Pharoahe Monch Premieres “Clap” From W.A.R. Album Live In London (Video)

Following an energetic, sold-out show at London’s Jazz Cafe last week, masterful lyricist Pharoahe Monch took to the airwaves of Kiss 100′s Hip Hop Show on Sunday, hosted by Shortee Blitz and DJ MK.

The interview incited a spontaneous live in-studio premiere performance – captured below – of Pharoahe’s new song titled ‘Clap’, produced by M-Phazes with Showtime on the chorus, from his forthcoming album W.A.R. (We Are Renegades), having performed the song live for the first time ever onstage at the Jazz Cafe a few nights earlier.

“It was incredible,” Monch told SoulCulture of his debut performance of ‘Clap’ in London. “That song is like a year and some change in the making – not that it took me a year to write it, but I found the beat on tour in Australia.

“I started writing over it after the Sean Bell incident and it was loosely based on police brutality. It’s still pretty loose around that – American corruption and police brutality.”

‘Clap’ was particularly inspired by the cases of Aiyana Jones, Oscar Grant and Sean Bell – “All young black people who were murdered by police officers in the States,” the Queens, NY emcee explains. “You feel helpless when this happens and the police never get charged with these crimes.”

W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) is due for release in February 2011 via Duck Down Records/W.A.R. Media.

Photography by Neil Raja for SoulCulture.
Special thanks to Shortee Blitz – look out for his Mr Blitz TV show, coming soon…