Internal Affairs [PA] (Cassette - 1999)

Personnel includes: Pharoahe Monch, DJ Scratch, Prince Poetry, MOP, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Apani, Redman, Method Man, Lady Luck, Busta Rhymes, Talib Kweli, Common, Black Thought (vocals); DJ Total Eclipse (cuts).

Producers: DJ Scratch, Lee Stone, Diamond, The Alchemist, Pharoahe Monch.

Enginneers include: Sharon Kearney, Troy Hightower, Tony Donovan.

Personnel includes: Pharoahe Monch, DJ Scratch, Prince Poetry, MOP, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Apani, Redman, Method Man, Lady Luck, Busta Rhymes, Talib Kweli, Common, Black Thought (vocals); DJ Total Eclipse (cuts).

Producers: DJ Scratch, Lee Stone, Diamond, The Alchemist, Pharoahe Monch.

Engineers include: Sharon Kearney, Troy Hightower, Tony Donovan.

After three critically acclaimed albums as part of the trailblazing Queens duo Organized Konfusion and one of the most memorable tracks of 1999 ("The Mayor") on the Rawkus compilation SOUND BOMBING II, Pharoah Monch steps into the spotlight with his solo debut, INTERNAL AFFAIRS. Known for his metaphorical deftness and involved lyrical execution, Monch delivers intense raw rhymes throughout on tracks like "Behind Closed Doors" (on which he boasts, "How I made it, you salivated over my calibrated raps that validated my ghetto credibility").

Although Monch always brings his remarkable mic skills to the table, a more accessible radio sound has been substituted for the intellectual complexity of his Organized Konfusion material. Street anthems like "Simon Says" and "The Ass" make this a great party album. "The Next Shit," with Busta Rhymes celebrates the new generation of ambiguous East Coast word play (sample lyric: " I stare at data that have my niggas katamaranding around gats, cop figures like Knots Landing"). However, those in search of the classic storytelling of his past work should check "God Send" with former OK partner Prince Poetry and "Queens," a stunning tableau of the trials and tribulations of life in his hometown South Jamaica. minimize