Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda

Before Pharoahe Monch started playing party games, he was working with partner Prince Poetry to put together three of the best albums in hip-hop history. Stress: The Extinction Agenda is the best of this musical triple crown. Every song has an ace beat that mixes loose, jazzy samples and tightly coiled snares. And every song features two of hip-hop's all-time greatest MCs doing their best work, using their voices like instruments to create performances that are intellectually stimulating and rhythmically bangin'. Pharoahe's verse on "Bring It On" is raw enough to force even the hardest MCs to consider careers as accountants. One warning: Q-Tip's alleged guest appearance on "Let's Organize" consists of him repeating the words "Bounce, let's organize" over and over again with minor variations as the song fades. And it's still a great song. --Joe Schloss Amazon.com

"Crush...kill...destroy...STRESS!"

With their classic 1991 self-titled debut Organized Konfusion, Prince Po and Pharaohe Monch established themselves as hip hop visionaries, but in my opinion the follow up, 1994's "Stress: The Extinction Agenda," cemented their status as geniuses. Unapolagetically experimental, the Queens duo's fusion of conceptual music and frequently abstract lyrics was fresh and artistic. Yet, for all their conceptualism, there isn't a moment of "Stress: The Extinction Agenda" that isn't completely enjoyable, and the beats, handled by Buckwild and Organized Konfusion, remain absolutely phenomenal while Monch and Po's performances are excellent. Even with their creativity, Organized Konfusion sure could feel a good groove, and this album is full of them. The first half of the album feels tense and unsettled, seeping with paranoia, while the second half contains more upbeat and catchy songs. "Stress: The Extinction Agenda" is basically flawless.

After a nice intro, the tastefully frenetic "Stress" and "The Extinction Agenda" set the scene for the LP with apocalyptic imagery and conceptually abstract lyricism. "Thirteen" is menacingly paranoid, enhanced by excellent production. "Black Sunday" is confused and hopeful, and the short "Drop Bombs" hits hard with booming bass and yells. "Bring It On" is dark and effective, giving way to the catchy yet thoughtful "Why." The most noteworthy song is "Let's Organize," a bouncy upbeat cut featuring an excited Q-Tip and O.C. "3-2-1" is just a happy, totally appealing party joint, but the lyrics remain extraordinary. "Keep It Koming" has great instrumentation, and the conceptual gem "Stray Bullet" has the MCs rapping from the perspective of a steel projectile. "Maintain" closes the album with an all-around awesome song.

1994 was arguably the best year of hip hop releases, and while it's rarely cited as such, "Stress: The Extinction Agenda" was one of the best of the year. I feel that Organized Konfusion was years ahead of their time, and that they would have fared better commercially during the alternative rap boom that came a few years after their breakup. I highly recommend all of their albums. It's got a '94 sound with Organized Konfusion's unique approach; "Stress: The Extinction Agenda" is an all-around brilliant album that should not be overlooked. May 24, 2008

Why???

Is this damn album so slept on lol. This is the second album made by the duo and man this an excellent album. They had the lyricism they had the beats still questioning why they are slept on. One thing that really stands out about the album that most of the songs on the album change from different moods. As song like "Lets Get Organize" is joyful and has a positive image and then you hear "Stray Bullet" and then everything completly changes from being really dark. This album is very versatile so don't expect to get bored because they both got something to offer to keep your attention. Even though Pharoahe Monch is clearly better than Prince Poetry, Prince still holds his weight and do his thang and he doesn't lack or mess up any of the tracks to make this duo make an immaculate album in the year '94. By all means pick this album up you wont be dissapointed but note that it might take you some plays to fully digest it like I had to do because at first it might be all over the place but after you play it for your 3rd or 4th time you'll be straight and you'll be glad you took your time with the album.

Best Tracks:Why(favorite), Stress, The Extinction Agenda, Thirteen, Stray Bullet, Lets Get Organized, 3-2-1, Keep It Koming February 2, 2008

A Hip Hop Classic

"You will now consider me the apocalyptic one. After this rhyme, henceforth, there is none." - Pharoahe Monch

He had no idea how right he was.

Since Pharoahe uttered this verse, many a talented emcee has come and gone. But the heights Pharoahe reached on The Extinction Agenda are borderline absurd. From comparing a beat to a runaway slave ("Pharoahe, Im no slave to a rhythm I whip it/Then I take its name and change its religion/Then I chop the foot off the f****n' beat/For trying to escape the track, now its obsolete") to just straight up nasty skills ("Im the poetical poltergeist I heist tracks from the past/And return em to the present time in rhyme form/What was once dead is now resurrected on the record/And the physical words are mere residuals for my bidding"), Pharoahe Monche displayed what it truly meant to be a real emcee.

Oh, and Prince Po had some flow too. ("Rippin s**t up at prime time Im Optimus Primetime material/Imperial wizard of vocabularic havoc I eat emcees like cereal.")

Kinda throws a little perspective on that ridiculous Souljah Boy song, huh?


November 14, 2007

Masterpiece

Ya i said it organized konfusion's stress: the extinction angenda is a classic masterpiece hip hop album. Every song is fire and the production is simply amazing. Old schoo classic right here. June 16, 2007

This is the dopest most underrated group ever!

OK upped the jazzed up production on their sophomore outing. The mind blowing lyricism is still intact. Respect Due!

Top Joints:
Stress
Stray Bullet
Lets Organize
The Extiction Agenda
Thirteen
Black Sunday

The whole cd is straight dope lyrics and dope beats.

March 29, 2007

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