Hey, look! A new post that isn't a reaction to a Murs album! Finally!
Having released three albums as one of the most celebrated yet underrated hip-hop duos of the 1990s Organised Konfusion, Queensbridge rapper Troy Jameson, who goes by the rather unusual stage name Pharoahe Monch, finally decided it was time to do what a lot of hip-hop heads wanted, and go solo. Working with Prince Po had given him time to out himself as one of the most complex and talented lyricists in the game, and albums like Stress: The Extinction Agenda and Organised Konfusion are testament to this. Or so I'm told - I've never listened to an Organised Konfusion album before. Yes, I know you want to reach through your computer screen and shout at me for daring to speak on hip-hop when I haven't heard the work of those two, but the truth is I am young, and there is a lot of hip-hop I haven't heard yet. However, that's not the main reason I have yet to discover OK's work. The real reason is that their CDs are ridiculously expensive on Discogs for some reason - hell, even the represses seem to go for a hell of a lot if in good condition, and since I hate to stream stuff if there's a CD out there, I've had to give those albums the miss for now.
How the hell did I get into Pharoahe Monch, then? Well, it's a funny story - I was on a free period in college one day, before this blog was even started (I can't imagine a time like that now), and I decided to trawl the charity shops for any cheap CDs. And guess what I found? Internal Affairs? No, but I did find Pharoahe Monch's second album Desire in an Oxfam, and since it was a lot cheaper than the ones on the internet, I bought it there and then. I won't spoil my thoughts on the album, as that's to be saved for the review, but considering I swiftly got into the man's music after, it's probably obvious what the outcome of that was. And that's what leads us to Pharoahe Monch's debut album, the highly celebrated Internal Affairs.
Now, Organised Konfusion tend to be heralded as a legendary duo nowadays, but back in the 1990s they were quite obscure, and so when Pharoahe went solo he couldn't just jump aboard Def Jam or Colombia with a quick look at the doorman - he would have to work for a deal. Around this time, underground label Rawkus Records was starting to pop off, and they'd signed such acts as Mos Def, Company Flow, Talib Kweli and more, and Pharoahe was the perfect fit for the label, being a conscious, experimental and highly talented MC. Rawkus therefore snapped him up, had him appear on some of their compilation albums, managed to get him on the legendary posse cut for up-and-comers - "The Anthem" (which introduced the hip-hop world to Eminem, Tech N9ne, Chino XL and to a lesser degree (as a lot of people already knew about him) Xzibit) - and then managed to get out a debut album for him, with a smash hit lead single, all in the span of one year. Rawkus really were a great label at that time - well, unless your name is El-P, that is.
And, man, what an event for hip-hop Internal Affairs was. Firstly, we have the guest list on here, which is absolutely mind blowing. I mean M.O.P., Canibus, Busta Rhymes, Common, Talib Kweli, Redman, Method Man and Shabaam Sahdeeq mind blowing. Seriously, what a lineup. The producer list was nice as well, as we got contributions from DJ Scratch, Diamond D, The Alchemist and Pharoahe himself, as well as his in-house producer Lee Stone. But most importantly, we finally had a solo album from Pharoahe Monch, and the hype around this LP was immense when it came out. A shame, then, that the man in charge of sample clearance didn't anticipate how big of a single "Simon Says" would be, and didn't bother to licence the "Godzilla" theme music for it, therefore meaning the album was taken out of print shortly after it was released. Still, I managed to get a pristine copy of it, so it must have sold pretty quickly. But were the many that bought it satisfied with their purchase? Well, I can't speak for them, but I'll speak for myself, and the answer is... well, you'll just have to read the review!
1. Intro (prod. DJ Scratch)
Don't you just love it when a rapper tricks you into thinking that you're about to receive an inane pretentious spoken intro, only to instead give you a proper song? I mean, some of the best hip-hop songs ever have come through that, like DMX's "Intro" (from It's Dark and Hell is Hot), Common's "Be (Intro)", and Murs' "Intro" from Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition. And this is up there for sure. DJ Scratch provides one of his more ridiculous instrumentals, and while Pharoahe does talk over it for quite a while, he does at least prove to be a funny and witty character, and not just a dark entity coming at you from the murky waters whilst carrying flames. When we get to the verse, though, is when things really heat up. Yes, it's short, but the manic wordplay and delivery truly show you what a wild ride you're going to be in for. "Smack a nigga in the mouth, stabbed his mother in the eyeball, I brawl like Mike Tys' in his prime. My advice, you think twice before you grime 'cause I'll wink once, your bitch is mine". I mean, what opening lines. I love this one.
2. Behind Closed Doors (prod. Pharoahe Monch)
As much as I love the opener on this LP, I think that this song here is even better. Monch flexes his wordplay over a haunting beat that seems to just get stuck in my head whenever and wherever, and I never get sick of it. Those drums, the piano keys, the weird synths - this is one of the best beats of all time, and the fact that Monch produced it himself is just incredible to me. This one actually does have a hook, but don't fret, as it seems Monch's hook game stands head and shoulders above most lyrical MC's choruses (think Tech N9ne and Eminem). The chorus on here is catchy as all hell, and Monch's two verses are some of the best I have ever heard from the man (bearing in mind I'm yet to listen to Stress: The Extinction Agenda - I'm sorry, OK??). This is one of my favourite songs of this LP, and might be one of my favourites of all time, full stop. "Pharoahe's the host, the audience and the motherfuckin' panellist!!". Classic.
3. Queens (prod. Pharoahe Monch, co-prod. Lee Stone)
One thing you'll notice on this album is that while Pharoahe is generally a conscious MC, a lot of this album leans away from that, and instead focuses on lyrical skills and wordplay. This is one of the exceptions to that rule, as Troy flexes his storytelling abilities over a masterfully poignant instrumental that comes straight from the mind of... Pharoahe again? Man, he should produce more often! Anyway, this one is a little darker, as Pharoahe tells the story of a young dealer named Donovan, who ends up getting shot and killed in a dark and sudden ending that seems to come out of nowhere. The chorus is repeated once at the start, then again at the end, but it's changed to reflect that he himself has changed following the witness of Donovan's death, a change that is perhaps for the worst. A powerful message, and contained in one of my favourite storytelling songs of the '90s. Man, this is dope.
4. Rape (prod. Pharoahe Monch)
Nope, that really is the title. I know, I know. On this one, Pharoahe spins a more aggressive and disturbing approach on Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R.", and spends most of this song talking about how he's effectively going to "rape" the instrumental, and then verbally "rape" the listener. Jesus. This song is actually pretty good too, if uncomfortable to listen to - I mean, Pharoahe's metaphors throughout are well done, and the scratching is also quite cool. The overuse of profanity in the chorus is a bit annoying, but otherwise this is good, and the sort of song that I feel only Pharoahe himself could have pulled off.
5. Simon Says (prod. Pharoahe Monch)
This song is one of the most iconic of the entire hip-hop genre - I mean, if you haven't heard this one then you must have been incredibly unlucky, managing to consistently avoid it when it's seen all over the place in hip-hop media. The Godzilla-sampling instrumental on this one is raw as it gets, and that first shout of "get the fuck up" manages to be both slightly creepy, and yet also incredibly energising. I mean, can you imagine this one not being a hit? I've seen a lot of people say that this is the weakest lyrical performance on the album, but to tell you the truth I don't see why. Pharoahe's bars seem to be as potent as ever, maybe with a little less depth and slightly less complex rhyme schemes - but that doesn't make them worse. And man are the hook and beat on here fire. If only we got Busta Rhymes on here. Or Redman. Or Method Man. I mean, imagine that!...
6. Official (prod. Lee Stone)
Another classic song? How the fuck is this even possible? For this one, Pharoahe seems to have taken influence from a certain Gary Grice song "Labels", as he spends this track including as many sports phrases and athlete names in his bars as possible. The hook on this one is legendary, as is the intense instrumental, and despite the fact that this isn't an entirely original concept, Pharoahe executes it in a way that makes you forget "Labels" ever existed, or "Publicity", which came out before this too. I also love the sort of fake out at the end, where Pharoahe appears to be ending the song with spoken word, before we get the hook, and then aNOTher verse. That's one of my favourite moments on this whole LP. Brilliant song.
7. Hell (feat. Canibus) (prod. Lee Stone)
For the incredible guest list that I mentioned above, it's interesting that it's taken to almost halfway through the LP to get to a feature of any kind. However, Canibus is a great lyricist, and the match up of him and Pharoahe had potential, and this was pretty much what we should have expected from them. The presence of Canibus in the booth seems to have sapped Pharoahe of his hook writing abilities, but at least he seems to keep the phenomenal lyricism we've heard so far on this LP, and that Lee Stone beat is perfect for a song entitled "Hell", as that's exactly what this track feels like. In the best way possible, that is. Pharoahe spits some weird as fuck and occasionally disturbing lyrics here, and Canibus manages to keep up with a phenomenal guest verse that stands as one of his best ever. This track is excellent.
8. No Mercy (feat. M.O.P.) (prod. The Alchemist)
Okay, now the guests seem to be flooding in. And what an epic this one is. Interestingly, The Alchemist originally made this beat for Prodigy (presumably for his debut H.N.I.C.), but Pharaohe heard it and just had to have it for himself, which Prodigy was cool with. A shame we didn't see the pair ever work together - that for sure would have been dope. Anyway, this instrumental is actually perfect for the absolutely enraged Mash Out Posse, who slaughter this one, but unsurprisingly not quite as effectively as Monch, who claims to be "taking the Earth's virginity" on here - that's quite the claim. The hook is great, but it's the verses and instrumental that really make this one of the best tracks on the album. I love the little musical interlude at the start too.
9. Right Here (prod. DJ Scratch)
10. The Next Shit (feat. Busta Rhymes) (prod. Pharoahe Monch, co-prod. Lee Stone)
This song is often regarded as the worst on this whole LP, but I can't really figure out why. Pharoahe provides a groovy instrumental that reminds me of something I can't put my finger on, and manages to stand alongside Busta Rhymes, who if you remember was still in his prime back in '99, just before the disappointing Anarchy album dropped. Both MCs kill this one, and the repetitive chorus works a hell of a lot better than the one on "Hell". Pharoahe Monch's verse is incredibly skilful and technically astonishing, and Busta provides one of my favourite verses I've ever heard from him on here, with the lines "yo, Busta Rhymes, the imperial lyrical you heard, kill like the one syllable word, the criminal of the lyrical killing you pitiful niggas, leaving you in a critical, destroying your mineral" being possibly the best opening bars of any verse on the whole record. I don't care what anyone else thinks - I love this one.
11. The Ass (Introducing Apani) (prod. Diamond)
Every rapper's gotta have a weed carrier, but for Pharoahe's to be a female MC is quite unique - then again, he is a pretty unique guy all round. At first, this track sounds like it's about to be your average sex rap with a slightly more talented MC speaking on his shagging abilities, but when we get to the second chorus, we realise that it's actually something quite different, as we get the lady's view on sexual activities too. Why Pharoahe thought his fans would enjoy having "The Dick!!" screamed down their ears is beyond me, but otherwise I really like this unique approach to a sex song, even if it does end up being the weakest song here thanks to the content. It's still great, but not Pharoahe Monch great.
12. The Light (prod. Diamond)
13. God Send (performed by Organised Konfusion) (prod. Lee Stone, co-prod. Pharoahe Monch)
Of course Troy couldn't go through this LP without inviting his buddy Prince Po along to record a verse. That would be just mean. Lee Stone and Pharoahe himself cook up a futuristic beat for this one, and Pharoahe and Po get a bit political and serious, with Pharoahe choosing to undermine his great singing performance on the last track by some horrific melodies at the beginning of his verse, which he thankfully irons out after a short while. After that, we just get two dope MCs spitting at the top of their games, and Prince Po sounds like a really great rapper from his verse here. Man, I'ma have to listen to Organised Konfusion's stuff soon. Also, another great hook - you know, for a late '90s rap album, these hooks really are excellent.
14. The Truth (feat. Common & Talib Kweli) (prod. Diamond)
The final all-new song on this tracklist, and also the fourth to be titled "The (something)". I don't know, that's just interesting to me. I remember being really hyped about this song on first listen, what with Common being one of my favourite rappers of all time, and this generally being regarded as the best song here, and Common's appearance does make a lot of sense, as this is a conscious track, and Common was doing a bit of music with Rawkus at the time, even if he never officially signed to the label. Diamond D gets behind the boards for this one, and manages to produce the best beat on this whole record, outdoing "Behind Closed Doors", "Simon Says", "No Mercy" and "The Light" - I mean, that's a bloody incredible achievement for starters. And man, do these guys kill it. Pharoahe's verse feels reflective and wise, meanwhile Common's wise man tone never sounded better. I mean, that guy was speaking straight poetry from a young age. Talib Kweli also provides a fantastic verse to finish things off (even if really Pharoahe should have done that). And man are those female vocals nice. This might well be a top 30 hip-hop song of all time. Holy shit this song is good.
15. Simon Says Remix (feat. Lady Luck, Redman, Method Man, Shabaam Sahdeeq & Busta Rhymes) (prod. Pharoahe Monch)
"Simon Says" was such a popular single that Pharoahe managed to get three of the hottest rappers on the planet onto a remix of it, and inevitably this was chosen to be stuck on the end of the project. I would have preferred this on a stand-alone 12", as having the track on the end of the album decreases it's replay value (since we've already heard the original), but this cash grab doesn't stop the song from being great. Pharoahe kicks an all new verse for this one, Redman slaughters it the same way he slaughters everything, and man does Busta murder this one. I almost wish Busta went on earlier, just so I wouldn't have to sit through the whole song just to get to his verse (not that the song is a chore - it's just that Busta's contribution is that good). Again, it's placement here is a bit of a nuisance, but nonetheless this is a great all-star remix that any Busta/Red & Meth fan should check out right away.
With Internal Affairs, Pharoahe Monch showed the world that not only could he handle an album without his partner in rhyme Prince Po, but he could go one step further and produce an absolute classic by himself, and one of the best albums of the 1990s. This album is utterly astonishing. Firstly, we have the beats on here, which range from pretty dope to some of the best instrumentals I've ever heard. I mean, Diamond D deserves to be in lists of top 50 producers of all time, just for that contribution to "The Truth" - and hey, "The Light" ain't half bad either. DJ Scratch's work on here is admittedly not quite as great as some of the beats he had cooked up for Busta Rhymes in the previous three years, but bearing in mind that Busta's work from '96 to '98 is my favourite ever, I think we can give Scratch the benefit of the doubt, and his work here is still very stellar nonetheless. And then we have the beats from Pharoahe Monch and Lee Stone (who often move as one judging by the liner notes), which are incredible as well, especially "Behind Closed Doors" and "Simon Says". How that man can be that good of a producer, and that phenomenal of a rapper is beyond me. And that leads us swiftly onto the rapping, and... based solely on this one album, you could say that Pharoahe Monch was the best rapper alive at this time. Yes, he isn't the best rapper of all time, as he's nowhere near consistent enough, but in 1999, I don't think there's anyone to match the phenomenal lyricism seen here. And for every song where he's just bragging and playing with words, there's another song with proper meaning, like "Queens" or "The Truth". Every single verse from the guy on here is dope, and the features all do their thing as well, with this album being host to two of my favourite Busta Rhymes performances, and possibly the most Common verse that Common ever spit. And make no mistake that the other guests treat their host well too. And, man, for an album that's got such incredible lyrics and beats, these hooks manage to stay up to par almost every time. Yes, there are about three weak ones ("Rape", "Hell" and "The Ass"), but there are far more that are catchy, and tie the song together perfectly. Put simply, this album is a must-listen for any hip-hop fan. Perfect beats, perfect lyrics and near-perfect hooks to make for a very nearly perfect album. This is an undoubtable classic, and proved Pharoahe as an all time great.
Best Tracks: I'll probably end up listing them all, so I'll say that the number one song is "The Truth", and leave it at that.
Worst Tracks: uhh, "The Ass", but only because of that goofy chorus
More Pharoahe Monch to come - and I'll get to those Organised Konfusion albums at some point, don't worry!!
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