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]

The Equinox
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 23, 1997
RecordedOctober 1996 – August 1997
GenreHip hop
Length62:27
Label
Producer
Organized Konfusion chronology
Stress: The Extinction Agenda
(1994)
The Equinox
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
NME7/10[5]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
The Source[7]
Spin7/10[1]

Background

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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

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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

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# 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

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Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[12] 141
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 29

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Reviews". SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. October 5, 1997 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b "The Equinox - Organized Konfusion | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ^ a b Baker, Soren (3 October 1997). "Organized KonfusionThe Equinox (Priority) (star) (star) (star)Organized..." chicagotribune.com.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 330.
  5. ^ "NME.COM - ORGANIZED KONFUSION - The Equinox - 11/10/97". NME. August 17, 2000. Archived from the original on 2000-08-17.
  6. ^ The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. 2004. pp. 607–608.
  7. ^ Tompkins, Dave (October 1997). "Record Report: Organized Konfusion – The Equinox". The Source. New York. p. 176.
  8. ^ "Pharoahe Monch Talks Organized Konfusion Reunion". HipHopDX. March 28, 2010.
  9. ^ "Organized Konfusion | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  10. ^ "Balancing act". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. August 5, 1997 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Bynoe, Yvonne (2006). Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture. Greenwood Press. p. 300.
  12. ^ "Organized Konfusion Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  13. ^ "Organized Konfusion Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2016.