On October 19, 1999, Pharoahe Monch released Internal Affairs, his solo debut, through Rawkus Records and Priority Records. Twenty-seven years later, it still sounds like one of the hardest records of the Rawkus era.
From Organized Konfusion to Solo Star
Before he went solo, Monch was half of Queens duo Organized Konfusion, a group known for dense, complicated rhymes. On Internal Affairs, he kept the lyricism but went for a harder sound, with production from DJ Scratch, The Alchemist and Diamond D. Organized Konfusion even reunited for a track, “God Send.”
“Simon Says” and the Standout Tracks
The lead single “Simon Says” came out in August 1999 and became a club monster. Built on the main title theme from the Godzilla film score by Akira Ifukube, it reached No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 29 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and No. 3 on Hot Rap Singles. The remix stacked Busta Rhymes, Lady Luck, Method Man & Redman and Shabaam Sahdeeq on one track.
The guest list on the album reads like a late-’90s underground all-star team: Canibus on “Hell,” M.O.P. on “No Mercy,” Busta Rhymes on “The Next Shit,” and Common and Talib Kweli on “The Truth.” Later singles included “The Light” and the “Right Here” remix.
Chart Run and Reception
The album peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and No. 6 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Critics took notice too, with RapReviews giving it a 9/10, and it was reviewed by Rolling Stone and The Source in December 1999.
The Lost Years and the Comeback
Here is the part younger fans may not know: for years, Internal Affairs was hard to find. When Universal bought Rawkus and folded it into Geffen, Monch refused to record for Geffen, and the album went out of print. It finally hit streaming services for the first time with a digital reissue on its 20th anniversary, October 19, 2019, followed by a limited vinyl run on June 5, 2020.
Why It Still Matters
Internal Affairs sits right in the middle of the Rawkus golden era, next to the Black Star, Mos Def and Talib Kweli records that defined independent New York rap at the turn of the century. It proved a lyricist’s lyricist could make a record that shook clubs without dumbing anything down.
Also on this date: Black Moon’s Enta da Stage dropped on October 19, 1993, introducing Da Beatminerz and the Boot Camp Clik.
Where does “Simon Says” rank among the hardest beats of the ’90s? Let us know.
Catch up on yesterday’s On This Day: Scarface’s ‘The Diary’ and more in IAHHM Classics.
Sources: Wikipedia: Internal Affairs, Wikipedia: 1999 in hip-hop, Wikipedia: Enta da Stage
