CD review: Pharoahe Monch

I've picked up several new albums recently. In the past I've tried to group mini-reviews, but there's been too much stuff lately and I haven't had my act together. So I'm going to try to just dribble out quickie takes every once in a while.

I'll start with "Desire," the new release by Pharoahe Monch, a New York hip hop artist who had never crossed my radar until my sister brought a copy of his CD to our coffee date a few weeks back. (I should mention here, since Mr. Monch strikes me as a guy not to be messed with: The disc Mich burned for me was a temporary, trial, sample copy only, and not illegally pirated.)

Mich was quite excited by the new record and I can see what she likes about it. Monch nicely mixes a bunch of styles behind and between his raps. He also sings sometimes (instead of rapping only), and it sounds like he's backed by people actually playing instruments. He gets a good sound.

Even so, this is a brand of misogynistic, pop-a-cap-in-your-ass music that usually doesn't do much for me, unless it's done with extreme style, intelligence or humor, like the best of Outkast, 50 Cent, Snoop or Eminem.

I think Pharoahe might have lost me when, on one of the album's early tracks, he tried to rhyme "Joe Namath" and "your anus." Poor Broadway Joe.

Maybe it'll grow on me. That happens sometimes. But for now I can't muster more than: 2 gliomas.