He'll need a whole new set of robes now that Pharoahe Monch is back in order. When it comes to wedding the introspection of 'backpack' hip hop to the extroversion of the mainstream, Kanye West usually claims the role of head officiator. Some of its weaker moments, and that includes the title track, involve speededup soul samples and braggadocio, but for the most part, Desire is executed with great flair. Whereas Internal Affairs put a sharp edge on the late-Nineties underground sound, this album flaunts the sort of super-slick production usually found on a Jay-Z party record. It's not all brooding social commentary, though. When he gets political on 'Free' and 'When the Gun Draws' - in which he imagines himself as a bullet in flight - Monch does so with precision and authority it is apt that he has chosen to (very effectively) re-engineer 'Welcome to the Terrordome' by those masters of the hip-hop polemic, Public Enemy. ![]() With its finger-snapping beat, tumbling piano and a spirited impersonation of the King on the chorus, it's as catchy as hell and Monch patterns his razor-sharp verses with gleeful invention. The brilliant, Elvis-channelling new single 'Body Baby' screams 'Yes!'. Writing for last year's P Diddy album marked a further low, albeit a lucrative one, but now, finally, Pharoahe Monch is back with a second album. Label politics forced him to shelve a project in 2005. That chart position betrays the impact of the heavy-hitting anthem, a hip-hop staple and Monch’s definitive pop culture contribution. Pharoahe went on to release a superior solo album at the tail-end of the decade, but since Internal Affairs, things have been all too quiet in the Jamerson household. No lowkey inclusion could prepare the world for Simon Says, Monch’s debut single, which hit 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart whilst peaking at a modest 97 on the Billboard Hot 100. ![]() Listen to both songs on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes. Troy Donald Jamerson first made a noise in the early Nineties with the groundbreaking hip-hop outfit Organized Konfusion, when he proved himself to be one of the most adroit and intelligent lyricists - if not the greatest speller - of his generation. 'Entwicklungshilfe' by Curse sampled Pharoahe Monchs 'Simon Says'.
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