One of my favourite rappers of all time, Pharoahe Monch, hails from Queens New York and is one of the most underrated lyricists ever (in my humble opinion). He emerged in the late 90’s, originally as part of a duet with fellow Queens rapper Prince Poetry called Organized Konfusion. They disbanded due to lack of sales of their projects Organized Konfusion, Stress: The Extinction Agenda and The Equinox, however they were one of the most critically acclaimed underground hip-hop acts of the 90’s, some feat when you consider the caliber of rap music coming out of New York and wider America in this era.
He later launched a solo career (which makes him sound like a petty, castaway member of a talent show boyband; he’s not) on legendary hip-hop label Rawkus Records, known for cultivating the careers of Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Big L, to name a few. Today’s track is the final single he released on Rawkus Records, Agent Orange, named after the incendiary chemical weapon used by the US military during the Vietnam War. It was released in 2003 and samples the 1991 song Releasing Hypnotical Gases. Both are war tracks referencing chemical warfare and this track in particular embodies the social justice Monch often wields as a weapon. This is most notable on his 2007 album Desire (on which Agent Orange is included as a bonus track) which is anarchic and is the epitome of Pharoahe Monch as an artist. It might not be Bob Dylan, but this is an exceptional war record. Agent Orange is an exceptional record period, and is a social commentary/history lesson for the youth who’s pacifism and disconnect from the American government is inherited rather than crafted.
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A Song A Day 