The Equinox

Quite possibly one of the most underrated East Coast rap groups, Organized Konfusion's Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch deliver an album full of stimulating lyrics and well arranged instrumentation on The Equinox, the group's third full length project. Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch have extended their artistic reach on this album through the production of 5 of the album's 14 full- length songs. Each of the tracks produced by Organized is serious in atmosphere, moderate in tempo, and dominated by lower frequency tone colors. For example, "They Don't Want It" serves as a cautionary declaration to any competitors chanted over a sequence with saturated kick drums and synthesizer tones reminiscent of a pair of old church bells, deeply tolling on a rainy fall morning. "They Don't Want It" is followed by the first of a series of "skits" that tends to interrupt the musical flow from song to song, but convincingly contribute to an effect that makes listening to this album like a watching a movie. Other producers featured on this album include: Diamond D (on "Questions," a lyrical inquiry into the contemporary public's taste in rap music, delivered over an airy beat with resonating synthesizer treatments and horn samples with open tones on the chorus). Raheed (on "Soundman," a bouncy tune outlined by explanations of problems Organized has had with audio engineers and incompetent MC's) and Buckwild (on "Shuggah Shorty" and "Invetro," in which the listener is taken to the personal realm, as Organized discusses life history, problems, and pessimistic outlooks. Note that although the liner notes indicate only 20 tracks on this album, there are, in fact, 21 items; the last song on the album is a posse cut featuring the Medicine Men: three lyricist (individually unnamed) plus Prince and Pharoahe.

Continuing in a pattern of rhymes that pull the listener in and allows them to be absorbed through involved lyrics and intriguing content, The Equinox features well structured material that will not disappoint a listener with musically and stylistically high standards. ~ Qa'id Jacobs, Rovi