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The Student News Site of Saint Louis University

The University News

Pharoahe Monch’s latest is all of the hip-hop you crave, 1/3 the clich?s

In his own words, native New Yorker Pharoahe Monch wants to “spit at your favorite rapper, take his title.” Throughout Desire, his much delayed sophomore album (SRC-Universal Motown, June 26), Monch makes a persuasive case that he’s more than capable of fulfilling his stated goal.

Monch has been around hip-hop since his debut in 1990 as a member of the duo Organized Konfusion. He launched his solo career in ’99 with Internal Affairs on indie stalwart Rawkus Records. The messy situation following the collapse of Rawkus accounts for the lengthy gap between releases.

To make up for lost time, Monch adopts an MC-centered approach to making records, similar to the formula Jay-Z used on The Blueprint. Taking Jigga’s approach to an extreme, Monch is the only rapper featured on the entire disc. Fortunately for the listeners, Monch is one of the few rappers of any stripe capable of carrying a disc’s worth of material without becoming trite, repetitive or clich?d. Relying on his catchy, pun-laced, incisive lyrics and devastating flow, Monch demonstrates an approach to hip-hop that prizes self-expression above all else.

True to the self-empowerment philosophy he espouses, Monch isn’t concerned about alienating anyone. While most hip-hop fans would probably consider him an underground or indie rapper due to his thoughtful lyrics and previous affiliations (Organized Konfusion, J-Dilla, Mos Def and other indie rap trailblazers), Monch has also collaborated with mainstream rappers like Redman and Busta Rhymes.

Lyrically, Monch forgoes displays of violent ignorance common to rappers you’ve actually heard of (50 Cent anyone?) while avoiding the preachy pitfalls that plague many underground rappers (i.e. beyond saying what is or isn’t real hip-hop, they have little else to discuss). Instead, Monch writes rap songs with substance, tackling a variety of subjects using his inventive combination of humor, trash-talking and paranoia tinged social awareness.

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He puts a face on the casual violence prevalent in mainstream rap with “When the Gun Draws,” a song written from the bullet’s point of view that decrees violence by emphasizing the finality of death and the denial of responsibility expressed by the person who pulled the trigger. He closes out the set with the engrossing “Trilogy,” a psychological tale of a marriage gone wrong that shares a basic premise with R. Kelly’s infamous “Trapped in the Closet,” but manages to be believable and coherent.

The occasional missteps on the album stem from Monch’s desire to be everyone’s favorite rapper, including songs for those who like their rap full of bravado and gun play-a few threats and references to his practice at the firing range-and ready-made songs for the clubs, like the ill-advised “Bar Tap.” Even Monch isn’t able to convincingly cover these bases, but he shines when in an area of relative comfort.

To craft an appropriate backdrop, Monch relies on a small rotating cast of producers, including Black Milk, Mr. Porter, Alchemist and Monch himself. To add variety to the record, Monch employs a small army of hand-picked vocalists to sing hooks.

The supporting cast makes their presence felt throughout the record, but they really shine on soulful interludes like “Free” and “So Good,” which feature Voodoo-esque gospel vocals beneath Monch’s jazzy improvised raps.

To add weight to his album, Monch balances the soulful, reflective portions of his record with a middle section full of super-charged rhymes that put most MCs to shame. He bounces from tongue-twisting rhymes that are critical (“Everything you represent is amoral, singular, not plural”) to cocky (“Chicks text us like Dallas and Austin”) in the midst of single songs with ease.

Monch makes choosing sides in the underground vs. mainstream debate almost superfluous as he effortlessly embodies the best of both worlds without sacrificing any of his originality. Maybe he is your favorite MC after all.

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