Pharoahe Monch, best known for his song Simon Says, is acclaimed for his complex rapping technique - Allmusic says he has, "a reputation as one of underground hip hop's pre-eminent lyricists, crafting intricate and intelligent raps."Kool Moe Dee ranks him at 26 in his best MCs of all time list, from his book, There's a God on the Mic. Kool Moe Dee notes: "Pharoahe Monch is like an eloquent linguistics professor moonlighting as a rhyme serial killer terrorist, challenging the listeners' I.Q. while daring him or her to keep up."

Monch compares writing and recording his lyrics to writing and filming a movie - in the book How to Rap he says he will 'punch-in' vocals so he can "retake some things, just like a film",and he 'rewrites' lyrics, saying he will "go back as a screenwriter and rewrite scenes and leave more to the imagination."

Come check out old and new material from the man himself, Pharoahe Monch - live in Auckland on the 11th April.