“THANK YOU VERY MONCH” THE KING OF QUEENS GOES ELVIS
“Mr Monch returns with an engrossing LP that alternates between his trademark dark metaphors and a new almost comedic outlook. Hot!” Dazed & Confused
“One of the best hip hop albums to be heard in the last 10 years…a rejoicing masterpiece” - Blues & Soul
“If you played Common and Kanye to death then you’ll wear out your iPod with the new Pharoahe Monch” - Mixmag
“As fiery as ever, (Monch) returns in full, flawless voice. His rapping is nearly unparalleled in diction, creativity and storytelling” - ****SpinNew York legend Pharoahe Monch, one of the most gifted and provocative lyicists in hip hop, and the artist behind the massive anthem “Simon Says”, marks his long awaited 8-year return with the release on June 18th of his new single “Body Baby”. The Elvis-inspired, like nothing you’ve ever heard before, the Vegas/hip hop fusion proves that Monch has more to his game than the political metaphor-heavy lyrical bombs that he’s best known for. Zane Lowe has already pronounced “Body Baby” as his “Hottest Record In The World”. “Body Baby” is taken from “Desire”, one of the most eagerly awaited albums of the last 10 years, is a stunning collection of deeply soulful, heavily political, and thought provoking songs which deal with a variety of issues from the war in Iraq, to the human cost of Gun trading, to love, sex, survival and George Bush, amongst other themes. Since the release of “Internal Affairs” in 1999, Monch has been caught up in label wrangles, leaving Rawkus, almost signing to Eminem’s Shady Records, moving to Geffen before signing to Steve Rifkind’s (Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep) SRC Records. With a guest appearance from Erykah Badu and beats from the likes of Mr. Porter (Kon-Artist of D12), The Alchemist, Detroit’s Black Milk and long-time collaborator Lee Stone, the lyrical king from Queens is definitely looking to move the art form of Hip-Hop forward with this album. Aside from the supreme ceaseless lyrical flow, it’s the sheer sonic scale of Desire that’s so impressive. There’s a cinematic quality to the music, with the album’s central theme developed through a series of dramatic interludes linking tracks together. Full of powerful and larger-than-life imagery, the self-produced “Body Baby”, a clear ode to Elvis and Tom Jones, is the album’s most daring record. From the first note, the record commands your attention. Always looking to push his visionary talents in various directions, Pharoahe has made a short on-line campaign film to accompany the graphic song, “When the Gun Draws”. (see www.gundraws.com) Despite these grandiose themes Desire remains down-to-earth and universally relatable. A testament to Monch’s determination to create extraordinary music to be enjoyed by ordinary people. “I just think it shows a sheer disrespect towards Hip-Hop culture not to use the art form to its full capability,” responds Monch when asked about his decision to craft an album that runs the gamut of human emotions. “If you suppress an idea because you think the ‘hood or the chicks aren’t gonna feel it that’s just sad because creatively there’s an unlimited number of ways to approach song-writing. But Hip-Hop is just so boxed-in right nowPharoahe Monch