pretty much maintained the whole creative freedom and process throughout my career, even with Organized Konfusion, we had that blessing. So, it’s pretty much more of the same thing except this record is more cohesive and it’s even more lyrical. It’s specifically for fans that are on a certain frequency, it’s unapologetically lyrical, it’s like for five percent. But I truly in my heart believe that five percent of the people, like this packed sold out crowd tonight, are millions of people around the world, and this business effort is about trying to maximize the five percent.
Shani: Alright. The word that really caught me was “more lyrical” because you’re already quite a lyricist.
Pharoahe Monch: Better. I mean artist want to get better all the time and it doesn’t have to be more complicated. It just could be more honest, I dig a little deeper. I think a lot of problems with lyricist is you hear who good the lyrics are but you never know who they are as people. I think this album delves a little deeper in my personal struggles and my war with asthma, health, and different things like that.
Shani: Ok. So, W.A.R. is an acronym.
Pharoahe Monch: We are renegades.
Shani: On your set tonight, one of the songs that you performed tonight is your new single, “Clap”.
Pharoahe Monch: "Clap" is a song that I wrote after the Sean Bell incident, a young man that was murdered the night before his wedding. It just
mirrors so many incidents , I singled that one out because I’m from Queens and it was very close to home. We could go to Oscar Grant, Ayanna Jones, Amadou Diallo, and a long list of people across the country with these unjust situations. As artists, we have the power of our voice to bring abo
ut a dialogue, at least in worst case scenario to discuss this relationship with authority and people in impoverished situations and neighborhoods. It’s just a little bit ridiculous right now and I wanted to address it because I feel like it can’t keep going in this direction. Something is going to happen and nobody is really talking about it right now.
Shani: Speaking of dialogue, you keep a little dialogue going online, you’re on twitter. I had to check your page out and see what you were talking about.
Pharoahe Monch: I think that it’s been a beautiful tool for me, in that the lyrics are scientific. People say that I’m unapproachable, but it’s the polar opposite of who I am. I’m pretty silly, pretty funny but I find that on twitter that when I crack jokes and be silly people are like “Be serious and dark! What are you talking about?” But, I think my followers are coming around now. I’m a huge sports fan. I really follow people who are funny, witty, and into art. You can just be anybody, if your blog page is dope, and the videos that you have up on your blog page are dope, I’ll follow you. If you say follow me, I’ll follow you.
If you would like to follow Pharoahe Monch, visit him on www.twitter.com/pharoahemonch and his new label, W.A.R. Media, LLC at www.twitter.com/warmedia
0 comments:
Post a Comment