Future Classic: Monk.E “Né au Bronx”

In 2007, multidisciplinary artist/contemporary troubadour Monk.E quietly dropped his sophomore set Entre Mektoub et Autodestruction. It documented his transition from vandal to visionary and the path undertaken in order to bridge that chasm.

I met him in the days of the rap dojo on St-Antoine and got to witness his growth firsthand. When he announced his intentions to remix the album alongside MIMS favorite KenLo Craqnuques, I was equal parts jealous and excited: Monk’s the person that introduced me to the world of Craqnuques that largely inspired my own aesthetic. I had a gut feeling that the outcome would nothing short of memorable.

And thus, the original NeoBronx was recalibrated into this iteration of the Monkazoid’s ode to the culture we so very dearly adore. I heard the song maybe once before, in 2009, and it’s haunted me until now. Né au Bronx emanates the same chest-thumping bravado that fuels and motivates without resorting to rap’s typical redundancies. Just goes to show that the finest things in life are meant to be waited for.

Markings

Rapper, producer, autodidact. Editor at Mook Life, host of Artbeat Montreal. HAARYOU!