Pharoahe Monch’s debut album Internal Affairs is finally getting a proper release.
Two decades after his first solo LP was taken off the shelves and turned into an out-of-print collectible, the Organized Konfusion MC has announced his acclaimed project will be available on streaming platforms and vinyl.
“October 19th will mark the 20th anniversary of Internal Affairs,” he wrote via Instagram. “It will be available for the first time EVER! digitally for the first time EVER! Oct 18th…. Pre order available 10/04.”
He added, “Limited edition vinyl coming Kennedy Center 20th anniversary Show October 17th.”
Internal Affairs was originally released by Rawkus and Priority Records in 1999. The album ended up getting pulled from stores when Toho, the Japanese production company behind the Godzilla films, sued over the unauthorized use of the Godzilla theme music in Monch’s popular single “Simon Says.”
Until now, buying Internal Affairs when it first dropped or obtaining a copy of the rare LP from a third-party seller has been the only legal way to purchase the album. The upcoming release will allow fans to listen to the entire project for the first time on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music instead of relying on MP3 rips that have circulated online.
Internal Affairs features 15 tracks, including a remix of Monch’s single “Simon Says” featuring Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Redman, Lady Luck and Shabaam Sahdeeq.
Other notable guests on the album were Common, M.O.P. and Organized Konfusion’s Prince Po. Production on the album was handled by Diamond D, The Alchemist, DJ Scratch and Monch himself, among others.
Check out “Simon Says,” the song that caused problems for the LP, below.
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Thank you! It annoys me that they put the album out of print over “Simon says”, yet you can hear that song on streaming services now on compilations it has appeared on, but you can’t hear the rest of the album, which had plenty of bangers on it.
Proud to own the 1999 CD copy.
Factz me too!
Godzilla did it lol
I bought my CD in 1999, Rasputin records, Berkeley Ca.
Fasho. Copped tht & black on both sides. 20 years flew by.
Dope! I was still a kid when it first came out (9 years old), but I’ve heard the songs on YouTube and shit like that. Great album.
man i lost the original and had to make a burnt CD lol is it true Internal Affairs and Black on Both Sides dropped on the same day?
No, they were released 1 week apart from each other. I believe Mos Def was Oct 12 and Pharoahe Monch was Oct 19.
I was wondering why the Simon says beat was so damn grimey and found out that they recorded a diesel truck idling and through on the beat. Dope fucking album
Was just listening to “Metal Thangz”. Such a dope verse. “Get ya motherfucking orders of protection………”
Been waiting to listen to the truth again.
Good news this was such a dope album!