Odds are good that the parade of absurdities, fantasies, and bizarreness at the RNC last night didn’t excite you about the Trump-Pence ticket, as surrogate after surrogate studiously tried to rewrite history with soaring racism and flag-draped propaganda. You might be looking for a creative fix. A catharsis. The kind of catharsis summed up in a tweet yesterday by one Pharoahe Monch, hip-hop truthteller celebrated for “Simon Says” and many other classics:
A catharsis is an emotional release. According to psychoanalytic theory, this emotional release is linked to a need to relieve unconscious conflicts. For example, experiencing stress over a work-related situation may cause feelings of frustration and tension.
— PHAROAHE MONCH (@pharoahemonch) August 24, 2020
Can’t wait for y’all to (see) this new album. #Th1rt3en
— PHAROAHE MONCH (@pharoahemonch) August 24, 2020
Th1rt3en is Monch’s latest, with Daru Jones and Marcus Machado, and Monch is busy producing what’s promised to be “the most amazing short film in music history.” Mark your calendar. Monch’s team is shooting visuals this month and next, and his music has always been both catharsis and call to action. To millions of fans he’s an engine of solidarity and stamina; immunity-boosting endurance for, say, another night of the RNC. “I alleviated the pain with a long-term goal,” Monch raps in “Simon Says.” Follow him for recharges all week, whether you’re tuned in to the RNC or mercifully, blissfully checked out.