Monch has gone through one of the most bizarre transformations in music. Long gone are the days he would get on a track and straight up spit with aggression. Nowadays he would rather tackle a social issue and preach his opinions to really anyone who will listen. Now, don't get me wrong, I like conscious rap as much as the next guy, but it is a shame when a rapper with so much talent can get caught up in social issues that may or may not be real life issues. Often it seems that instead of speaking on more than realistic problems, Monch is more so commenting on subjects that are somewhat fictitious. That is in no way meant to belittle the beliefs of Monch, but it is a simple observation. Whether these problems are real or not, it is obvious that he is more interested, at this point in his career, in educating and helping the masses than he is bodying a dope beat. Regardless, he has been able to put forth some solid projects but none which were able to come close to the Organized Konfusion sophomore effort. It seems like a shame to me that such a talented rapper can't just take a step back and rap his ass off every once in a while. I guess we don't live in a perfect world, though.
It is more than reasonable to infer that this album will be a follow up to 2010 release W.A.R. given the title of the album as well as the cover. This would mean continuing more of a preaching vibe, which once again isn't bad, simply not optimal. However, I'm optimistic that Pharoahe may surprise me and straight spit on a few tracks to appease some of his more traditional fans. At this point in his career, he has cemented his legacy and this album will in no way make or break his career. This is simply an album for his fans to either enjoy or complain about. Hopefully the former. Either way I have long anticipated this release, and am eager to see how it pans out, regardless of the direction it goes or subject matter it takes on, because at the end of the day, this guy can flat out rap.
So with all the bull shit out of the way I give you the breakdown of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Fingers crossed.
1. The Recollection Facility
In this skit we are introduced to what goes on to be the loose concept throughout the album. Monch is being treated in this facility for the post traumatic stress disorder that he must have obtained through War (the name of his last album). This does nothing more than explain what the fictional facility does, which is wipe out traumatic memories, and set the stage for what is to come from the album. So in other words yet another boring ass intro.
2. Time2
A very string heavy beat with a nice bass line and some marching drums really sets the stage for a very military, dramatic type feel to the music. The production is nothing incredible, but does it's part in aiding in the way this track is conveyed emotionally. Monch's first verse is very good lyrically with a few lines I really like including some very nice word play on the genocide/suicide line. The hook is Monch singing through a machine that deluded the locals to the point where they might as well not have been there, but nothing wrong. The entire first half of the second verse is an annoying, choppy, stuttering mess of words, but by the end of the verse he gathers himself and delivers lyrically again. The tone of the track is very dark and is touching on all the stress that Monch, or the character portrayed in this album (who may or may not simply be Pharoahe) experiences, and how he wishes to cope with them. Nothing that could be mistaken for happy, but I guess that isn't the point. Decent way to start the album.
3. Losing My Mind ( ft. Denaun)
With very similar production to the first track, it is already obvious that this album is aiming for a specific sound, which is dark, and somewhat eerie. The vocals on the hook are provided by Denaun who you may remember as Kon Artist from D12, who went on to serve as an Aftermath producer, and one of Eminem's biggest weed carriers. He manages to offer up what a an awesome, catchy hook that separates some very well executed verses from our host. This is very similar in every way to the opening track, but better in every way. The flow on the verses is much cleaner, and the lyrics are more consistent, not to mention the drastic improvement on the hook. Very good song that serves once again as a testament to the behavior of the main character in this album's concept, and how he is, well, losing his mind.
4. Heroin Addict
This is hardly a song, but more of a skit. It sounds like the outtakes from a shitty hipster garage band. It is what I guess is a teaser for the next song, and adds a heavy guitar. It also includes a whining Pharoahe asking who took his Marlboros, and I beg that person to return them. His voice sounds so annoying on this skit that it pisses me off. I'm sure he was going for something in the ballpark of that effect, but it just grinds my gears and leads to an immediate skip whenever this bullshit comes on.
5. Damage
For some reason this was one of the singles for this album. I say that with confusion because this song is ass. The beat is so similar to most of the other instrumentals on this album that it is pointless to even go over what it actually consists of. I will admit that the verses contain some witty lyrics and dope word play, as it serves as the third addition to the "Stray Bullet" series, but any and all enjoyment I found in the verses was quickly nullified by that fuck ass hook. That shit is so annoying that words can hardly describe it. He is just screaming words as loudly and obnoxiously as humanly possible. It isn't catchy, or redeeming in any way. Yeah, the verses are nice and all, but you expect that from Monch. What you can't be expected to put up with is this garbage ass hook. Had I not already been a fan, this single may very well have kept me from purchasing this album.
6. Bad M.F.
This was the second of two singles released to promote this album. The up tempo beat uses a lot of horns to up the intensity, and Monch follows suit by bringing some angry rhymes to the table. The hook is tolerable, but once again not great by any means. There are a few positives on this track, but they are all overshadowed by one glaring blunder. On that note it is time to address the elephant in the room. At about the forty second mark Monch tells all of his listeners to tell their favorite rappers to, "eat a bag of baby dicks." This line is so horrifically repulsive that it sparks a laugh, but not for the right reasons. This is a ridiculously horrible line that completely makes you forget about most of the rest of the song. This is definitely the most notable lyrical blunder on the album, and cannot slide by without an extreme amount of ridicule. I can't imagine why or how he got that line past label executives, but at least half of the staff at his label should be terminated immediately for allowing this tomfoolery. We expect more from you, Pharoahe.
7. The Recollection Facility pt. 2
At this point in the album we have somewhat abandoned the idea of this being a full on conceptual album. However, it is still loosely following the original story line. At this point Monch is apparently in the facility, and refuses to wake up. Just in case anyone cares.
8. Rapid Eye Movement (ft. Black Thought)
For as long as I've loved hip hop I have been a huge fan of when these two get together on a track. This is exactly what I wanted from the album, and even though I may only be getting it on this track, some straight spitting from Monch is long overdue. He flows incredibly well over his verse and has a great amount of quotables. This is far and away the best lyrical performance he has given thus far on the album and is rapping his ass off as well as he ever has. Despite the great flow, lyrics, and wordplay, Black Thought is still Black Thought, and he absolutely murders this track. Black also sounds as good as he has in years, and takes up the back half of this song just by himself. He goes on rhyming for so long that you start to think he may never stop, and you don't want him to. It's a shame that Tariq had to completely steal this track, because Monch really did put on a show, but Thought absolutely killed it. Definitely a highlight on this album, and one of my favorite tracks of the year.
9. Scream
After getting completely jazzed up on that last track, anything was bound to bring me down. What I was not expecting was the worst track on the album. This track just plain sucks. The Quelle Chris beat is awkward and messy, and the hook is extremely unpleasant. The verses are also just meh so you really don't get any sort of value from listening to this track. Feel free to absolutely abuse the skip feature on the music playing device of your choice. This song surely didn't need to be on this album. I can't imagine that this is one of the best sixteen songs they had lying around the studio.
10. SideFX (skit)
Well this bullshit happens. Skip.
11. The Jungle
After a minor dry spell we finally get another pretty good track. The strings on the beat, and the pounding drums make this song feel primal, and the verses are all very nicely performed by Monch. While the song is very good, the message is more or less depressing. It is Pharoahe's narrative of the state of humanity in a sense. It is very negative, and it is now apparent why Monch is not a happy camper. If this was how I saw the world I'd be pissed all the time too. Still, I like this song a lot, and Monch obviously believes in what he is saying, because you can feel an extraordinary amount of passion in his rhymes that adds an aspect of sincerity. It is one of the only times on the album in fact that we hear some great flowing from Monch. Of course, it is politically driven as anything else he's ever done, but still more so than on other tracks, he did a fantastic job of rapping multiple fantastic verses on a song.
12. Broken Again
This is what that will tug at the heart strings. The song begins with a hook that I feel guilty for enjoying as much as I do. Pharoahe is singing his little heart out, and it actually doesn't sound horrible, and even makes the track feel that much more emotionally genuine. This song has only one verse that details what may or may not be a real life addiction Monch had to heroine. I don't know if this track is real or fictional, but either way it does a great job of appealing to emotions, and is actually a very good track. Yeah, I will admit that the extremely depressing tone of this album has taken its toll on me, but that is the emotion that Monch appeals to best, so I can't blame him for sticking to it. All in all another solid track that I really can't complain about.
13. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
This song is doing exactly what the last two did. This one, however, is more of a look into the mental of a Pharoahe Monch. He talks about all of his internal struggles, and even tries his hand at singing again, this time in a much more positive tone. I will say that this track has some great verses, and isn't nearly as negative as the past two. It speaks of the possibility of things looking up in the end, and that if you keep going things will indeed get better. It does a good job of bringing some positivity to the subject which was desperately needed, and it actually makes for a killer track. Very good rapping from Monch, and a very decent hook courtesy of our host. At this point in the album he is somewhat coasting, but the album managed to develop a nice little groove during this latter half. Not the best track on the album, but certainly a good one.
14. D.R.E.A.M. (ft. Talk Kweli)
Absolutely the last thing I was ever expecting at this point in the album, but this is exactly what was needed. A full on feel good song with nice, upbeat strings and horns. The title is a play off of the classic "C.R.E.A.M." by the Wu Tang Clan, but instead of using "cash" both contributing artists use different words to fill out the letters. Aside from "Rapid Eye Movement", this was the best rhyming Pharaohe did on the album, and was not only positive, but just flat out good. It was a lot less thematic, and more so just dope rhyme schemes and word play. As big of a Kweli fan as I am l, his verse was extremely corny. He obviously overplayed the theme of positivity. Not that his verse was bad, just a little hard to take seriously. Positive messages are usually more Kweli's bread and butter, but he is actually out shined by Monch on this track, so props are in place for Pharoahe.
15. The Recollection Facility Pt. 3
So, I'm completely lost. For some reason that escapes me completely that Monch is being arrested for free thinking after being asleep in this facility for ten years. I don't know what that has to do with the album in any way, but quite frankly I'm not interested. This album has some good songs, but it's concept was too loose for me to label in a full on conceptual album.
16. Eht Dnarg Noisulli (ft. The Step Kids)
I tried making sense of the name of this track for the longest time. I've finally decided after a long while of deliberation that each individual word is meant to be read backwards. That would make this song's title, "The Grand Illusion" which makes a hell of a lot more sense considering that phrase is said on the hook. Why Monch decided to get cute with the title, I'll never know, but it kind of pissed me off. As for the track itself, it is very forgettable to me. It's like all of the "meh" aspects of this album were rolled up into one song that could be personified by that single three letter word, meh. Not terrible, but not the kind of hoorah you necessarily want to end your album on. This was just all sorts of OK.
Rating: 3.5/5
This album most definitely did not go without it's fair share of gaffes. From the entire song "Scream" to the infamous baby dicks line on "Bad M.F." this album really could have used some working on. It also really didn't follow the story as much as a good concept album should unless I'm really missing something big. All of that being said, Pharoahe can still really spit, and can without a doubt put together some quality songs. A few of the tracks on this album were good enough to have been released at any stage in Pharoahe's career. It's only the few bad songs that make you realize that he has lost a step, and his days making quality music are numbered. He went on record as saying this is his last album, but I always have a hard time believing that. Whatever the future may hold in store for Monch I will still check out, and I advise you to do the same until he really proves us wrong. I like this album and I have played it a shit ton over the last few weeks, but it could have been world's better with the exclusion of a few songs, and maybe one more great track. I'm hesitant to tell you to rush out and buy this, but if you are a fan of Monch then you definitely should look into getting yourself a copy. Hell, I'm sure there are people who will say that that this Pharoahe is better than the old stuff. There are people who really gravitate towards political, self conscious music, and those people will fucking love this album. For the rest of us, this album is just pretty good.