Talib Kweli & Pharoahe Monch Talk Organized Konfusion, Rawkus, Eminem, D.I.T.C | People's Party Full 

TIME STAMPS: 3:18 -- Talib quotes Pharoahe from the intro of his album 'Internal Affairs'. Where he says "I have a dream, one day we will get to the promised land. Then the president will be me. The government will be Shabaam, Mos and Kweli". Talib asks him what the purpose was behind that statement. Pharoahe also goes on to speak about the incredible rap lineage of his hometown of Jamaica Queens as well as the people, the moments there that helped shape him as a future emcee, and his use of imagery in his lyrics to paint a vivid picture of the place he grew up in his song 'Queens'. 10:25 -- Pharoahe gets asked about the origins of his name and how much of it really had to do with Monchhichi dolls. He tells the whole story that involves him trying to cover up a bad haircut at high school. Pharoahe goes on to explain what producer Paul C meant to his development as an artist, the experimental success of his early group Organized Konfusion, as well as how the spirit of Paul C still contributes to how Pharoahe approaches making records today. Jasmin brings up Pharoahe's quote in the book 'How To Rap' and the influence of John Coltrane when it comes to flow and delivery. He also explains how Coltrane helped him overcome his asthma. 21:01 -- Pharoahe talks about Organized Konfusion's ties with O.C. as well as the rest of the Diggin' In The Crates Crew and illustrates how O.C. ended up on Organized's debut single 'Fudge Pudge'. Talib goes on to ask how Pharoahe felt about being an underground hip hop group signed to Hollywood Basic, a label owned by Disney, as well as how he feels about people's potential critiscm of him being a concious emcee that also isn't afraid to mix it up with topics like sex. He responds with a story about a panel in D.C. with a journalist asking Pharoahe and Mos Def what they were doing for young black women in the community. They also discuss the problem with forcing artists into a box as well as rappers as role models. 32:00 -- Pharoahe is asked to illustrate the importance of his rapping partner Prince Po and what he brought to the dynamic of their group Organized Konfusion. He states how essential Prince Po was during their early years of pushing demos and getting them noticed and he's asked if there will ever be another Organized Konfusion album. Talib remarks on how influential their music has been to him, Pharoahe speaks in length about the significance of his song 'Agent Orange', and he's asked about the difficult time in his career during a lawsuit over the sample for his song 'Simon Says'. He illustrates the grueling process and his best memories of making his album 'Internal Affairs' on Rawkus Records. 43:55 -- Talib recalls how 'Simon Says' single handedly changed the philosophy of Rawkus from 'independent as f*ck' to 'we need a radio hit'. He asked how Pharoahe felt about being Rawkus Records' greatest hope for mainstream success at the time. Pharoahe notes that for him it was more about him proving to himself that he could compete with the other club bangers that were dominating the airwaves at the time. He also details how he felt when he first heard the beat for 'Simon Says', his thought process behind penning that song, what he loved about the vibe of Rawkus Records and how they were so conducive of creativity. Inspiring each other and always pushing the envelope. They also get into Pharoahe's involvement in the production side of his albums. 51:58 -- Pharoahe speaks on the time he and Common both had singles entitled 'The Light' and answers if he felt like that proved to be a problem for him to gain traction with his version. Pharoahe also talks about his song 'When the Gun Draws' and it's lyrics being written from the perspective of a bullet, why he felt compelled to make a song outlining gun violence, and getting inspiration from visiting Dallas at the site where JFK was shot. Pharoahe also reflects on the time of getting caught up in politics after a short stint on Geffen Records, a number of labels in bidding wars, including Eminem's Shady Records, Denaun Porter's Runyon Ave. Records, Bad Boy and Sony. 1:01:12 -- Jasmin asks how Pharoahe felt when Emenim gave him a shoutout on 'Rap God' calling him the king of underground rap. He responds with praise of how Em has had a huge hand in keeping lyricism relevant in the realm of mainstream and details the moment he was told about the mention from Em. They also discuss Pharoahe covering the topics of mental illness and depression in his lyrics and why it's been so important for him to be so open about his own struggles with PTSD. He tells about the dramatic moment of clarity when he found out out why he was so depressed, that it could be fixed, as well as primary reasons black people have such a long history of neglecting mental health. 1:08:26 -- Pharoahe is asked about his song 'Assassins' featuring Jean Grae, Royce Da 5'9". He outlines the process of how the concept came together for that collaboration of lyrical heavyweights. They also dig into the significance of the number 13 to Pharoahe throughout his life. Jasmin asks Pharoahe what he has to say about Rock N Roll and how it's affected his vibe, music and attitude as well as if he can name the records that really forged that connection for him. He also elaborates on why drummer Daru Jones and guitarist Marcus Machado were such a great fit for his latest group Th1rt3en, how much he loves aggressive dark hip hop like Mobb Deep and M.O.P.., and being told not to use the term rock to describe Th1rt3en. 1:18:48 -- Talib asks Pharoahe how he feels about directing videos and if it's something he would want to get deeper into. Pharoahe speaks on his frustrations when watching music videos from the golden era. The quality of the visuals often not matching up with the songs. He praises Busta Rhymes with his ability to raise the bar in that respect. Pharoahe is also asked to expand on the story of how he was able to get KKK robes made for the music video of 'Fight', as well as to talk about how the internal process of him making the song 'Racist'. Written years ago with reservations up until now to finally release it. They also discuss Keyon Harrold's son being attacked by a Karen.

Thank you Talib Kweli for inviting me to People's Party and for hosting such a great conversation with Jasmin Leigh. Peace to UPROXX and to everyone showing love in the comments!

Monch is a God tier emcee!

There are no words that can really describe how incredible Pharoahe is.

My favorite emcee ever....

th1rt3en is Pharoahe Monch's new band, featuring guitarist Marcus Machado & drummer Daru Jones. Our debut album, A Magnificent Day For An Exorcism is out now. Peace to Peoples Party for a dope interview with Pharoahe!

Pharoah Monch a truly true emcee one of the greatest lyricist with a phenomenal flow, and a true artist with vocal range the full package.

I've been a fan of Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po since the OK album came out in 1990. I'll never forget the first time I heard "Walk into the Sun" in my college dorm, it was an otherworldly experience. Lyrically and conceptually it was very advanced, that album was 20 years ahead of everything else that was out. IMO, Organized Konfusion laid the foundation for what is Underground Hip Hop. I listened to it so much I broke 3 cassette tapes. It changed how I viewed lyricism going forward. Pharoahe Monch has been in my top 5 on a list that includes Black Thought, MF Doom, Nas, and Ghostface. I still hope and wait patiently for the day the next Organized Konfusion (and Black Star) album comes out.

Let's give the legendary Pharoahe Monch a round of applause for not dying his beard!!

Pharoahe has a body of work I would consume even if his pen game was written down in the pages of books and not layered over instrumentals. A technically proficient master storyteller who has always been in the vanguard of hip hop.

Goosebumps every time I hear Pharoahe Monch, either rapping or talking: a true gift from God! 🎤🙏🏽

Welcome to the terrordome is the greatest hip hop cover ever. Hands down. On a side note, this is the shit that reminds me that the internet is still ok. Thank you to everyone involved. This interview is gold.

Pharoahe Monch - Queens. Legendary track!

OH NO! Is still one of the dopest tracks ever arranged

Top 3 mc's of all time PERIOD!!! My opinion.

Amazing wordplay, flow, breath control... AND he has asthma WTF?! First learned that when I heard him flip “Stray Bullet” live in the studio on The Wake Up Show over 20 years ago. So much history!

Simply put The GoD Mc...

I STILL have "Internal Affairs (99)" the album! The song that obviously got me familiar with him is "Simon says"! Even though he sung the hook I like Styles P song "My life(02)" on his "Gangster and a gentleman" album! Pharohe got that blunt and abrasive sense of humor in his rhymes. I hope that one day that him and Prince Paul would do another album together. The last album that they made was "Equinox". Could be wrong. Definitely enjoying the interview 👍!

In my top 5 since Extinction Agenda

Pharoahe is in my list of top 10 lyricist of all time with ppl like Black thought Az kool g rap

Thanks for the Paul C question. I've heard of his legend but nobody seems to talk about him. Glad to get some first hand knowledge.

internal affairs is an all time album!

One of the nicest to do it.

Multisyllabic wordsmith God Emcee. Grew up on the Extinction Agenda. Glad I got to see him live in South Africa at Back to the City.

This is gonna be awesome. I love monch

Dope interview. One of my favorite emcees of all-time.

The song the Truth with Common Kweli and Monch on the same track is the best Hip Hop song ever!

That Desire album gets better every time you listen to it.

Yo Talib, props for mentioning 'Agent Orange'. Devastating record. The earth shook when i first heard it.

Monch is and has been in my Top 5 for years definitely a Emcee I can never forget. He's a Emcee's Emcee.

Monch one of if not the most underrated and underappreciated rappers of all time in my top 5 lyricists of all time

I absolutely love this guy, I mean how do you define such brilliance and artistry. He really is one of the best writers and lyricists I have been blessed to hear. Phenomenal artist absolutely phenomenal.

I've been emceeing for 90% of my life and a great deal of my style comes from the syllabic style that he burst into the game so I would like to say to Pharoahe Monch you wanted the greatest bro and thank you

Paul C, UltraMagnetic, Organized Konfusion, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, Mikey D & L. A. Posse, Eric B. & Rakim, Bizmarkie we're some of the greatest to work at studio 1212 in Queens.

Monch is my favorite emcee period!

Yo it just dropped who thumbs down ?? Smh. Talib u guys doing work luv the show. Great guests. Stoked to watch this episode

"I pass out more essays than motorcade police in East LA" Going back to purchase all your albums, Legend!!!!!!!!

I made my son learn this Man's name. Most underrated and top tier MceeE in the game.

My Goat ! mon chi chi ....Pharoahe has never said a wack verse ..period

MAN!!!!! I’ve been waiting for y’all to have this brotha on. Now we need to work on getting Redman...

Remember seeing Monch live at the Jazz Cafe London UK, with a full band when Desire dropped 🔥🔥🔥

To me one of the most underrated emcees ever to get on the mic. I'm glad to see Pharaohe is still putting out fire music and to see Talib and Jasmine giving him roses while he is still here. Definitely a legend in the game I'm glad to see him get the recognition he deserves.

I loved all of your albums on Rawkus! Class, I've seen Mos and Pharoahe live in Dublin, hope ye visit again soon!

That ERA of Hip Hop was sooo dope! He is such an amazing artist and lyricist! The new joint is 🔥🔥🔥 too! 😎

This probably my favorite from ya'll. Pharoah's story just so visceral! Thank you for this!

Yo just realized why jasmine leigh so cute…she got those eyes that smile when she does. Adorable!

Nas is not from South Side Jamaica Queens, he's from the 41st side of Queensbridge projects.

Yoooo I haven't even started this and I already know it's gonna be the best interview of my favorite MC. Thanks in advance, Talib!!

Father Monch,it's a honor to be alive just being programmed by this channel,seeing him..!😭🙏

Keep bringing these great interviews. Pharoahe is one of the all time greats.

I'm so honored this video came on right after my interview with Pharoahe Monch about his dope Marvel Legends collection💪

Aloha from Hawai'i to all yall Brothers and sisters. Love and respect to you Talib for your career and for doing these interviews with legends! Thank you Jasmin for your questions and presence, you help keep the good vibes going and flowing! Thank you Pharoahe Monch for providing generations of rappers and MC'S with lyrical wizardry to study and learn from and for blessing us listeners ears and minds with your dope poetry. You've been slept on by too many for too long. You could've only ever dropped Internal Affairs and been up out the game and you'd be a legend. You've got an impressive body of work. 7 years ago I flew from Hawai'i Island to California for one night to see Wu-Tang, Ras Kass, Kurupt, Redman, Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch at The Forum in LA. What an amazing lineup of legends! Flew back the next morning to Oahu to see Kat Williams and was back on my island the next morning exactly 48 hours after I started the trip. Worth every dollar I spent. Would've been nice to have not gone by myself but I couldn't miss those shows.

Extremely underrated! Organized Konfusion forever. Love from JP

Such a dope interview. Alot of Intel I didn't know from one of the greatest MC's. Thank you for this!

Kweli and Monch in itself is legendary. Came up listening to both. Convo was poignant, loved it. Just a little push back! This is in no way speaking specifically about Pharoahe Monch, or Talib Kweli, they both embody what hip hop suppose to be. I get that artists are not leaders of the black community, but I believe black artists have a responsibility within their work to protect the black community, not do everything to tear down the black community, popping pills, flipping packs, overt misogyny, promote murder, prison bids, overly sexualize our children, then say I’m not a role model. To go through the process of becoming an artist: practicing your craft, performing at talent shows, making demos, shopping said demo, getting people to dig what you’re doing, is all about you having people’s ear, all about you having some influence on young minds, being a role model! Neely Fuller, and Dr. Francis Cress Welsing said every aspect of our everyday reality is painted by white supremacy (racism). That’s why the promoting of degenerate behavior is so prevalent in today’s hip hop music. Young minds only have to be exposed to backwards rhetoric for a short period of time before it becomes a part of their character. Yes parents should be involved in monitoring what their children watch or listen to, but who doesn’t know that the black family is fractured by design, who doesn’t know that single black parents are working multiple jobs, practically 7 days a week to keep roofs over heads and food on tables. Everyone of us from the black community is the village. It takes all of us, not only some, to ensure the proper upbringing of future generations of black people, or else we’ll just be participating in the extinction of our people!

My two favorites. I love it. Mad props to all involved in this program.

Man pharaohe is one of the goats. That extinction agenda album, his flows still ain’t been topped in my eyes. So ingenious and unique

There is so much here, you will have to watch twice! Awesome interview.

As always, great talk,everybody...

🎶His mama said “Donovan why are youuu/on the corner a’ Linden & Guy R. Brewww/🎶 Bruh, 👑 Priceless, priceless era...

Talib Kweli, that was a really good one right there. We met a long time ago, when I was with my potna Pep Love.

Great interview.

I hope those Organized Konfusion albums get put on band camp. Love those album especially the first album.

Can we get a fresh Pharoahe Monch and Black Thought collab?

BEEN DOWN BY LAW SINCE THE BEGINNING..THAT 1ST ORGANIZED KONFUSION ALBUM CAME OUT AT PIVOTAL TIME FOR ME.. INCREDIBLE WORK..PAUL C WAS TOO DOPE..R.I.P.

Another dope interview. Wished Talib asked him what was it like recording the "Simon Says (Remix)" w/ all of those emcees and what were his thoughts on guys like Supernatural rapping over the beat in a battle?

I've been waiting for this for so long! 😭🙌🏾🙏🏾

Big up And a Huge Salute to Pharaohe Monch. Always enjoyed his music.

Been waiting for this since yall started the pod, thank you!

We are in the presence of Greatness...

I remember seeing Monch rock the crowd with bronchitis during spitkicker back in 2000. That's bragging rites right there.

Still Standing is a Great Song

Dope interview of a Legendary Artist. Salute

I love watching / listening to your podcasts. I learn so much about your guests and it always takes me on a journey to learn more about these artists. I remember Pharoah on the outtakes for Training Day! One of my favorite movies. I think Denzel may have taken a few gutter notes from Pharoah. Gotta go vibe to some of Monchs music! Loved the interview!

So cool to have fresh mc's in today's world, Love your work Pharoahe top 5 lyricist of all time. Awesome interview.

Organized Konfusion was one of my favorite CDs in high school, but growing up in Atlanta I would always get their name mixed up with Organized Noize the Dungeon Family production duo.

The best hiphop interview show hands down. Great hosts and great guests.

Waaaooowww!!! 2 of my fave emcees in the same interview!!!😀😀😀😀

I had to rewatch this interview. I love your art, music and mind. You are the g.o.a.t❤❤❤❤

That Intro Song is one of my favorite joints on Internal Affairs

I listened to Combat Jack’s interview with Pharoahe years ago while I was on heavy medication for a stomach issue. I was feeling all sorts of off and looked up the side effects of my medication and sure enough I was struggling with a lot of them. Shout out to Pharoahe for talking about real shit.

Been waiting for this one...

Technically the greatest rapper ever. Lyrically too.

Kweli man Much love from 🇨🇦🍻🍻

One of the Greats. Had the Pleasure to go on Tour with him. Queens and Still Standing are my all time Favs

You two, mos def and MF DOOM are in my top 5 emcees Of all times. Real hip hop real music.

I remember back in '99, I was on a rap message board debating this dude on whether Pharoahe sounds more like Coltrane or Ornette Coleman. I said Coltrane. He said Coleman. I told him that Coleman's lines aren't as long and he's freer and funkier. Coltrane's lines are long and dense, just like Pharoahe's cadence, except each note has a purpose and tell its own story. If any MC sounded like Ornette Coleman, it was probably ODB.

Our brother from South Jamaica Queenz

Awesome

A genius, a master, unquestionably one of the best to ever touch a mic. Every album incredible. The newest straight fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥 All love, respect and admiration for Pharoahe

Monch has been one of my heroes since the Stress days with O.K. Glad to see brother is still pushing fwd with his creativity! #Salute

19:15 ah yes.. my fav concert. Talib, Monch, De La, Common... It was a beautiful afternoon in Denver that day. Speaking of which, Monch, Talib & Common did NOT perform the Truth on that day. I was kinda bummed out about that.

He is truly the Shakespeare of rappers..

Great interview!!

monch has such a cool fashion style

I remember hearing him for first time on nba live

Buen programa, saludos de chile de un hip hop fan.

Phaorahe Monch (and Talib Kweli) have music throughout my life; kind of like a soundtrack....Although of it Quality! PM- For Organized Confusion to Internal Affairs to current project

Respect from Montreal, Canada. "That's what it is, what it is"

Pharaoh Monche queens song loved it that whole album is fire