In 1999, Pharoahe Monch released one of my favourite hip-hop albums of all time, Internal Affairs. Fresh off some highly praised albums as part of Organised Konfusion (with Prince Po), Pharoahe entered the solo game on the highly regarded Rawkus Records, and what came out of this partnership was a project full of brilliant punchlines, excellent flows, passionate deliveries, catchy hooks, and some of the dopest production to be found anywhere in the late '90s. Heck, even the feature list was phenomenal. Internal Affairs was and is a masterpiece of hip-hop, one that is recognised today as having some of the sharpest performances on the mic ever. And so you can imagine the disappointment one would feel when it turned out Pharaohe wouldn't release another album for eight goddamn years. Dammit!
Of course, we can't blame this on Monch entirely - not only did he already have an extensive number of performances under his belt as part of Organised Konfusion, but also his label was slowly but surely going down the pan as the early 2000s rolled past. He did manage to score a minor hit in this time, with a Mos Def/Nate Dogg collaboration "Oh No" that appeared on one of Rawkus' many compilation albums, but unfortunately the label itself was slowly but surely revealing itself as a money hungry corporation that was out to turn its fantastic artists into mainstream tragedies. Thankfully, the plan didn't work, and most artists (see Mos Def, El-P, Talib Kweli etc.) left before this could happen. Monch was among these, and after a short time period without a deal, in 2006 he hooked up with major label Universal Motown. His mixtape The Awakening followed shortly after, and finally in June of 2007 (right as the infamous 50 Cent vs Kanye sales battle was beginning) he was able to release a follow up album to the incredible Internal Affairs. And thank God it wasn't Internal Affairs 2. No, this album was called Desire, and clearly it was a different beast entirely.
The album cover itself here could bring up memories of a certain Internal Affairs, since it features Pharoahe sporting gear over his face to appear as though he's a body double from The Mummy or The Invisible Man - of course, Internal Affairs featured him interpolating another famous film - Apocalypse Now. However, the colour schemes themselves that are present on this album cover appear to be completely different - that album had dark reds and blacks, but this cover looks far tamer in terms of its colours. It's paler and non-confrontational, and that does admittedly transition over to the music on here, which is less hardcore and more conscious than what appeared on Internal Affairs. The feature list on this thing looks interesting too - there are no MCs dropping verses on here (although Mr. Porter shows up a couple of times for singing duties). Instead, we get appearances from Showtyme, Mela Machinko, Erykah Badu, Dwele, Tone and something called "Tower Of Power" - aside from the latter these guys and gals have all worked with rappers before, but none of them would warrant the stamp of a "hip-hop artist" in any case. The producer list looks a little stronger though - The Alchemist, Black Milk, Lee Stone, Mr. Porter and Pharoahe himself all show up for beats here, alongside some artists I'm not so familiar with, like Davel "Bo" McKenzie and Grind Music. Interesting stuff.
Surprisingly, this was the first Pharoahe Monch album I ever heard, after I picked it up at an Oxfam one day during a free period at college. But was it a worthy introduction, or an album that turned out to pale in comparison to its predecessor? Let's take a look.
1. Intro (prod. T. Jamerson)
In case you're wondering, Todd Jamerson is Pharoahe Monch's real name, and that is how he's credited for production throughout the booklet. This intro serves the purpose of introducing the concept of the next track, and with that in mind it's fine - did it really need to be a separate track though? Because I really don't think it did.
2. Free (prod. Davel "Bo" McKenzie AKA 99 Fingaz, co-prod. Kellen "J. Clyde" Ford)
The first actual song on here features Pharoahe spitting over a beat produced by two people I've never heard of (or at least their names don't ring a bell - and admittedly they're not exactly ones to stick in the mind), and surprisingly it's fucking dope. The beat here is triumphant and works excellently with the sample that recites the chorus, and to top that off Pharoahe seems just as sharp as ever on the mic. His bars mostly are about relating the mainstream rap industry to slavery, with some pretty interesting comparisons in there, and with a little bragging in there too for good measure. Some of these bars could seem a little over the top (like when he insinuates that every time you clear a sample the money goes to the KKK), but that doesn't change the overall strength of his message. The chorus isn't my favourite on the album, but it does it's job, and the beat and verses really are quite incredible. This is a brilliant way to start things up.
3. Desire (feat. Showtyme) (prod. The Alchemist)
4. Push (feat. Showtyme, Mela Machinko & Tower Of Power) (prod. T. Jamerson)
5. Welcome To the Terrordome (prod. Grind Music)
Why on Earth would you want to name yourself "Grind Music"? Just... why? Anyhow, the production on here is actually pretty great, and still very triumphant and loud, in keeping with the mood of the last few tracks - the difference here is that it feels more confrontational, as does Pharoahe's flow and delivery throughout the song. And there's a very good reason for that - the first verse is a straight-up cover of Chuck D's opening verse on Public Enemy's classic song "Welcome to the Terrordome"! I mean, the hell? The second verse is one Pharaohe actually wrote, though, and that one's pretty great, even if rhyming "been rotten" and "Bin Laden" feels a bit off somehow. The verse is good, and I love this beat, but that first verse does take away from my enjoyment here. A cover, Pharoahe? Really?
6. What It Is (prod. T. Jamerson, co-prod. Lee Stone)
On the back cover of this album, the tracklist appears over a picture of Pharoahe's face - it's worth noting that while all the previous tracks appeared on his forehead, the rest of the songs from here on appear below his eyes, and there's quite a big gap between the two sections of the project. That's pretty interesting, and it seems that wasn't just a design idea - this album does have a pretty different sound from here on. This track makes this incredibly evident, as instead of rich instruments and triumphant beats, this song is backed by a dark bass and disjointed drums that make for something a hell of a lot dirtier than what we've heard so far. Still, I love it, especially when Pharoahe appears to go mentally insane in the second verse, at least judging by his manic delivery. I mean, that second verse might well be my favourite on the whole album. And while it seems weird at first, the beat here will grow on you by the second. Easily one of the best songs here.
7. When the Gun Draws (feat. Mr. Porter) (prod. Mr. Porter)
Given some of the more violent lyrics in the previous track, you might have expected this song to be some aggressive shit that's gonna get the listener begging for their life - but no. Instead, this is a social commentary on gun violence in America, where in the verses Pharoahe raps from the perspective of a bullet, dropping lyrical gems such as "killed kings in Tennessee, presidents in Dallas" and "when I kill kids they say shame on me / who the fuck told you to put they names on me?". And Pharoahe's great performance on here is enhanced by Mr. Porter's dark instrumental that sounds exactly like something he would make - imagine Eminem's production work but with a bit more life. Even his weird-ass singing doesn't hurt this one. This right here is a fantastic song.
8. Let's Go (feat. Mela Machinko) (prod. Black Milk)
9. Body Baby (prod. T. Jamerson)
10. Bar Tap (feat. Mela Machinko) (prod. Black Milk)
The second and final Black Milk contribution on this project is a far more mellow affair than what we heard on "Let's Go", but it's still pretty interesting, with a melody similar to what we heard on "Star *69 (PS With Love)" from Common's Electric Circus album - anyone else hear that? This track is very similar to "The Light" from Pharoahe's Internal Affairs, as it follows him meeting a girl at a club and getting into a relationship with her - the difference is, he got someone to sing the chorus for him this time, which wasn't necessary really considering his surprisingly stellar hook on "The Light". This song doesn't stand out as much as that classic in the Pharoahe catalogue, but it still works as a fun, relaxing track about meeting a woman at a bar - seriously, I really enjoy this one. It's just so chilled out, and sounds really sweet. Of course, it helps that Pharoahe doesn't stray into misogynistic territory on here, which is an area a lot of rappers seem to helplessly fall into during these types of songs. Yeah, I enjoy this one.
11. Hold On (feat. Erykah Badu) (prod. Lee Stone)
Pharoahe enlists the album's most notorious guest to assist with this song that tells the story of a young girl who faced racial injustice and bullying when she was young, only to push through it and become her own powerful person. It's a wonderful tale that Pharoahe executes beautifully, despite a "back of your mind like a receding hairline" metaphor (come on, man), and the beautiful production and excellent Erykah performance only help it along. I don't have much more to say - this is a brilliant track.
12. So Good (prod. T. Jamerson)
A relaxing love cut that's honestly kind of underwhelming if I'm being honest. There's really just not much to enjoy about this one. The self-produced instrumental is pretty laid back, and features a stomp-clap rhythm that doesn't really go anywhere, and Pharoahe's bars are very simplistic - there are also very few of them in the first place. Also, the chorus is bloody annoying. However, I still appreciate this song's placement, as it completes the story of the past few songs. "Body Baby" - Pharoahe wants to meet a girl. "Bar Tap" - Pharoahe does meet a girl, and they get together. "Hold On" - the girl tells Pharoahe about her past and some of her darker memories, showing that she trusts him. "So Good" - the pair are in a happy, loving relationship. That's just my interpretation of the situation anyway.
13. Trilogy (Act I feat. Mr Porter, Act II feat. Dwele, Act III feat. Tone) (prod. Mr. Porter)
So, I guess he ended up marrying the woman whom he met in "Bar Tap". She then cheated on him, leading him to murder her and the guy she cheated with, who happened to be one of Monch's old friends. That's what I got from this 9 and a half minute epic, anyway, a song that's honestly my favourite on the whole album. The song is split into three parts - in the first, the beat is more conventional for Mr. Porter, with an ominous chorus and a verse where Pharoahe comes home to his wife and friend both dead - the verse reads as though he's just learned of this information, but later in the song it's revealed that this is far from the case. The second part is more mellow, as he details the murder of his friend who cheated, and then the third part has a more upbeat yet still ultimately dark instrumental, where he murders his wife, or perhaps gets someone else to do it for him? I think that's what happens. The story is brilliantly written and incredibly engaging, and Mr. Porter's work on production throughout the track is absolutely perfect too. What a way to end the album, man. Jeez.
The following song is a hidden track on my pressing of the album. The song begins as track 14, but with a 30 second silence at the start.
14. Agent Orange (prod. Sa-Ra)
Over a weird synth-laden beat from Sa-Ra that sounds pretty much nothing like the rest of the album, Pharoahe decides to get political again, with lyrics about pissing on the White House lawns and the injustice of chemical warfare in other countries. The song seems like some kind of war cry, with the "Y'all ready to rock? We ready to rock!" bridges exemplifying this - and it works. The beat on here is very exciting, and Pharoahe does a great job with the verses too. Honestly, this could have had a place on the actual album.
For a guy who hadn't really put out any music for almost eight years, Pharoahe Monch sure as hell did come back with a bang. While not on the level of phenomenal that Internal Affairs was, Desire is still a fantastic and very concise listen, with great concepts, music and rapping throughout. Pharoahe enlisted quite a few vocalists to put in some small contributions on here to enhance and not take away from his own performances, whilst also bringing in some brilliant producers to create rich, soulful, and often absolutely bangin' beats that fit the mood of the lyrics perfectly 100% of the time. Firstly, this album is very diverse. It starts off with some soulful, triumphant, revolutionary tracks about pushing, being free and realising your desires (see what I did there?), before moving into some of the darker, more aggressive content after that with "What It Is" and "When the Gun Draws". After some serious content, we get some fun with "Let's Go" and "Body Baby", the latter of which leads us into a story that makes up the remainder of this tracklist, closing things off with one of the strongest 9 minute songs in existence. I mean, Jesus "Trilogy" was good. And to make the brilliant pacing of this project even better, nearly every song sounds fantastic, with rich production and passionate vocal performances all round from our host and the features. Yes, there are some odd moments, like "Push" and "Body Baby", and sure, you could argue that "So Good" is skippable and I wouldn't contradict, but most of these songs are unquestionably great, filled with lyrical gems, catchy hooks and brilliant production. Seriously, I can't praise this thing enough - it's a great album all round, and any fan of Pharoahe Monch should without doubt check this one out. Pharoahe has always been an astounding rapper, and when you mix that with some truly intriguing concepts the results are bound to be phenomenal. This is truly the best charity shop find I've ever purchased. Nice work, Pharoahe. Nice work.
Best Tracks: Free, Desire, What It Is, When the Gun Draws, Let's Go, Hold On, Trilogy, Agent Orange
Worst Tracks: So Good
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