The Equinox (album)
| The Equinox | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 23, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | October 1996 – August 1997 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 62:27 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Organized Konfusion chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Chicago Tribune | [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| NME | 7/10[5] |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [6] |
| The Source | [7] |
| Spin | 7/10[1] |
The Equinox is the third and final album by heralded Queens hip hop duo Organized Konfusion.[8] It was released in 1997 on Priority Records.[9][10]
Background
[edit]The group branched out to work with a number of outside producers, including Diamond D, Showbiz, Buckwild and Rockwilder. The effort is a concept album about the lives of two Black teens.[11] Included on the album are two ambitious tracks: "Invetro" and "Hate." The former gives voice to the unborn, with Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po rhyming as unborn twins, one hoping for their mother to get an abortion, the other praying for a chance to live, respectively, while the latter features Monch and Po rhyming as white supremacists. "Invetro" follows in the same steps as "Stray Bullet" from the group's previous album, giving voices to things that can not speak.[citation needed]
Critical reception
[edit]AllMusic called The Equinox "an album full of stimulating lyrics and well arranged instrumentation."[2] Spin wrote that "the production is rhythmically and melodically expressive."[1] The Chicago Tribune wrote: "Devoid of pop hooks, the album is a gem of underground economy: crisp drum tracks, thunderous bass lines and simple keyboard, horn or guitar loops."[3]
Track listing
[edit]| # | Title | Songwriters | Producer(s) | Performer (s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Interior Assassin's Car, 3:35 AM [Skit]" | *Interlude* | ||
| 2 | "They Don't Want It!" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson | Organized Konfusion | Prince Po |
| 3 | "March 21, 3:45 AM [Skit]" | *Interlude* | ||
| 4 | "9x out of 10" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson | Organized Konfusion | Prince Po, Pharoahe Monch |
| 5 | "Questions" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson, J. Kirkland | Diamond D | Prince Po, Pharoahe Monch |
| 6 | "Soundman" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson, J. Watson | Rasheed | Pharoahe Monch, Prince Po |
| 7 | "Move" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson | Organized Konfusion | Pharoahe Monch, Prince Po |
| 8 | "Confrontations" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson, R. Lemay | Showbiz | Prince Po, Pharoahe Monch |
| 9 | "Life & Malice Exterior, Club, Night [Skit]" | *Interlude* | ||
| 10 | "Numbers" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson, T. Hogan | Casper | Prince Po, Pharoahe Monch |
| 11 | "Shugah Shorty" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson, A. Best, Palmieri, Clash, Palmieri | Buckwild | Prince Po, Pharoahe Monch, Hurricane G |
| 12 | "Interior Car, Night [Skit]" | *Interlude* | ||
| 13 | "Invetro" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson, A. Best | Buckwild | Prince Po, Pharoahe Monch |
| 14 | "Chuck Cheese" | L. Baskerville | Organized Konfusion | Prince Po, Rude One, Tha Ill Rahlos |
| 15 | "Interior, Marisol's Apartment [Skit]" | *Interlude* | ||
| 16 | "Sin" | T. Jamerson, T. Hogan | Casper | Pharoahe Monch |
| 17 | "Hate" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson | Organized Konfusion | Pharoahe Monch, Mike, Prince Po |
| 18 | "March 21, 3:47 AM [Skit]" | *Interlude* | ||
| 19 | "Somehow, Someway" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson, D. Stinson, A. Young, C. Broadus, Webster, Adams, Arrington, Waddington, Turner, Casey | Rockwilder | Prince Po, Pharoahe Monch |
| 20 | "Epilogue" | *Interlude* | ||
| 21 | "United as One" | L. Baskerville, T. Jamerson | Pharoahe Monch, Prince Po, Tha Ill Rahlos |
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[12] | 141 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] | 29 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Reviews". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. October 5, 1997 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "The Equinox - Organized Konfusion | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
- ^ a b Baker, Soren (3 October 1997). "Organized KonfusionThe Equinox (Priority) (star) (star) (star)Organized..." chicagotribune.com.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 330.
- ^ "NME.COM - ORGANIZED KONFUSION - The Equinox - 11/10/97". NME. August 17, 2000. Archived from the original on 2000-08-17.
- ^ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 607–608.
- ^ Tompkins, Dave (October 1997). "Record Report: Organized Konfusion – The Equinox". The Source. New York. p. 176.
- ^ "Pharoahe Monch Talks Organized Konfusion Reunion". HipHopDX. March 28, 2010.
- ^ "Organized Konfusion | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ "Balancing act". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. August 5, 1997 – via Google Books.
- ^ Bynoe, Yvonne (2006). Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture. Greenwood Press. p. 300.
- ^ "Organized Konfusion Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ "Organized Konfusion Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
