Straight up: few rappers can hold a candle to Pharoahe Monch when it comes to the art of emceeing. Its only the Jamaica, Queens natives discontent with the commercial process and delayed trickle of releases thats kept him something of a secretdropping only three solo records in a dozen years is a surefire way to keep even the best music relegated to the underground. But his March release W.A.R. (We Are Renegades), filled with criticism of the political system as intense as his targeting of the music industry, stays on par with his precluding insta-classic Internal Affairs and Desire. As easily as it could have been a battle record, Monchs militant lyricism and clapping beats form more of a concept album: No, justice, no peace, no settle/We are renegades, fuck your gold medal. With Scribes, Th3rd. NICK FELDMAN
Fri., June 10, 8 p.m., 2011
