Pharoahe Monch

One half of storied 1990s underground rap duo Organized Konfusion, Pharoahe Monch possesses one of the most remarkable (and instantly memorable) flows in hip-hop, along with a penchant for multisyllabic feats of linguistic acrobatics.

The Queens native's 1999 Rawkus debut, INTERNAL AFFAIRS, earned him instant notoriety with brash beats, many self-produced, and angularly spit lyrics that swung from gutter-raw to reflective and refined.

When a follow-up failed to quickly appear, the legend grew, anticipation stoked by sporadically released tracks on soundtracks and mixtapes.