Pharoahe Monch PTSD album shares personal struggle

I don't understand Hip Hop any more than my parents understood Rock, the music I liked (and still do) because they were from another generation. I had to look Pharoahe Monch up online when I received an email about a new album. I think it is possible for this to be helpful to the new generation of veterans but I am in no position to judge it. I'll leave that up to you.

After Surviving Wars With The Industry and Depression Pharoahe Monch Prescribes The “P.T.S.D.” Album
All HipHop.com
by Yohance Kyles
March 18th, 2014

(AllHipHop Features) Seeking professional help in addressing mental health issues has long been a taboo subject for many in the Black community. A combination of relying on religious support, limited access to health care, and a tendency to self-medicate has contributed to a culture of complacency for African-Americans when addressing mental illness.

As a microcosm of a greater society, Hip Hop has also often buried its head in the sand when it comes to facing anxiety and mood disorders. The stigma of being perceived as weak or afflicted inaccurately associated with mental illness conflicts with the Alpha male persona that is usually championed in rap music. But it is also hard to ignore the contradiction of Hip Hop’s obsession with celebrating “being real” with its tendency to ignore the real-life concerns of battling depression.

Pharoahe Monch is one member of the Hip Hop community that has chosen to keep it real by revealing his own past complications with mental health issues. Like a true artist, the South Jamaica, Queens emcee used those past experiences to inspire his work. His story about overcoming depression comes in the form of his upcoming concept album P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

“It was a challenge because it forced me to draw upon my health care and mental health,” says Monch. “Before I even started writing, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is going to be a challenge, but this is where an artist needs to be.’ I don’t think an artist can be comfortable. I think an artist should take chances, feel pressure, and try to live up to the ideas they’re trying to bring into fruition.”
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Pharoahe Monch Releases “P.T.S.D.” LP Cover Art, Tracklist And Promo Trailer

matthewwhitlock | March 18, 2014 | 0 Comments

Riding the wave and success of his latest single, “Bad M.F.” Pharoahe Monch blesses his fans with the official tracklist, cover art AND promo trailer for his forthcoming LP, P.T.S.D. One, two, three, bang. Arguably the best emcee in the game just laced us with a tri-fecta of information to get us even more hyped for the big release.

Always a master of the running narrative, Monch will play the storyteller role throughout the LP, posing as an independent artist weary from the war against the industry machine and through the struggle of the black male experience in America. The release will feature guest appearances fromBlack Thought, Talib Kweli, Denaun Porter and production from Lee Stone, Marco Polo, Jesse West and Quelle Chris.

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