Synopsis

Pharoahe Monch turns the New York Hall of Science into a stark, post-apocalyptic arena for this forceful late-1990s rap video. Framed by the building's futuristic architecture, Monch delivers his verses with commanding intensity while the setting, lighting, and rapid editing amplify the track's militant, crowd-rallying energy. The video presents him less as a traditional storyteller than as a charismatic field commander, issuing orders to an unseen audience and transforming an unusual museum space into a surreal stage for one of hip-hop's most recognizable party anthems.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in the Great Hall of the New York Hall of Science in Queens. The structure was designed for the 1964 World's Fair, which helps explain its unusually futuristic, space-age appearance.

• The hall is presented as a deserted, post-apocalyptic landscape rather than a functioning museum. Its glass walls, angular surfaces, and open interior give the performance a science-fiction atmosphere.

• "Simon Says" was Pharoahe Monch's breakthrough solo single after his work with Organized Konfusion. It became his best-known track and helped establish his solo identity through its direct commands and highly rhythmic delivery.

• The track's hook uses a sample from Akira Ifukube's music for the Japanese film *Godzilla vs. Mothra*. The sample was not properly cleared, leading to legal action from Toho and the eventual halt of distribution for *Internal Affairs*.

• Despite the legal problems surrounding the song, "Simon Says" reached No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100 and later appeared in the films *Charlie's Angels* and *Boiler Room*.