Pharoahe Monch

Pharoahe Monch, the more dynamic member of the ultra-underground duo Organized Konfusion released Internal Affairs, his first solo project, in late 1999. Pharoahe, a lyrical mastermind and card-carrying subterranean hip-hopper for eight years plus, possesses the ability to convey a message through painting clear pictures with his rhymes, even when the palette has a smaller range of colors. On Internal Affairs, Pharoahe does well to mix his colors, adding another subtle shade to hip-hop. This album's seismic single, "Simon Says," allowed the legendary Pharoahe Monch to taste from the cup of crossover exposure with only slight alterations in style. Organized Konfusion albums, and Pharoahe's work in particular, were always met with critical acclaim, primarily on the strength of lyrics. In the end, however, taking the road less traveled forced Pharoahe to watch as his less talented contemporaries saturated music culture. On Internal Affairs, Pharoahe alternates between the abstract and the formulaic quite seamlessly; the abstract cuts contain commercial aspects and vice versa. There's a lot of experimentation musically here, but nothing that could not reach the ears of the ever-expanding and increasingly salacious masses. Beat jewels are laid by the double-dutied Pharoahe, and Lee Stone and Diamond of DITC fame. The absence of recognizable sampling is an underground rubric, and Pharoah stays true to it. Sequencing on the album is layered and innovative. While both versions of "Simon Says" are hardcore club hits that favor repeat listening, "The Truth" may be the most listenable track for its sound and message alike. Internal Affairs inspires a range of impressions with a premillennial buzz of frenetic energy, which is illustrated by its extraterrestrial tone. Here is a mixture of subtle thug-ism, storytelling, and poetry of desperation. [Internal Affairs was also released in a "clean" edition, containing no profanities or vulgarities.] ~ M.F. DiBella, All Music Guide