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Body Baby
Hip-Hop · 2007

Body Baby

Pharoahe Monch

A high-octane collision of technical rap and 1960s soul-rock swagger. Monch trades his dark grit for a triumphant, horn-heavy romantic pursuit.

June 18, 2007 · Street Records Corporation

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Body Baby represents a startling and successful pivot for Pharoahe Monch, moving away from the claustrophobic, dark boom-bap of his debut toward a vibrant, soul-rock aesthetic. It sounds like a hip-hop artist fronting a high-energy 1960s garage band, complete with distorted guitar stabs and crashing live-sounding drums. The track is built on a heavy sample of The Revelations, giving it an immediate, vintage grit that feels both nostalgic and aggressively modern. Monch delivers his lyrics with a theatrical, almost James Brown-esque flair, proving that technical rap can be both complex and incredibly fun.

Moments Worth Listening For
the explosive entry of the distorted guitar riff that mimics a live rock band
monch's transition from a rhythmic growl into a rapid-fire technical verse
the call-and-response energy of the hook that feels like a soul revival tent
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Body Baby sound next to the rest of Pharoahe Monch's catalogue?

Festival+4.0σ

Festival saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

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