Pharoahe Monch - Desire

UK pressing of the 2007 album from Pharoahe Monch features on bonus track: 'Agent Orange'. New York legend Pharoahe Monch, widely accepted as one of the most gifted and provocative lyricists in Hip Hop, and the artist behind the massive anthem 'Simon Says', marks his long awaited eight year return with his second solo album Desire. This, 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. 14 tracks. Island. Album Description

Slept On , Slept On...Wake Up People!

I have heard of and heard lots of hot albums in 2007. I did not hear any press at all about this one!? That is a crime, as this is one of the best albums I have heard in a few years. I guess he is TOO political/ borderline pro-black (not anti-white; yes there is a difference) for the mainstream and the radio. The rhymes are precise, intricate, and well spit by this Hip Hop unsung veteran. January 25, 2008

All hail the pharoahe

A lot of times when an artist takes an eight-year hiatus between albums, the end result isn't very entertaining. And with rappers, the long delay is usually a result of potential subsequent albums being leaked, shelved, what have you (ask Ras Kass). But with Pharoahe Monch, that wasn't the case; he merely just took a few years off. Thankfully, he returns in fine form with Desire.

I'm not quite sure what the hell is going on on the album cover, but anyway, several of the songs feature R&B singers on the choruses (and sometimes during the verses). Fortunately, the results don't sound clichéd, as male crooner Showtyme helps Monch score on "Push". There's also a female singer named Mela Michinko that adds nice vocals to "Bar Tap" and "Let's Go" (as well as the aforementioned "Push"). And even the necessary keep-your-head-up song "Hold On" (with Erykah Badu) works.

If people are skeptical about the Mr. Porter-assisted "When the Gun Draws", don't worry; it's actually not what about what you might think; it's instead a very interesting story (but things don't ALWAYS work out that well; more on that later). The aforementioned "Let's Go" is a club starter that actually works, and the romantic "So Good" is just that.

There are two songs on here that I just couldn't get into. One is "Body Baby", and the other is the nine-minute album closer "The Trilogy" because, well, it details shootin' up the man who his wife cheated with (and I think his wife as well), and shootin' people up just ain't Pharoahe Monch. I also think that the metaphors during the second verse of the title track are a little too graphic. But this is still a great album, so if you desire some real conscious hip-hop, pick it up.

Anthony Rupert January 11, 2008

Desired a better album!

I am a Pharoahe Monch fan and that's why I give "Desire" three stars. If I could I'd give it 3 & 1/2. He is very talented and i've listened to him since his Organized Konfusion days. To me a 13 song album should not have any weak points and this one does. Re-doing a "Public Enemy" song is a mistake for any artist no matter the talent. Using somewhat weak production and being a good artist is always a poor choice. Pharoahe is worth great beats, so he should use great beats. I did like a good percentage of the songs but there are only 13 and I paid more than $13 to buy the album. You do the math. December 27, 2007

New Found Love

So, I was at Rock The Bells in NY a couple months ago. I always was familiar with Pharoache Monch but never LOVED him. (this is probably because I never heard Internal Affairs, which is now one of my favorite CD's ever) He was one of the performances. He put on an amazing show. When Simon Says popped on, people went nuts including me. Once Styles P as a special guest ran out for My Life, I was in complete awe. Since then, I copped Internal Affairs and Desire. Desire is a great, original CD. He is so original and his OWN person. I can't really say he flows like anyone. He is one of my top 5 favorite artists for sure. Real hip hop heads will enjoy this CD. My favorite tracks are Desire and Welcome to the Terrordome, and I love every other track almost equally. October 11, 2007

Not the best by Monch, OK and Po standards

I've given this three stars in the context of other Monch releases, including the OK stuff. In the context of mainstream music, this joint is a 5 out of 5.

There's a couple of really good tracks. However, the single, Body Baby, I find extremely annoying and see it as a transparent attempt at crossing over to pure pop. Reminds me of Outkast's recent hits.

All up, this is a pop record.

By all means buy this joint before you go near anything else available at the moment, but if you don't have all of the OK releases, Prince Po's solo joints and Monch's solo effort, then start with them, not here. They may not be as slick, but they are much more enjoyable.

Desire represents the work of a powerful and talented artist, who knows his game, has perfected it and can now pump out whatever sound he chooses to. In this case, it seems he is looking for some well deserved reward for two decades worth of devotion to the hip hop game. October 6, 2007

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