Evaluating the Greatness of Organized Konfusion: Stress: TEA

djjeffresh · Post by **djjeffresh** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:45 pm

Where does Stress: The Extinction Agenda rank in terms of other great hip hop albums?

94 was an excellent year for hip hop albums, but this one always stood out for me. i had never heard anything quite like it. like Illmatic, it was well produced, had a unified, singular sound, crazy original lyricism, and it was short--leaving us wanting more.

some of you old-schoolers will probably come and say their first album was better/more important, but seriously, come on.

overall, how great was Organized Konfusion: The Extinction Agenda?

multsanta · Post by **multsanta** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:01 pm

It is great on a scale of not great to great.

godmc · Post by **godmc** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:08 pm

it gets the most replay from me out of the two.

drizzle · Post by **drizzle** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:16 pm

multsanta wrote:It is great on a scale of not great to great.

jamrage · Post by **jamrage** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:45 pm

godmc wrote:it gets the most replay from me out of the two.

Uh, there were three O.K. albums:

Organized Konfusion
Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Equinox

godmc · Post by **godmc** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:54 pm

jamrage wrote:
godmc wrote:it gets the most replay from me out of the two.
Uh, there were three O.K. albums:

Organized Konfusion
Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Equinox

"some of you old-schoolers will probably come and say their first album was better/more important, but seriously, come on."

equinox doesn't count in this topic. damn, that was almost insulting. shame on you.

nojiveturkey · Post by **nojiveturkey** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 5:28 pm

Stress Extinction Agenda is my favrite of the three and gets more rotation. Love that Buckwild production on SEA, but some tracks kinda get soft after bring it on. But thats me.

DredScott · Post by **DredScott** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:41 pm

classic lp to me.

prolly in my top 10 albums now that i think about it.

the crazy thing about this and the production on here is that i vaguely remember hearing from somewhere/someone that alotta the original beats couldn't get cleared due to the samples used so buck and them had to revamp like half of the songs with different beats. it's ill that despite that they still had some great production

and for the record, the equinox gets hated on way too fucking much. some of OK's best cuts in their entire catalog are on there.

Thun · Post by **Thun** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:57 pm

The hate on Equinox is amazing considering some of the bullshit that gets sweated here because its "vinyl only" or "rare"...

godmc · Post by **godmc** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:28 pm

if the "hate" comments were somehow drawn from my comment, let me state for the record: i really like equinox album, and i only said it doesn't count in this topic because were weren't talking about it and the album in question was referenced with their first lp. also because someone pointed out that they had three albums as if i didn't know - no offense.

stype_ones · Post by **stype_ones** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:25 pm

Stress: TEA is truly an amazing album. While I do love their first album, to me this one is the better of the 2. I actually had a discussion about this with Bobbito on his blog.

OKגs first release, the self titled album, was amazing. Although, I favored the demo for גAudience Pleasersג and the remix for גWalk into the Sunג, the album was seminal and was one of many early 90גs treats for all fans of hip hop.. Their third album, Equinox was, I thought, slept on. It is not their best work, in fact in the trilogy, it is my least favorite and I am sure many people have a similar opinion. No doubt tracks like גInvetroג (amazing!) גNumbersג and גSomehow, Somewayג are really great songs, but overall the album simply was not that good.

However, their 2nd album, Stress: The Extinction Agenda, has to go down as one of the best albums in hip hop history. Released in 94, its easy for a lot of heads to overlook the album. It was then and it is now. But I will tell you, that album is a magnum opus. The production and overall theme is much darker than their first effort. I know Monchגs father had just passed, and the group was dealing with label issues and the just the general dramas/stresses of life. Whatever it was, they just hit it on the head with each and every track. And although the album has some darker moments, there are also happier, more up-lifitng themes on tracks like גLetגs Organizeג and one of my favorites ג3-2-1″. The closing track גMaintainג is inspirational and I think really captures everything they were feeling at the time of recording the album. גStray Bulletג was just beyond genius and the Extra P remix for גStressג has to go down as one of the best remixes, up there with Peteגs גShut Em Downג and many others.

I was happy Monch got some commercial success in the late 90גs and hopefully him and Prince can settle differences they may have and make some more great music together. Monchגs new album from last year was really dope, and again, slept on.

I saw OK live once with Co Flow at SOBגs back in like 97. One of the more memorable live performances I have seen.

abstractq · Post by **abstractq** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:33 pm

Equinox was pretty dope all things considered. A lot of solid conceptual joints on there like invetro and what not

it wont never compare to the extinction agenda tho. Monch was on some other shit experimenting with the flow on that album really pushing the boundaries

as far as settling differences with po, i think theyre having their first performance together in maaaad years soon

stype_ones · Post by **stype_ones** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:54 pm

YO, whats good abstractq?

Jaz · Post by **Jaz** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:25 pm

I like all of the OK albums, but Stress is my favourite from them, I'm glad I own it on CD and I remember the day I bought it and running home to play it loud on my stereo.

Memory Man · Post by **Memory Man** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:33 pm

Stress is my favorite Organized album overall, but Hyponotical Gases and Prisoners Of War are still my 2 favorite songs by them.

cenzi · Post by **cenzi** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:07 am

nojiveturkey wrote:Stress Extinction Agenda is my favrite of the three and gets more rotation. Love that Buckwild production on SEA, but some tracks kinda get soft after bring it on. But thats me.

I agree completely, its becasue Bring it On is top5 hardest hiphop tracks eva.

kimani · Post by **kimani** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:08 am

Definitely Classic status in my opinion, really tough for me to choose (if I had to) between this and the debut LP, they are held in different lights for me, but this one probably gets more listens due to the fact that it very obviously built to flow as one unit and could be called a concept album.

jamrage · Post by **jamrage** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:32 am

godmc wrote:
jamrage wrote:
godmc wrote:it gets the most replay from me out of the two.
Uh, there were three O.K. albums:

Organized Konfusion
Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Equinox
"some of you old-schoolers will probably come and say their first album was better/more important, but seriously, come on."

equinox doesn't count in this topic. damn, that was almost insulting. shame on you.

You're backpedalling like a motherfucker in this thread.

How am I supposed to know what you may or may not know?

I enjoy all three albums.

godmc · Post by **godmc** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:55 am

jamrage wrote:
godmc wrote:
jamrage wrote:
godmc wrote:it gets the most replay from me out of the two.
Uh, there were three O.K. albums:

Organized Konfusion
Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Equinox
"some of you old-schoolers will probably come and say their first album was better/more important, but seriously, come on."

equinox doesn't count in this topic. damn, that was almost insulting. shame on you.

You're backpedalling like a motherfucker in this thread.

How am I supposed to know what you may or may not know?

I enjoy all three albums.

i also enjoy each of their albums. tea is definitely my favorite by far out of the three.

cenzi · Post by **cenzi** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:01 am

I actually liked Equinox best. It's very clear where as the other two are, respectively, rugged and chaotic.

jamrage · Post by **jamrage** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:17 am

godmc wrote:
jamrage wrote:
godmc wrote:
jamrage wrote:
godmc wrote:it gets the most replay from me out of the two.
Uh, there were three O.K. albums:

Organized Konfusion
Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Equinox
"some of you old-schoolers will probably come and say their first album was better/more important, but seriously, come on."

equinox doesn't count in this topic. damn, that was almost insulting. shame on you.

You're backpedalling like a motherfucker in this thread.

How am I supposed to know what you may or may not know?

I enjoy all three albums.

i also enjoy each of their albums. tea is definitely my favorite by far out of the three.

abstractq · Post by **abstractq** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:08 pm

pradadon wrote:YO, whats good abstractq?

aint nothin man

the homie dapublisher put me on to this place a lil while ago

i see you found ya way over too

Jonny · Post by **Jonny** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:38 pm

I put the rmx's as all time great like it was said above the Xtra P Stress rmx is one the best ever easily imo and the same can be said for the Bring It On rmx. I thought the album version was the shit until I heard the rmx. Monch was fucking retarded. I love that shit.

There are some great cuts nothing weak I can remember or I'm blanking them out. The album is solid, production was good (i'd love to hear the og versions) rhymes obviously solid....something about it to me at the time seemed like a collage of styles that had already been done. Like a little bit of everything good. I havent listened to it in a long time. I bump the rmx's all the time tho.

thewool · Post by **thewool** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:06 am

abstractq wrote:Equinox was pretty dope all things considered. A lot of solid conceptual joints on there like invetro and what not

it wont never compare to the extinction agenda tho. Monch was on some other shit experimenting with the flow on that album really pushing the boundaries

as far as settling differences with po, i think theyre having their first performance together in maaaad years soon

Only realised how much I loved Stress:TEA recently when I was putting a best of OK/Monch/PP compilation together. Every track from TEA made it on to the playlist - says it all really.

On The Equinox - I edited together a 'tracks only' version of this album last year, removing the narratives/skits, fading where required, then adding the unreleased 'Passion' into the mix. When listened to like this the album was a lot doper but obviously doesn't have the themeatic thread running through it.

Loki · Post by **Loki** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:21 pm

i need to know why cats don't point to Sin from The Equinox as one of Monch's best performances EVAR

DredScott · Post by **DredScott** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:27 pm

Loki wrote:i need to know why cats don't point to Sin from The Equinox as one of Monch's best performances EVAR

"sin" is indeed one of monch's best performances...

and prince po's verse on "hate" is also one of his best performances as well. kids sleep on that verse, he fuckin murdered monch on that joint.

Verge · Post by **Verge** » Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:09 pm

Stress is definitely my favorite album from them. But all their albums are great to me.
Check this bullshit out-
When the Equinox dropped, Organized did an in store at Fat Beats. So, I was staying with my Moms in Matawan New Jersey that night, about a 50 minute train ride to the city. I was like 20 at the time and had been a fan since Fudge Pudge came out, so I couldn't wait to meet these cats and get autographs or whatever.
It was raining, I had on one of those black Columbia rain coats with the turquoise and purple on the inside like in the Gangstarr Mass Appeal video. I brought my little Sony boombox and my pockets were full of Stretch n Bobbito and WNYU tapes, like any other day.
So, I get to Fat Beats and I knew a few cats that worked there so I got someone to give me one of the promotional posters for the Equinox album. I had also brought my gold Pilot paint marker. So, I met them(was surprised by Pharoah's lack of hair) and got the poster signed with that marker. Shit was pretty great.

So, I get back on the NJ Transit to go back to my Mom's house. I don't remember exactly what drug I was on at this time(yes I do but I'm not telling), but I nodded off and woke up right as they were about to leave from my stop. So, I jumped up, ran down the train car and just barely made my way off at my stop.
Phew, right? Man, as soon as the train started rolling away, I must have turned pale and had a lump in my throat. I left every fucking thing on the train. A bag of about $100 of records with the signed poster, my boombox, my tapes that I had put in the bag by then. Shit, I even left my damn rain coat up in that bitch. And it was raining. What a fucked up feeling that was.
I knew there was no way I was gonna get my shit back. As soon as I got home, I called NJ Transit but couldn't get anyone on the phone. The next day, I went up to their headquarters in Newark, Penn Station. They had a Lost n Found room. It was completely empty.
:fail:

bignormy · Post by **bignormy** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:23 pm

I was always bothered by the title "Invetro" because it showed an obvious lack of understanding of what the term "In vitro" means. Although people love to give some convoluted explanation that is really a stretch. 'see the fetus is in such a terrible environment it's like it's an artificial lab setting or some kind of experiment, see'....

I felt nitpicky back then, I remember Rasassination bothering me because of factual scientific errors in the lyrics (in addition to being an awful album in the first place, of course)

Funny how this turned into an equinox thread. I remember it dropped the same day as EPMD "Back in Business." There were some big release days that year, most of all BlackStar / Aquemini / Brand Nubian reunion.

DredScott · Post by **DredScott** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:39 pm

bignormy wrote:I was always bothered by the title "Invetro" because it showed an obvious lack of understanding of what the term "In vitro" means. Although people love to give some convoluted explanation that is really a stretch. 'see the fetus is in such a terrible environment it's like it's an artificial lab setting or some kind of experiment, see'....

I felt nitpicky back then, I remember Rasassination bothering me because of factual scientific errors in the lyrics (in addition to being an awful album in the first place, of course)

Funny how this turned into an equinox thread. I remember it dropped the same day as EPMD "Back in Business." There were some big release days that year, most of all BlackStar / Aquemini / Brand Nubian reunion.

yeah there was a 2-3 week period that september where "back in business", "one day it'll all make sense", "when disaster strikes..." and "the equinox" all dropped. i'm lucky i had birthday money to cop all that shit but man i was damn near broke by the end of the month but i was rocking all the new shit...

Verge · Post by **Verge** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:33 pm

bignormy wrote:Funny how this turned into an equinox thread. I remember it dropped the same day as EPMD "Back in Business." There were some big release days that year, most of all BlackStar / Aquemini / Brand Nubian reunion.

I was living in Arizona from April of 1998 to June of 1999. Obviously I was in Jersey when Equinox dropped, which I thought was 97.
In April of 1998, right before I got on the greyhound to AZ, I copped the Gangstarr - Moment Of Truth tape and I could swear it was the week it dropped. There was controversy about Aquemini getting the cover and 5 mics in The Source instead of the Gangstarr. I could also swear that the Blackstarr and Brand Nubian came out when I was in AZ, which was 98.

Did my warped mind conjure up all this info or did you get the release dates confused on those?