Queens rapper Pharoahe Monch was recently asked to share his thoughts on comments fellow artist Lord Jamar made about white rappers’ place in Hip Hop. While speaking with Vlad TV in September of last year, Jamar stated that white rappers “are guests in the house of Hip Hop.”
In response to the Brand Nubian emcee’s remarks, Pharoahe Monch commented on Hip Hop consisting of too many layers to be divided by race. He also recalled watching rappers and deejays in his neighborhood cut records from artists from other races, including Billy Squier’s “The Big Beat” and Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”
“For me, the dynamics of Hip Hop is just too layered,” Pharoahe Monch said during an interview with Vlad TV. “Like I came up where cats at the park and jams and shit were cutting up Billy Squier and I got ‘The Big Beat’ and ‘We Will Rock You.’ And cats was rapping over that. So, I understand in some aspect the cultural. But I never put a color on it from my mindset, from my standpoint…I think you’re just seeing a reflection of how mixed the culture is and how global Hip Hop is right now as well.”
After speaking on Lord Jamar’s remarks, Pharoahe Monch was then asked if he would be surprised if years from now Hip Hop was dominated by white artists. He also took note of the fact that today’s Hip Hop is lacking the grit and grime previously present in the genre.
“Nah, I wouldn’t be surprised at all,” he said. “But I think what you’re seeing is a reflection of what’s happened—what’s happening culturally as it expands and more people get influenced by it and more people try their hand at it. It’s gonna change and it’s gonna cycle again. You know? I think a lot of what was taken from Blues, Rhythm & Blues, original Rhythm & Blues, and transformed into Rock N’ Roll. It changed it. And it changed again…For all of the artists that’s popular, mostly popular right now, it’s more of a popular form of Hip Hop music. It doesn’t have the same soul and grit and grime that it did years ago. And that’s culturally.”
Pharoahe Monch’s interview with Vlad TV comes days after the rapper released the cover art and album trailer to his upcoming album, P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). The album is currently slated for release on April 15.
Do HHDX just prefer white men in general? Honest question, not a joke.
HHDX post whatever’s popular. Regardless of race. They don’t give a fuck what they post, as long as people click on it. So in my opinion, 2dopeboyz > HHDX
DJ Vlad asks Pharoahe Monch to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments
DJ Vlad asks Juicy J to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments
DJ Vlad asks Papoose to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments
DJ Vlad asks Katt Williams to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments
DJ Vlad asks Barack Obama to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments
DJ Vlad asks Mr. Marcus to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments
DJ Vlad asks Bill O’Reily to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments
DJ Vlad asks random nigga in the hood to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments
This Demon is holding black people up against each other, playing the divide and conquer game n shit, and y’all falling for it.
true indeed.
Vlad never asked anyone to dispute Lord Jamar’s comments. He asks everyone what they think of the comments he made. It’s a controversial topic, so Vlad asks people about it to get more views for his website.
im disappointed in a lot of these guys even entertaining this shit. either they don’t see it(which I doubt) or they just need to be on the web for the attention. but your absolutely right divide and conquer
LMAO this is not some conspiracy to start some black on black violence. It’s just an ignorant racist spewing nonsense and getting responses.
^^ You’re just blind to the facts, like 85 percent of the population.
It’s clear to see this nigga is SCARED to contradict Lord Jamar, but he’s too scared to cosign him either.
Does Vlad have to ask every motherfucker he interviews what their opinion on Lord Jamar’s comments is?
lol I remember a few years ago when all he asked niggas was “what’s your opinion on the N word?” smh this dude tries too hard
PEACE
Vlad needs to ask every true artists of this art of ours about Lord Jamar’s comments. One of the reasons: Gene Simmons running his gums about Grand Master Flash, Run-DMC being included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Another reason: see how un/comfortable our so-called heroes are when they are called to respond.
PEACE
Reposted from HipHopisRead:
This anonymous letter landed in my inbox about a minute ago:
Hello,
After more than 20 years, I’ve finally decided to tell the world what I witnessed in 1991, which I believe was one of the biggest turning point in popular music, and ultimately American society. I have struggled for a long time weighing the pros and cons of making this story public as I was reluctant to implicate the individuals who were present that day. So I’ve simply decided to leave out names and all the details that may risk my personal well being and that of those who were, like me, dragged into something they weren’t ready for.
Between the late 80’s and early 90s, I was what you may call a decision maker with one of the more established company in the music industry. I came from Europe in the early 80s and quickly established myself in the business. The industry was different back then. Since technology and media werent accessible to people like they are today, the industry had more control over the public and had the means to influence them anyway it wanted. This may explain why in early 1991, I was invited to attend a closed door meeting with a small group of music business insiders to discuss rap musics new direction. Little did I know that we would be asked to participate in one of the most unethical and destructive business practice Ive ever seen.
The meeting was held at a private residence on the outskirts of Los Angeles. I remember about 25 to 30 people being there, most of them familiar faces. Speaking to those I knew, we joked about the theme of the meeting as many of us did not care for rap music and failed to see the purpose of being invited to a private gathering to discuss its future. Among the attendees was a small group of unfamiliar faces who stayed to themselves and made no attempt to socialize beyond their circle. Based on their behavior and formal appearances, they didn’t seem to be in our industry. Our casual chatter was interrupted when we were asked to sign a confidentiality agreement preventing us from publicly discussing the information presented during the meeting. Needless to say, this intrigued and in some cases disturbed many of us. The agreement was only a page long but very clear on the matter and consequences which stated that violating the terms would result in job termination. We asked several people what this meeting was about and the reason for such secrecy but couldn’t find anyone who had answers for us. A few people refused to sign and walked out. No one stopped them. I was tempted to follow but curiosity got the best of me. A man who was part of the unfamiliar group collected the agreements from us.
Quickly after the meeting began, one of my industry colleagues (who shall remain nameless like everyone else) thanked us for attending. He then gave the floor to a man who only introduced himself by first name and gave no further details about his personal background. I think he was the owner of the residence but it was never confirmed. He briefly praised all of us for the success we had achieved in our industry and congratulated us for being selected as part of this small group of decision makers. At this point I begin to feel slightly uncomfortable at the strangeness of this gathering. The subject quickly changed as the speaker went on to tell us that the respective companies we represented had invested in a very profitable industry which could become even more rewarding with our active involvement. He explained that the companies we work for had invested millions into the building of privately owned prisons and that our positions of influence in the music industry would actually impact the profitability of these investments. I remember many of us in the group immediately looking at each other in confusion. At the time, I didnt know what a private prison was but I wasn’t the only one. Sure enough, someone asked what these prisons were and what any of this had to do with us. We were told that these prisons were built by privately owned companies who received funding from the government based on the number of inmates. The more inmates, the more money the government would pay these prisons. It was also made clear to us that since these prisons are privately owned, as they become publicly traded, wed be able to buy shares. Most of us were taken back by this. Again, a couple of people asked what this had to do with us. At this point, my industry colleague who had first opened the meeting took the floor again and answered our questions. He told us that since our employers had become silent investors in this prison business, it was now in their interest to make sure that these prisons remained filled. Our job would be to help make this happen by marketing music which promotes criminal behavior, rap being the music of choice. He assured us that this would be a great situation for us because rap music was becoming an increasingly profitable market for our companies, and as employee, wed also be able to buy personal stocks in these prisons. Immediately, silence came over the room. You could have heard a pin drop. I remember looking around to make sure I wasn’t dreaming and saw half of the people with dropped jaws. My daze was interrupted when someone shouted, Is this a f****** joke? At this point things became chaotic. Two of the men who were part of the unfamiliar group grabbed the man who shouted out and attempted to remove him from the house. A few of us, myself included, tried to intervene. One of them pulled out a gun and we all backed off. They separated us from the crowd and all four of us were escorted outside. My industry colleague who had opened the meeting earlier hurried out to meet us and reminded us that we had signed agreement and would suffer the consequences of speaking about this publicly or even with those who attended the meeting. I asked him why he was involved with something this corrupt and he replied that it was bigger than the music business and nothing wed want to challenge without risking consequences. We all protested and as he walked back into the house I remember word for word the last thing he said, Its out of my hands now. Remember you signed an agreement. He then closed the door behind him. The men rushed us to our cars and actually watched until we drove off.
A million things were going through my mind as I drove away and I eventually decided to pull over and park on a side street in order to collect my thoughts. I replayed everything in my mind repeatedly and it all seemed very surreal to me. I was angry with myself for not having taken a more active role in questioning what had been presented to us. I’d like to believe the shock of it all is what suspended my better nature. After what seemed like an eternity, I was able to calm myself enough to make it home. I didn’t talk or call anyone that night. The next day back at the office, I was visibly out of it but blamed it on being under the weather. No one else in my department had been invited to the meeting and I felt a sense of guilt for not being able to share what I had witnessed. I thought about contacting the 3 others who wear kicked out of the house but I didn’t remember their names and thought that tracking them down would probably bring unwanted attention. I considered speaking out publicly at the risk of losing my job but I realized Id probably be jeopardizing more than my job and I wasn’t willing to risk anything happening to my family. I thought about those men with guns and wondered who they were? I had been told that this was bigger than the music business and all I could do was let my imagination run free. There were no answers and no one to talk to. I tried to do a little bit of research on private prisons but didnt uncover anything about the music business involvement. However, the information I did find confirmed how dangerous this prison business really was. Days turned into weeks and weeks into months. Eventually, it was as if the meeting had never taken place. It all seemed surreal. I became more reclusive and stopped going to any industry events unless professionally obligated to do so. On two occasions, I found myself attending the same function as my former colleague. Both times, our eyes met but nothing more was exchanged.
As the months passed, rap music had definitely changed direction. I was never a fan of it but even I could tell the difference. Rap acts that talked about politics or harmless fun were quickly fading away as gangster rap started dominating the airwaves. Only a few months had passed since the meeting but I suspect that the ideas presented that day had been successfully implemented. It was as if the order has been given to all major label executives. The music was climbing the charts and most companies when more than happy to capitalize on it. Each one was churning out their very own gangster rap acts on an assembly line. Everyone bought into it, consumers included. Violence and drug use became a central theme in most rap music. I spoke to a few of my peers in the industry to get their opinions on the new trend but was told repeatedly that it was all about supply and demand. Sadly many of them even expressed that the music reinforced their prejudice of minorities.
I officially quit the music business in 1993 but my heart had already left months before. I broke ties with the majority of my peers and removed myself from this thing I had once loved. I took some time off, returned to Europe for a few years, settled out of state, and lived a quiet life away from the world of entertainment. As the years passed, I managed to keep my secret, fearful of sharing it with the wrong person but also a little ashamed of not having had the balls to blow the whistle. But as rap got worse, my guilt grew. Fortunately, in the late 90s, having the internet as a resource which wasn’t at my disposal in the early days made it easier for me to investigate what is now labeled the prison industrial complex. Now that I have a greater understanding of how private prisons operate, things make much more sense than they ever have. I see how the criminalization of rap music played a big part in promoting racial stereotypes and misguided so many impressionable young minds into adopting these glorified criminal behaviors which often lead to incarceration. Twenty years of guilt is a heavy load to carry but the least I can do now is to share my story, hoping that fans of rap music realize how theyve been used for the past 2 decades. Although I plan on remaining anonymous for obvious reasons, my goal now is to get this information out to as many people as possible. Please help me spread the word. Hopefully, others who attended the meeting back in 1991 will be inspired by this and tell their own stories. Most importantly, if only one life has been touched by my story, I pray it makes the weight of my guilt a little more tolerable.
Thank you.
too long didnt read
i cant believe i read the bulk of this post lol it is fucking stupid. gangsta rap isn’t responsible for people’s actions..and while gangsta rap was big so was A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Gangstarr, etc. don’t even read this dumbass post
to long – didn’t read – what a waste of time
Rap does control peoples actions and even creates stereotypes of youn black males. It only influences the younf and weak minded which is who the private prison is trying to get to increase their payrolls. I even had a friends who used to steal cars and would have to listen to Hit em up by Tupac to get hype enough to do it.
This wasn’t posted for the first two fucking fruits.
Too long.. not going to read. Even if you made good points you need to learn how to be concise.
Congratulations, you just wrote the best fiction book of the year!!!
You fuckers know this shit is real right? Music executives had a closed door meeting, where they decided to only promote music glorifying violence. It’s just another way to control the inner city youth.
That is the problem, it is too long for peasants who only love microwaveable food and if you took your time o READ you would see that this was REPOSTED, go on HipHopisRead and read the comments. Moreover, this parallels the adage that bitter medicine is better, yes, the article is long but it contains pertinent info ; either you are a dumb Kneegrow or a Wannebe black suburban white poseur to worry about the length of and not the points of said article.
government mind control
^^ Y’all conspiracy theorist N.O.I. members always make me laugh.
fuck all pecker woods.
Fucking snakes!!
Nothing to see here.
Monch sounds incoherent and drunk and/or stoned, but is clearly just trying to avoid the controversy. Good move IMO.
HipHopDX is just trying to stir up controversy, as usual.
lol tru, either he’s mentally injured or he’s just trying to avoid a response from Lord Jamar.
That’s what white people were saying about basketball in the 50’s. Blacks are better athletes so naturally there going to be better at sports and whites are more intelligent so they’ll do better at music and poetry. It’s science.
^ translation
“blacks are like monkeys, of course they’re better athletes who can jump and run, we’re intellects……we made Rome”
but over 100m of y’all in the US can’t comprehend the blatant lies their leaders tell them
Paul Ryan still thinks America’s problem is the inner city, when it’s actually a cash cow for corporations, & he’s on the finance committee. that’s smart? lol, he’s lying thru his teeth
preying on the bigots’ hatred and playing with their…..INTELLIGENCE…..and these “smart” people actually tried to put Paul and his comrade, a guy who made money by shutting down companies & doubling his “investment”, in the executive office to lead the world
good thing us “athletes” were around
YOU ARE SO DONE AND SHOULD BE LYNCHED FOR SUCH DUMB MINDSET
hating gets you nowhere lame
EVEN VLAD KNOWS HOW ROCK & ROLL AND MANY OTHER FORMS OF MUSIC ARE BLACK (MOOR)ART FORMS FACTS…….WE SHARE YOU STEAL AND THEN RIGHT US OUT…….BUT THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST AND THE LAST SHALL BE FIRST.
yawn you just a hater
we created jazz, soul, blues, rock n roll, rhythm and blues, calyspo, samba, reggae, disco, funk, house, hip hop, dancehall, 2 step/garage, neo soul etc
but i have to agree. its time to let hip hop go. its not the same music we used to love. theres no soul in it anymore. culturally its almost dead.
corporations have ruined it and dumbed it down. you cant get signed for a major and make real hip hop.
it needs to be pop or down south rap music otherwise the music industry aint fucking with it.
its time to create something new for the world.
peace
whites arent the problem.
its this generations black youth. whites still want that authentic hip hop. that hip hop we grew up listening to.
this generations black youth are wearing womens clothing like tight jeans and skirts and make up and dont care about real culture issues. they just care about dumbed down rap music
+1
Both black and white “youths” are fucking homos. They all dress like that.
Why is VLAD always asking questions about Black and White?
Cause racial issues is all he knows.
HipHops a universal genre that bridges the gaps between cultures, that’s what made it great in the first place. You can’t live in the free world, create the culture then expect nobody else to pick it up. That would be like saying since America is a white founded historical nation that blacks arent welcomed here. Which they werent obviously. So the same with hip hop. Slowly more tolerance, and possibly extremity. But things always change and go soft. What will come of it?
Nobody’s saying white people are not allowed in Hip-Hop. We’re just telling non-black people they are guests in our house (even your idol Eminem would agree on this) and they should stop trying to make some oppressed people’s culture their own by pushing all this gay agenda. And America’s actually black founded since we built it (remember there were no white slaves)
Hiphop is black culture I know that