Organized Konfusion

Following the release of Stress, Organized Konfusion moved from Hollywood BASIC to Priority Records. The group's third album, The Equinox, was released in 1997.^[1] The album featured a concept, complete with numerous storytelling skits. Many^[who?] saw the concept as a failure, which led to the album receiving less critical acclaim when compared to the group's previous efforts. Led by the single "Somehow, Someway", the album managed to reach higher on the Billboard charts than its last two albums.

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 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 ^[4]

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 B, Common, Talib Kweli, Redman, Method Man, Lady Luck and Shabaam Sahdeeq.

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,

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.^[5]

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 answer 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 are not heavily supported by major labels.

On March 30, 2009, it was announced that Organized Konfusion would reunite at the 2009 All Points West Festival in Jersey City, New Jersey.^[6]

Discography

Albums

Appearances

• 1992: "The Rough Side Of Town (South Side)" and "Open Your Eyes" (from BASIC Beats Sampler)
• 1992: "Fat Bottomed Girls (Organized Konfusion Remix)" (from Queen album BASIC Queen Bootlegs)
• 1994: "Bring It On" (Buckwild Remix)" (from Buckwild: Diggin' in the Crates)
• 1995: "You Won't Go Far" (from "New Jersey Drive, Vol. 2")
• 1996: "Decisions" (from America Is Dying Slowly)
• 1997: "War Games" (from O.C. album Jewelz)
• 1997: "Metal Thangz" (from Street Smartz)
• 1997: "Late Night Action" (from "Soul in the Hole (soundtrack)")
• 1998: "Rekonstruction" (from DJ Spooky album Riddim Warfare)
• 1998: "Murder by Syntax" (from Deep Concentration, Vol. 2: Deeper Concentration)
• 1999: "God Send" (from Pharoahe Monch album Internal Affairs)
• 2000: "Ill Collabo" (from Cella Dwellas album The Last Shall Be First)
• 2002: "Frontline" (from El Da Sensei album Relax, Relate, Release)
• 2009: "Then And Now" (from Prince Po EP X Files EP')
• 2013: "3-O-Clock" (from Marco Polo album PA2: The Director's Cut)
• 2014: "Smash (featuring O.C.)" (from Prince Po & Oh No album Animal Serum)

References

External links

• Organized Konfusion at
  AllMusic