Organized Konfusion
Prince Po (left) and Pharoahe Monch
Background information
Origin	Queens, New York
Genre(s)	Hip Hop
Years active	1989 – 1997
Label(s)	Hollywood Basic Records Priority Records
Associated acts	Paul C O.C.
Former members
Pharoahe Monch Prince Po

Organized Konfusion was an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York. Though not commercially popular, the duo was one of the most respected and acclaimed underground hip hop acts of the 1990s, largely due to the duo's intelligent rhymes, and the groundbreaking lyricism of Pharoahe Monch. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Queens (disambiguation) and Queen. ... This article is about the state. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... Priority Records is an American based record label, owned and operated by EMI, and has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop music. ... Paul C. McKasty is a legendary New York hip-hop producer and engineer. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Pharoahe Monch (born Troy Donald Jamerson on October 31, 1972 in Queens, New York) is an American hip hop artist. ... Organized Konfusion was an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York. ... Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a genre that is defined in greatly varying ways. ... Queens is geographically the largest of the five boroughs of New York City in the United States, and the most ethnically diverse county in the U.S. It is coterminous with Queens County in the State of New York and is located on western Long Island. ...

History

Early years

Group members Prince Po (poetry) and Pharoahe Monch began their career under the name Simply 2 Positive. Originally, Po was the rapper and Pharoahe was a beatboxer, but after realizing his rhyming skill, Monch became the lead MC in the group. The duo caught the attention of prominent Hip Hop producer Paul C, who produced a demo for the group in the late 1980s. Paul was murdered in 1989, but the duo went on and signed a record deal with Hollywood Basic Records. The demo: Organized Konfusion was an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York. ... Pharoahe Monch (born Troy Donald Jamerson on October 31, 1972 in Queens, New York) is an American hip hop artist. ... Paul C. McKasty is a legendary New York hip-hop producer and engineer. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ...

1. Audience Pleasers
2. Cooling One Day
3. International Ariival
4. Mind Over matter
5. Prisoners of War

Recording career

In 1991, the group released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, Organized Konfusion. The album was produced entirely by the duo, and featured only one guest appearance, provided by the group's childhood friend, future D.I.T.C. member O.C., who appeared on the single "Fudge Pudge". The album's single, "Walk Into The Sun", became a minor hit for the group, peaking at #15 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The album itself didn't manage to make any Billboard chart, despite high praise from numerous sources, including All Music Guide, which granted the album a perfect 5 star rating, with reviewer Stanton Swihart stating that it is "arguably the underground rap album of the 1990s". ^[1]. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Organized Konfusion is the self-titled debut album from Queens Hip Hop duo Organized Konfusion, released in October 1991 on Hollywood Basic Records. ... The Diggin in the Crates Crew, also known as the DITC, is a New York-based hip-hop collective, deriving its name from a popular DJ sampling practice. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Hot Rap Tracks is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ...

The duo returned in 1994 with their second album Stress: The Extinction Agenda. This album was once more low on guests, featuring another appearance by O.C., and A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip, who both appeared on the song "Let's Organize". The album's lead single "Stress" charted on the Hot Rap Singles chart, but the most famous song from the album is arguably "Stray Bullet", a concept track which sees the MC's describing the travels of a stray bullet in first-person narrative. This album fared better commercially, but sales still never matched the wide acclaim. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A Tribe Called Quest is a critically acclaimed and highly-influential American hip-hop group, formed in 1988. ... Q-Tip (born Jonathan Davis in Brooklyn, New York), USA, is a North American hip-hop emcee, actor, and hip hop producer who was the leader of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. ... The Hot Rap Tracks is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. ...

Following the release of Stress, Organized Konfusion moved from Hollywood Basic to Priority Records. Their third album, The Equinox, was released in 1997. The album featured an ambitious concept, complete with numerous storytelling skits. Many saw the concept as a failure, which led to the album receiving less critical acclaim, when compared to their previous efforts. Led by the single "Somehow, Someway", the album managed to reach higher on the Billboard charts than their last two albums. Priority Records is an American based record label, owned and operated by EMI, and has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop music. ... The Equinox is the final album recorded by heralded underground Hip Hop duo Organized Konfusion. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

Separation

After this release, Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch split to pursue solo careers. In a 2005 interview with MVRemix.com, Prince Po discussed the break-up:

Well we broke up because we didn’t want to hear the fans say the same thing like, ‘You’re dope but you are not getting the right promotion’. That gets tiring. We had three albums and fans thought we were dope but didn’t have the right promotion. We didn’t want that shit to run us into the ground. People kept saying that. It was a hopeless situation, but would we would always be dope? We wanted to preserve the name. I don’t think the records would have been the classics that they are if we kept on throwing records out there like it was nothing. Right now, we are trying to make some moves and put out an Organized Konfusion remix album. We are just trying to make moves on another side. After we came off the road, I was tired. Besides writing, I was doing most of the business. I would say that I was doing 90% of the business. I would always sit down with Monch and discuss it with him. We did do 50/50 on everything. I was burnt out. I was writing rhymes, making beats, doing the business, talking to the labels, and building with the managers. I made sure the job got done while Monch was able to be an artist. That was cool. Monch is my brother, but I wanted to get to a point where I could be creative, make songs, and worry about being an emcee or producer. Even now, that won’t happen because I have a company and artists who I’m working with. The job will never get easier. It will always get more tedious. The difference is that I’m ready for it now. I had to take that break. On the road, we did a lot of shows and a lot of traveling. I was mentally and physically burnt out. Monch was like, ‘Do I have your blessings to go into the studio and work on some material to get a deal?’ I was for it. His anger wasn’t like he wanted to go and shoot somebody at the label. His anger came out in a way that he had to show the world that he was not done yet.

—Prince Po ^[2]

Solo careers

Pharoahe Monch inked a deal with Rawkus Records after the duo's break up, and released a highly acclaimed solo album, Internal Affairs, in 1999. The album just missed a debut in the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart, and spawned the Hot 100 hit single "Simon Says". Pharoahe and Rawkus were met with a lawsuit over a Godzilla sample used in the track, which forced Rawkus to pull the album off the shelves, to be re-released without the single. The album was not re-released and remains out of print. OK partner Prince Po joined Pharoahe for an appearance on the track "God Send". Other album guests included Canibus, M.O.P., Busta Rhymes, Apani, Common, Talib Kweli, Redman, Method Man, Lady Luck and Shabaam Sahdeeq. Rawkus Records is an American hip hop record label, known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. ... Internal Affairs is the solo debut from former Organized Konfusion member Pharoahe Monch, released on Rawkus Records. ... This article is about the year. ... This article is about the character itself. ... Germaine Williams (born December 9, 1974), better known as Canibus and also as Can-I-Bus and Rip the Jacker, is a Jamaican-born American MC and rapper. ... M.O.P., short for Mash-Out Posse, is an American hardcore rap duo from Brownsville, Brooklyn, comprised of rappers Billy Danzenie (born Eric Murray, November 15, 1974), and Lil Fame (born Jamal Grinnage, on April 11, 1976). ... Trevor Smith (born on May 20, 1972), better known as Busta Rhymes, is an American hip hop musician and actor. ... Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. ... Talib Kweli (born Talib Kweli Greene in Brooklyn, New York City on October 3, 1975) is an American MC from Brooklyn, New York. ... Reginald Reggie Noble (born April 17, 1970), better known by his stage name Redman, is an American rapper. ... This article is about Method Man. ...

Prince Po released his solo debut The Slickness in 2004 on Lex Records. The album almost completely missed the radar, but received fair reviews. Guests included Jemini, Rell, MF Doom and Raekwon. Daniel Dumile (IPA: duːməhːlayɪ) (born January 9, 1971) is an American hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career - originally Zen Love X, most famously MF DOOM, and in side projects such as King Geedorah, Metal Fingers, Viktor Vaughn, and collaboration projects... Raekwon (born Corey Woods, January 12, 1970, Brooklyn, New York, United States) is an American East Coast rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. ...

Between 2004 and 2005, Pharoahe recorded an album while he was signed to MCA/Geffen Records, which was never released. After a bidding war between prominent labels such as Bad Boy Records, Shady Records and Sony Records, Pharoahe Monch signed a deal with Steve Rifkind's SRC Records in February 2006. He released his second album, Desire, on June 26, 2007. Prince Po released his second solo album Prettyblack on August 8, 2006. Around this time he was also featured on Adverse's album David. Another Po solo LP, Saga of the Simian Samurai, was released in November 2007 and was produced entirely by TOMC3. The two had worked together previously on Kool Keith's Project Polaroid. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bad Boy Records (originally Bad Boy Entertainment) is an east coast Hiphop/R&B record label founded by producer/rapper Sean Diddy Combs in 1988 that is a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... Shady Records is an American record label specializing in hip hop music. ... Sony Records is a record label courtesy of Columbia, Epic and American Recordings. ... SRC Records (Street Records Corporation) is a record label created by New York City rapper Fat Joe. ... Desire is the second solo album from Hip Hop artist Pharoahe Monch, released on June 26, 2007. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Adverse (born David Hunt) is an American hip hop artist known for his intellectually challenging lyrics and complex rhyme-schemes, syllabic placement and on-stage antics. ... Keith Matthew Thornton (born c. ... A collaboration between legendary rapper Kool Keith and producer TOMC3 Track listing Project Polaroid (intro) Space 8000 Talk to the Romans Mechanical Mechanix feat. ...

Reunion

In 2004, it was announced that the group would be reuniting with a new third member, O.C. who made his debut on Organized Konfusion. But the reunion was called off due to tensions between O.C. and Prince Po.^[3] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Organized Konfusion is the self-titled debut album from Queens Hip Hop duo Organized Konfusion, released in October 1991 on Hollywood Basic Records. ...

In interviews conducted during the promotion of Monch's album Desire, questions have repeatedly come up in question to whether or not a reunion would take place. Monch likes to anwser the questions with a vague, but optimistic, "Who knows what the future holds". Monch, now signed to a major label, still insists that, if a reunion were to take place, the record would be released on an independent label, citing that the high-end concepts Organized Konfusion deals with and tackles aren't heavily supported by major labels.

Discography

Album cover	Album information
	Organized Konfusion Released: October 29, 1991 Label: Hollywood Basic Records Singles: "Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken?"/"The Rough Side of Town", "Fudge Pudge"/"Walk Into the Sun"
	Stress: The Extinction Agenda Released: August 16, 1994 Label: Hollywood Basic Records Singles: "Stress"/"Keep It Koming", "Bring It On"
	The Equinox Released: September 23, 1997 Label: Priority Records Singles: "Somehow, Someway"/"Soundman"/"Numbers"/"9x's out of 10"

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 200 × 200 pixelsFull resolution (200 × 200 pixel, file size: 7 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Organized Konfusions self titled album cover. ... Organized Konfusion is the self-titled debut album from Queens Hip Hop duo Organized Konfusion, released in October 1991 on Hollywood Basic Records. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... Image File history File links Stresstheextinctionagenda. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 200 × 200 pixelsFull resolution (200 × 200 pixel, file size: 7 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Organized Konfusion The Equinox album cover. ... The Equinox is the final album recorded by heralded underground Hip Hop duo Organized Konfusion. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Priority Records is an American based record label, owned and operated by EMI, and has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop music. ...

External links

• Organized Konfusion at All Music Guide

The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ...

References