Album Notes

Hailing from Chicago's South Side, Monsoon is a gifted lyricist who combines powerful messages with a humorous delivery. His songs are heartfelt and deep, but at the same time they are to the point and easy to identify with. His style and approach are firmly rooted in the fundamentals of Hip Hop culture, at the same time offering a fresh new perspective on life, love, politics, and human nature. Monsoon is an Emcee, not an entertainer, not a thug, and not a pimp. He tells a story with amazing clarity and detail, but is also willing to battle any Emcee who steps up. Monsoon lives for Hip Hop music and culture.

The Chicago underground first got a glimpse of Monsoon as a member of the group "The Chairmen Of The Board." "The Chairmen Of The Board" were formed in 1992 when Monsoon came together with members of the defunct "Chi Rock" crew. He continued to record underground songs and rock shows with the "Chairmen" until 1996 when they split up. At this point, Monsoon hooked up with some friends from the block and the "1200 Crew" was formed. The "1200 Crew" immediately went to work. The result of their labor was the full length album "Trials And Tribulations." "1200" went out and performed anywhere they could in support of their endeavor. Their greatest moment as a group came when they were invited to perform in front of 4,000 people at the Dalton Expo. The crowd loved them and Monsoon gained valuable experience as a live performer. Even though the group had some success, in 1998 they decided to go their separate ways.

1998 marked the beginning of a solo career for Monsoon. For two years he worked with several producers on solo songs. He also collaborated with the group "Costal Elimination" on some tracks. In the year 2000, Monsoon met producer Marcgee at a show featuring Chicago Hip Hop acts. They talked and decided to collaborate on a song. The two made an instant musical connection and Monsoon decided to work exclusively with Marcgee on the production for his first solo album. April 2003 marked the release of that album, "Complex Simplicity."