Monk Episode 6.02 Mr. Monk and the Rapper

After a long night of partying, superstar rapper Extra Large ducks into his limousine to escape the questions of a determined reporter. He escapes the questions, but can't escape the bomb planted underneath his car...BABOOM! Extra Large is dead.

Later that morning at Monk's apartment, Monk and Natalie are setting Monk's clocks forward for daylight savings time when Murderuss, Extra Large's chief rival in the world of rap, pays them a visit. Murderuss is afraid that he will be blamed for Extra Large's death, so he wants to hire Monk to clear his name. Monk unwittingly accepts the job.

Unfortunately for Monk, Murderuss is the police's top suspect. There's a mountain of evidence against him, not least of which is the bomb's detonator, a white gold pocket watch, which just happens to be Murderuss' trademark. In addition, a blasting cap used to make the deadly bomb was stolen from a construction site near Murderuss' house.

Despite the growing amount of evidence against his client, Monk continues to investigate. He and Natalie head across town to question Denny Hodges and Woody Mitchum, the heads of Fresh Rhymes Records. Extra Large had just moved to Fresh Rhymes before he died, and the two label heads had high hopes for their new star. Hodges claims he saw someone fitting Murderuss' description near the limousine the night before Extra Large was killed. It's yet another piece of evidence that points toward Monk's client, but Natalie has a hunch. Despite the fact that he would have nothing to gain by killing his label's biggest star, Natalie suspects Hodges. Monk dismisses Natalie's theory.

Then, things get more complicated. Extra Large's limo driver, fighting for his life in a hospital after suffering severe injuries in the explosion, is killed before he has a chance to make a statement to the police. The driver was strangled with a white gold chain, yet another one of Murderuss' trademarks.

Monk is convinced that Murderuss is guilty, but he can't muster the courage to break his contract with the rapper. Monk decides to leave town, but while he's packing, he notices an analog alarm clock, and... Eureka! Monk has solved the case!

Monk and Natalie meet Stottlemeyer and Disher at a tribute concert for Extra Large, where they plan to arrest the real killer, Denny Hodges. Murderuss meets them there, too, and after Monk explains the solution to him, Murderuss helps Monk by rapping the summation to a stunned roomful of concertgoers. The real target wasn't Extra Large at all - it was Denny Hodges' business partner, Woody Mitchum, who rode in the limousine before Extra-Large on the morning of the explosion. It was Hodges who planted the bomb, but he forgot about daylight savings time when he set the bomb's timer. The bomb went off an hour too late, missing Woody Mitchum, and mistakenly killing Fresh Rhyme Records' biggest star instead.

With the real killer behind bars and his client in the clear, Monk has solved another case and learned a valuable lesson in the process: pay attention when Natalie has a hunch!