Pharoahe Monch Signs To Duck Down Records at #SXSW
March 18, 2010 by Jason · Leave a Comment
Tomorrow night (Friday, March 19), Duck Down Records will unveil their annual showcase at Austin, Texas’ South By Southwest. While the bill features various Duck Down acts ranging from the Boot Camp Clik to B-Real to Skyzoo, also included are Bahamadia and Pharoahe Monch. This morning it was confirmed that Monch is officially part of Dru Ha and Buckshot’s label.
“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. This album deals with conflicts and resolutions of the spirit, the soul, the government, and the industry among other things. Thus far it features Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid, Jean Grae, Styles P, Phonte, Black Thought, with more to come. It also features production from M-Phazes, Marco Polo, Mike Low, Fatin, Lee Stone, Exile and others to be announced. I am working diligently to finish the work for a summer release and I am honored to join forces with the Duck Down family during their 15 year anniversary,” Monch said in a statement.
The Queens emcee entered the Hip Hop scene in the late ’80s and released three albums with Prince Po in the group Organized Konfusion, along with a recent Greatest Hits compilation.
Monch would later release his acclaimed solo album, Internal Affairs with Rawkus Records at the top of this last decade. Backed by massive single “Simon Says,” Monch elevated the profile of the Manhattan label that included Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Company Flow and Kool G Rap on their roster. The victory was bittersweet however, as a Godzilla movie sample halted the album and song, also forfeiting many of the emcee’s monetary profits from the success.
In 2007, the emcee’s sophomore album Desire was released on Steve Rifkind’s SRC Records. Despite critical praise, the major label debut translated into mediocre sales, ultimately making Monch leave the label that boasts Akon, Wu-Tang Clan and Asher Roth as artists.
via: hiphopDX
Simon Says…
February 4, 2010 by Jason · Leave a Comment
Pharoahe Monch
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.
Simon Says
Simon says is a game for three or more players (most often children). One of the people is “it” – i.e., Simon. The others must do what Simon tells them to do when asked with a phrase beginning with “Simon says”. If Simon says “Simon says jump”, the players must jump (players that do not jump are out). However, if Simon says simply “jump”, without first saying “Simon says”, players do not jump; those that do jump are out. In general, it is the spirit of the command, not the actions that matters; if Simon says “Simon says touch your toes”, players only have to show that they are trying to touch their toes. It is the ability to distinguish between valid and invalid commands, rather than physical ability, that matters here.
It is Simon’s task to try to get everyone out as quickly as possible, and it is every one else’s job to stay “in” for as long as possible. The last of Simon’s followers to stay in wins (although the game is not always played all the way through).
It is considered cheating to give impossible commands (“Simon says ‘lift your left leg’. Simon says ‘lift your right leg’. Simon did not say ‘put your left leg down’!”) or phrase the commands in such a way that the other player has no option but to ‘go out’ (“Simon says ‘jump up’. Come down.”). However, at least in some versions, it is allowed for Simon to eliminate players by asking them to do something seemingly unrelated to the game (example: “Anyone remaining join me up here.”)
A recent psychological study found that the game can be a healthy way to help children to improve self-control and restraint of impulsive behavior.
