Pharoahe Monch’s once shelved album Internal Affairs is available now on streaming platforms. After years of being out of print due to a lawsuit, the veteran MC’s debut LP can be legally heard on DSPs such as Spotify and Apple Music as of Monday (August 31).
“Available On All Streaming Platforms.. for the first time,” Monch declared via Twitter.
Monch first announced plans for a digital rerelease of Internal Affairs in September 2019. The LP was reissued on vinyl in summer 2020.
Internal Affairs originally dropped in 1999 but went out of print due to legal trouble regarding the lead single “Simon Says.”
Toho, the Japanese production company behind the Godzilla franchise, sued Monch and Rawkus/Priority Records over the unauthorized use of the famous Godzilla theme in the song. As a result, Monch’s first solo album was pulled from stores and became a collector’s item.
During the rise of digital services such as iTunes, the LP remained a rarity. Fans wanting to get their hands on Monch’s album could only obtain it through third-party sellers or downloading bootleg MP3s.
