th1rt3en with Pharoahe Monch Drop “A Magnificent Day for an Exorcism” (Review)

Pharoahe Monch’s super-group t1rt3en recently released their debut album entitled “A Magnificent Day for an Exorcism”. The title accurately describes the mind-meld and destruction of preconceptions that happens after one listens through this LP. This album is undoubtedly an end-to-end burner that requires multiple listens to dissect the vocal mastery that is Pharoahe Monch. The complex storytelling and visuals set over the dark instrumentals are like watching a feature slasher film, but hoping there isn’t one in the audience while you do.

Who is th1rt3en?

The band first got on my radar when the “Palindrome” single surfaced in 2019. Pharoahe Monch however had been a familiar lyrical assassin to my ears since he teamed up with Prince Po to let us know that we have to “Crush, Kill, Destroy…Stress”. News soon dropped that th1rt3en was working on a full-length debut which had me curious of the direction their album would go.

The name of the band is inspired by the stylization of Megadeth’s 13th album titled “Thirteen”. The band is comprised of Pharoahe Monch on lead-vocals, Daru Jones (drummer for Jack White), and guitarist Marcus Machado (Anderson .Paak). The pedigree and skills of the trio shine on this dense, detailed, and multi-layered work of art. Despite the complexity of the album, none of the three artists crowd each other out. Allowing for one another to breathe life and direction into the project.

Another Rap/Rock Combo or Something Different?

Hip Hop and Rock combos go back a long way. In the 1980s Run DMC teamed up with Aerosmith on “Walk This Way” and the rest was history. Since then we’ve seen some other successful collaborations between the genres such as the Judgment Night soundtrack, Public Enemy and Anthrax, Cypress Hill “Rock Superstar, and Jay Z and Linkin Park.

However, for every successful Hip Hop and Rock collab there are dozens of others that seemed forced and inauthentic. I wasn’t concerned that this would be the case based on the “Palindrome” single, and this release refuted every aspect of my fears. Often times, the rap and rock combo results in the rapper fitting into the construct of overproduced rock music. The result being nothing that sounds like a true hip hop album.

Pharoahe Monch recently told Spin that “This has been a passion project of mine for over 15 years. Conceptually, I was thinking about it and putting it together from over 10 years ago and during the culmination realized that I would need 2 assassins, two accomplished musicians, that would help authenticate the sound that I desired.”

“A Magnificent Day for An Exorcism”

The album’s cover showing a man being bound at the eyes by the weight of a television set is enough to give me nightmares. Nonetheless, the album content itself is not for anyone looking to do the Diddy dance in shiny green pants.

The macabre theme of the album is reinforced by songs titled Cult 45, 666 (Three Six Word Stories), Fight, Scarecrow, Kill ‘Em All Again, Kill Kill Kill. Despite the dark theme, the album deeply explores some of the most taboo topics in society. Mass shootings, racism, white supremacy, and the alt-right are all targeted in the dazzling wordplay that Pharoahe Monch delivers.

Pharoahe has always been a rapper that goes deep into the minds of the characters of his first-person storytelling. On the track The Magician, he presents the perspective of a would-be mass-shooter. Presenting the view of the antagonist as a victim of bullies, only to eventually fantasize about walking into a theater and making people “disappear”.

Racist, is a deep look inside the mind of a sinister racist, that involves a splash of time travel. There’s a lot to unpack on this one, and the beat changes throughout give the listeners enough to chew on during multiple listens.

As always, Pharoahe Monch brings a master’s class delivery, technical flow, word-play, similes, metaphors, entendre, puns, and the kitchen sink. While many might not know his catalog as much as a rap legend like Eminem, I would certainly argue that Pharoahe Monch is easily in the conversation for the greatest technical rapper of all time.

The beauty of his highly technical style though is he always maintains a story with a message. Something most rappers from the battle-ridden 90s hip hop scene could never quite accomplish.

Conclusion

The trio does an amazing job ensuring the music maintains a grimey hip hop sound. The mixing of the drums and the calculated heavy guitar usage creates one of the most hard-hitting rap/rock albums of all-time. In fact, I still consider this a pure hip hop album in spirit. The album is a rebellious mix of hip hop, rock elements, and effects including the panning of creepy whispers, backwards spun lyrics, and reverberating distortions to make your skull vibrate. Pharaohe Monch’s vision and decision to wait for the right 2 musical assassins to bring the noise could not have been more accurate.

The debut by th1rt3en should be carefully studied for its socially relevant content and insights, but also celebrated for its soundscape and the musical accomplishment that it is. “A Magnificent Day for an Exorcism” will leave you in a reframed mindset, and it will be for the better of all.

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