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Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
1992
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!The cover shot of a Fat Albert-ized Pharcyde roller coastering their way into a funhouse makes perfect sense, as the L.A.-based quartet introduced listeners to an uproarious vision of earthy hip-hop informed by P-Funk silliness and an everybody-on-the-mike street-corner atmosphere that highlights the incredible rapping skills of each member. With multiple voices freestyling over hilarious story-songs like "Oh Shit!," "Soul Flower," the dozens contest "Ya Mama," and even a half-serious driving-while-black critique named "Officer," Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde proved Daisy Age philosophy akin to De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest wasn't purely an East Coast phenomenon. Skits and interludes with live backing (usually just drums and piano) only enhance the freeform nature of the proceedings, and the group even succeeds when not reliant on humor, as proved by the excellent heartbreak tale "Passin' Me By." The production, by J-Sw!ft and the group, is easily some of the tightest and most inventive of any hip-hop record of the era. Though Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde could have used a few more musical hooks to draw in listeners before they begin to appreciate the amazing rapping and gifted productions, the lack of compromise reveals far greater rewards down the line.
Lots of albums take themselves too seriously; this is the first time I’ve heard one not take itself seriously enough. Undeniably fun, don’t get me wrong. But it feels like the musical equivalent of a guy that is easily talented enough to get into the NBA, but instead uses his gifts exclusively to throw suction-cup dildos into increasingly bizarre, high up, and hard to reach places.
This was a weird one. I can definitely see how a high schooler in 1992 would have loved this album. It's absurd, irreverent, immature, and high energy. Musically, I enjoyed this. The group has a DJ but a lot of the drums sure sounded live and originally recorded for this album, but I can't be sure. Overall the beats were a big plus for me. The album is a product of its time, however. We get an entire verse centered around transphobia ala Charlie Daniels's Uneasy Rider '88, and we get jokes about the MC's sexually assaulting women. I'm not going to clutch my pearls and pretend that I never engage in or enjoy edgy humor, but I guess those lines just left me cringing more than laughing. As for importance, this is a debut album released in the golden age of hip hop that has a unique feel, so to me it makes sense to see it on this list. My personal enjoyment: 2.5/5 Did it belong on this list: 4/5
One of the cornerstone west-coast hip-hop acts of the 90s, Pharcyde is just one of those bands that you know if you're into hip-hop. They offered a completely different take on the genre with their lighthearted (at times straight-up goofy) lyrics in a time when the genre was already starting to take itself too seriously. I always liked the bands that they inspired more than I did them but the elements that contributed to my love for Jurassic5, Digable Planets, and Blackstar are all here. It's just damn fun. That said, "Officer" stands out in sharp contrast as a track for back then but also RIGHT NOW. It's NOT funny. It's a legit converastion piece about racial profiling and feels very contemporary.
I forgot how funny this record is. There’s a ton of skits but the lyrics are really meant to be offensive and hilarious. Obviously has that jazz rap, boom nap production which is right up my alley. Do I prefer this over Tribe? Probably not. But does it rank as one of the best jazz rap records ever made. Most certainly. Favorite song(s): I’m That Type of Ni**a and Passin’ Me By Least favorite song: Pack the Pipe
An antidote to the typical LA gangster rap of the era (the Pharcyde hail from South Central LA), ‘Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde’ is gloriously absurd and ridiculous, juvenile but not silly, and a lot of fun. In another rare feat, there’s not a duff beat or groove to be found anywhere and so the album never drags. It stays jazzy and funky, resulting in one of rap/hip-hops greatest hits. Still as good today as it was in 92’.
Another really cool album. It's certainly a departure from what was popular in hip-hop at the time. Some aspects of the album sound dated, but overall the production is really good. Lots of fun songs 4/5
I was going to say this reminds me of the group Gravediggaz, before I realized this Pharcyde album was released a good 4 years earlier. This came from the west coast, though it feels closer to the east coast rap I'm most familiar with. The interplay is pretty awesome, and the beats sound fresh for an album so old. I was reading that the Pharcyde began touring with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul after this album was released. I cannot imagine how fucking great that show would have been. This album was a good thing to hear on a sunday morning.
It reminds me of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. This is some classic early 90s hip-hop/rap. I like the instrumentals in most of these songs. I can definitely appreciate this type of music but would probably never listen to this album again.
Ooof. This is bad. And not bad meaning good but bad meaning bad. Passin Me By was absolutely lightning in a bottle and that along with some ok beats can salvage a 2. Lyrically it's terrible, sophomoric, and misogynistic and I would say it didn't hold up well but I don't think it was much good to begin with.
This is old rap with a basic beat and someone rapping over it without anything extra really.
Fuck yeah, this was cool! Genuinely funny parts, like the yo momma track, or the remix track (definitely wasn't paying attention to song names on this one). Glad I was already in the mood for this after listening to Jurassic 5 tho.
Zaczynam coraz bardziej podejrzewac, ze moja lista sie zepsula, bo juz prawie od tygodnia wrzuca ultra klasyczne albumiki w swoich respektowanych gatunkach, a tym razem dodatkowo trafilo na murzynskie gransko rodem z zachodniego wybrzeza od Pharacydow, debiutancki albumik 4 osobowego skladu, ktory narobil sporego zamieszania na scenie rapowej, historia pod tytulem jak w dwoch albumach uzyskac status klasyka i zniknac ze sceny bez dealu na reszte zycia, wystepuja konflikty w bandzie, niezbyt honorowe wytwornie oraz puszowanie ilosci ponad jakosc, ale co do samej bizzarnej przejazdzki tu, przed powstaniem pharacyda jako grupy rapersowej chlopaki byly w zespole dancingowym, wiec jako bi boje dancowali do rapersowanych rytmow co czuc w ogolnym vibie plyty, jak i dobitniej na trakach takich jak return of the b boi, o sile albumiku stanowi przedweszystkim dostawa jaka prezentuja chlopaki, wchodzenie sobie na zwrotki, wspolne hookowanie, klimaty de la soulowe, jesli mialbym zgadywac dlaczego bizzarna rajda, to nazwa odnosi sie do lirycznego kontentu jaki mozna tu wygrzebac, nie jest to koncept album, nie ma motywu przewodniego, intro instrumentalno skitowe, oh shit bragowanie, oczywiscie z jajem, kolejny instrumentalne wprowadzenie do opowiesci o pieknej milosci, stalkowaniu, o tym na ile sposobow mozna poskladac swoja milosc w bagazniku, a to wszystko na jazzowym funkowym sampelu, zwrotka fat lipa tutaj to majstersztyk jesli chodzi o zabawe z laczeniem problemow kwesti milosnej z problemami komunity, zreszta w kazdym traku znajdzie sie podwojne dno, w kawalku zatytuowanym officer bylo ono az tak glebokie, ze nie jest on dostepny na spotifaju, a zaraz obok oficera pojawia sie wyzywanie pod tytulem twoja stara, ktora jak tytul sugeruje zawiera wyzywanie wzajemnie wyzywanie matek przez wszystkich czlonkow bandy, nie moglo zabraknac takze czegos dzieki czemu material sie sprzedal komercyjnie, jak dla mnie sa to dwa radio przyjazne traki o dosc jednostronnej milosci czyli passin me by i otha fish, jak pisalem wczesniej sameplki sa mocno jazzowe i bardzo jakosciowo zmontowane, jesli chodzi o nastepowanie po siebie trakow i ich ciaglosc, pojawiaja sie nawet takie ficzury jak skity przed b sidem, dla wygody sluchania na kasetkach czy vinylach, na plejke moglbym wrzucic polowe albumiku, bo druga polowa to skity, ale juz on tam prawdopodbnie sie znajduje, chociaz jak sluchac takich klasykow, to tylko od poczatku do konca, inaczej sie nie da
Fuck yeah! I knew I had skills for picking winners. Bought this in '92 and couldn't stop playing it...even when other classmates said it was garbage....I was like...you're garbage. Boom...roasted. 5 stars.
Album Rank: 1. Passin’ Me By 2. On The DL 3. Otha Fish 4. 4 Better Or 4 Worse 5. Return of the B-Boy 6. I’m That Type of Nigga 7. Soul Flower - Remix 8. Pack The Pipe 9. Ya Mama 10. Officer 11. Oh Shit 12. If I Were President (Skit) 13. Pack The Pipe (Interlude) 14. 4 Better Of 4 Worse (Interlude) 15. It’s Jiggaboo Time (Skit) 16. Quinton’s On The Way (Skit)
Amazing Album, enjoyed a lot of the songs, not a huge fan of the weird skits in between but the songs themselves are all great, and Passing Me By is by far my most favourite song, as I remember it from Aggressive Inline on the PS2.
Great overall album, funny, lyrically impressive, great instrumental and solid rapping. I like basically every song
Talk about an album that has a huge nostalgia factor for me. "Oh Shit" is like the first rap song that I really liked since it was in some Saints Row game that I played when I was young. It felt so taboo because it's incredibly explicit for a kid to be listening to, but I had only really been listening to mainstream pop, classic rock, and heavy metal up until this point. I'm really glad it's on this list, because this album had kind of slipped my mind for too many years. I seriously doubt that other people will hold this as the quintessential rap album of the 90s, but for me it's hard to think of anything that I love more than this one. Maybe Low End Theory, but I feel like I'm leaning Pharcyde. It takes the shit out of a more pretentious side of rap while also being able to provide commentary on political/social issues, and have incredible storytelling. The skits are incredible, and the way the album is structured is incredibly theatrical which just adds to how much I love it even more. The group dynamic is amazing, and I don't think I can put into words the praise that I want to give this album. I also realize this review is just kind of me rambling about this album, and I can feel my friends just saying "who asked", but I hope you can enjoy this album as much as I enjoy it (or more!). Highlights: all of them. They're all amazing.
Best album on here so far. Music still holds up in 2021. One of the most underrated rap groups of the genre.
Great. Fun compared to contemporaries but with substantive lyrics. Oh Shit favorite track.
its decent and lyrically original compared to many other album from its era and more modern
4.5/5. Brainy, energetic 90s hip hop rap over jazz tracks. Play 'Oh Shit,' 'Soul Flower,' or 'Passin Me By' to seem hip at dinner parties. Delightfully explicit. 'Ya Mama' is a must listen.
Love this one, Pharcyde was one of the groups I’d say responsible for my love of hip hop
Quality 90s hip hop, smooth beats, nice flows, not a classic in my mind, probably not their best album even, but still a good listen.
I don't listen to much rap, and I really don't listen to much classic rap at all. This was a fun album though. I recognized and liked passin me by.
polished jazzy hip hop. Good addition to Roots album, loving this type of sound recently
This sounds like a nice bridge between early 90's fun rap and mid 90's gangsta rap. I liked it.
NO es mi estilo, pero interesante refrescar el hip-hop de los principios. ¿Solo a mi me viene a la mente el Principe de Bel Air
This is a jam. I see their name a lot, but I don't think I could name a song. Standouts: soul flower. I will put this album on again. Seems like a grower.
Diese Platte ist der Quellcode für jede Platte von Fettes Brot, den Samwer-Brüdern des Deutschraps.
Non-stop party album that blends authenticity of street life with goofs on smoking weed, ragging on homies and other characters in the hood. Flowing rhymes, sharp wit, fun beats, hilarious lyrics ("Ya Mama"). A refreshing counterpoint to the gangsta rap of the early 90s.
This album really stands out as an original, creative masterpiece. I could do without songs like Oh Sh**, but that's what the skip button is for.
It's just really good fun innit. Cartoonish, body popping, Richard Pryor sampling good fun.
Awesome beats on this album. Some lines nowadays are quite cheesy, however, they represent hip-hop roots.
Was very close to giving this a 5 but I haven't for round to the last few tracks. Never heard of them before but this is lit, or fire, or whatever kids say to hype shit up.
A very good album. Crept up from a 5/10 to 8/10 on repeat listens. Shit and Jiggaboo are hilarious - I'm going to be saying "Oh Shit!" for the rest of my life now. 4 better or 4 worse has a smooth backbeat and does an odd turn halfway through where the song basically goes full Insane Clown Posse. I'm that type of Nigga is just a classically good hip hop intro track. They should have made it the opening track to the album. Soul Flower is a fun and bouncy jam - whoever the female rapper is kills it! On the DL has a hilarious skit in the middle about jacking off on the DL. unforgettable. I knew the album was something special when "Officer" had Flavor Flav as a guest and when they said "I got a letter from the DMV the other day" I busted up because I knew what they were doing. It's a play on public enemies "Black Steel in the hour of Chaos." That's genius! It is an innocent song and might be my favorite on the album. Yo mama is the low point of the album. Doesn't age well. Otha Fish and pack the pipe are forgettable, but pack the pipe does have a part when they get a kid high. It is controversial and interesting for sure. Passing me by is what this album is remembered for and it deserves that. It is an awesome song. Relatable, catchy, and ahead of its time. I found it interesting that they used the word "symp" 30 years before it was common. Excellent vocals in that chorus - stressing the word "passing," you can feel some pain. It would have been easy to mess that up. 8/10!!
got some funny story lyrics yeah enjoyed listening to this very very much. also bonus points its jazz hip hop
absolutely loved this album! the rapping, production, lyrics, everything about it is so unique and interesting. thanks guys for the suggestion!
Really fun album, the group dynamic worked well. I think it was kind of what I expect from an early 90s hip hop album. Felt a bit too unpolished though.
The debut by The Pharcyde is an insanely infectious good time. The group sounds like they are just having so much fun crafting and constructing their flows amongst the generally bare bones, upbeat and jazzy production. The beats are good, do the work they need to but isn't anything groundbreaking and honestly is probably the only thing holding this back from a 5/5. It's a great album because you can distinctly feel the good time vibes and you feel like you are right there along for the ride, and the ride is a joy.
Classic party rap from my younger dayz. If you don't like this, you're just not cool, sorry.
In a time that Gangsta Rap and the East Coast / West Coast rivalry was ruling the airwaves, Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde is a modern hip hop album in a classic style.
The kind of a manic, funny, and catchy hip hop album that I’d expect from the early 90s classic Nickelodeon cartoon era album. I don’t know why, but when I hear this album all I can think about is that it exudes Ren and Stempy energy. Definitely should be called a “classic”- if you’re a native tongues fan on the east coast, then this is the west coast’s response to tribe, jungle brothers, and de la soul. If you like them, I can’t recommend this album more.
Gloomy and at the same time very cheerful album. The jazz elements are well done. Very good for an early 90s hip hop album. (7/10) Favourite Tracks: I'm That Type of Nigga, Passin' Me By,
If you're looking for an easy intro to hip-hop, look no further than Bizarre Ride II from Pharcyde. This album represents the perfect transitional record between old school and new hip-hop. Eminem had to be looking at this thinking, that's my roadmap to success. Oh Shit is amazing! Definitely glad to have heard that one! I'll be referencing it for years! Obviously some of this album is meant to examine both humor but also racial inequality in the style of hip hop, which both wants to exclude and include me as a white man, who clearly can NOT sing along. But it's their humor that keeps everyone on board and it's brilliant to make a record like this. The beats are amazing too. There's a Jazz under current and references to Thelonious Monk. There's some real weird stuff in here, but it's captivating. At the end of the day, it's innovative, compelling, funny, and like I said, a great intro to the genre!
This was a cool one. I've been recommended this one before but never got around to it. Definitely a worthy consideration as a hip-hop classic, though I don't see much mention of Pharcyde in those conversations. Plenty of great beats and hooks, including a few that I recognized as samples. Great humor and energy. The skits bogged this down a bit; that's a complaint I'd have about a lot of classic rap albums. But it's still a great ride. Favorite tracks: Oh Shit, Passin' Me By, 4 Better of 4 Worse, Soul Flower Remix. Album art: Love the art style here. The characters a bit unsettling, and they're riding a coaster into what appears to be a....uh...Georgia O'Keeffe painting with teeth. I like this a lot. 4/5
Dank dark and delicious. Not drawn to hip-hop but this was great. Gotta go with the lyrical flow!
Du sacre bon rap poriginale avec de bon flows et de bon producer. Un classique westcoast 4.25
Plenty of laughs and cool grooves on this album. Favorite tracks: Oh Shit (really catchy), Officer, Ya Mama, Passin' Me By, and Otha Fish (really cool groove). It was a fun album - definitely pretty inappropriate, but I've certainly heard worse.
pretty good alt-rap, especially considering how heavy gangsta was at the time. 3.5 rounnding up for me.
Not sure how, as a hip hop fan, i had never heard this before. Love the sound, some of the lyrics have aged, but i love how much fun it sounds like they were having.
Nice to hear Passin' Me By on here. Never knew who that was by. A generally chill west-coast vibes type album. 4.5
A fizzing little cracker of groovy backing tunes with lovely effing and jeffing rap on top. I’ll take it, thanks.
So much skill and silliness, but the replay value is a bit limited for me. Best track: Passin' Me By
Really enjoyed this, even if the musical hooks aren't quite there to push it into the stratosphere. Great MCing, especially on the more humorous tracks. In terms of texture it doesn't feel a million miles from Souls of Mischief.
Classic soul and funk samples over a weird variety of topics such as fisting, shooting someone in the ass, forgetting your driving licence, being discombobulated, trying to be a stereotypical hip-hop artist and failing for a music video... If you want to get weird to hip-hop this is the album for you. Best Tracks: Oh Shit; Officer; Passin' Me By
Pretty cool album - a bit too adolescent at times but groovy and interesting and modern
This is a bizarre album and a lot of fun. Definitely less series than the popular gangsta rap at the time. Everyone on the album sounds like they're having fun. It is more similar to De La Soul with a more jazzy and funky backdrop. Great production and sampling. Notable samples from Richard Pryor, James Brown and Jimi Hendrix. Four emcees/rappers who rap separately or as a group. Some of these songs definitely go for comedy, singing about how fat your Momma is. One area it does suffer from, which appears to be a common theme in the CD Era, is its length at 56 minutes. Though, it does not drag.
Being Tribe Called Quest us my favorite band, of course a vibey, feel good early 90s hip hop album is going to rank high for me. I love the bouncy but melodic sound of old school hip hop. Oh Shit is great and Passin' Me By is an all-timer. I don't think I've ever listened to this whole album before...
Старый добрый рэп эпохи динозавров, который вышел ещё до большинства главных релизов олдскула и он.. качает! Типичному новому страшному рэпу, под который можно разве что грустить под свой веги-смузи это не светит. В большинстве случаев, это утраченный навык. 7 из 10.
I really enjoyed the backing tracks and the rapping on this album. It's got a good enjoyable sound, but I'm not sure I agree with Wikipedia that the lyrics are just "playful" and "wacky," even for 1992. Yeesh.
This must be hip hop, going by the cover? I've never heard of it though, and I thought I at least knew OF most bigger albums from the time. Ok so far this is pretty good, fairly upbeat and has that old school beat style. will never listen again, but this was fun as a once-off. 3/5.
Passing me by is a generational mood and classic, for that it gets two stars alone, every other track is more or less wack
Just some friends having fun in the studio. Beats are pretty comfy, too. What's not to like?
Never heard of it before. Songs not familiar. Definitely enjoyable but not my jam on a whole.
Really well written and solid music. Best: Otha Fish, Worst: the Skits. The overall silliness is a bit too much... they think they are too funny, but you can certainly say it is very well put together.
I enjoyed a handful of songs but listening to them one after the other is quite tiresome (full disclaimer: not my fav genre)
This is classic "I went to the hat store and bought myself a hat!"-style 90's rap, but it's FILTHY. Overall it's a lot of fun, but it runs a little long in the tooth.
Lighthearted early 90s rap but explicit. It's not bad at all. Passin' Me By is the most popular song by far. 6/10.
hip hop that sounds like digital underground - i liked it but not sure i would seek it out
Never heard of this group. Will probably never listen to them again but was nice for a Thursday afternoon.
Enjoyable. Brought me back to the nineties. Didn't totally vibe with it, but that could easily change.
I like the vibes - pretty token, worthless review especially since I didn't really give it full attention :/
Letkeää hip-hop musaa, vähän sellaisella funkilla saundilla. Taisi tuossa vähän gangsterimenoakin olla, mutta ei tuntunut mitenkään turhan raskaalta tai synkältä. Kivaa taustamusaa, mutta en ehkä ihan asioikseni kuuntelisi levyä toistuvasti.
Hauskaa jazzahtavaa räpäytystä. Levy jäi kesken perjantaina ja jatkoin kuuntelua nyt maanantaina. Silloin aluksi ei herättynyt mitään sen suurempia tunteita, mutta näin maanantaina viikon startiksi lähti aivan eri tavalla.
Started strong, a lot of stuff to like. It got a little grating after a while, but still enjoyable. I like the jazzy backings
Clásico del hip hip old school, con mucho soul, funky e incluso algo de jazz en sus bases. No aburre ni cansa y se escucha bien si sabes a lo que vas.
Great early 90s hip hop, lots of nice hooks and a great flow. No filler - a rarity for the genre imo
Great early 90s hip hop, lots of nice hoots and a great flow. No filler - a rarity for the genre imo
Chill, funky beats providing the background to some slick rhymes. Very early 90s. Not really my cup of tea
It's very cool to discover this hidden hip-hop history. I'd like to know more to make a real analysis on it, give some background (besides the Wikipedia article), and an informed evaluation. This is the kind of music that demands some research work and this is something very nice. However, I'm limited, so I just would say that this was a fun experience and I want more hip-hop classics during this list of 1001 albums to listen to.
It's fine, I'm not really the audience. I debated 2.5 or 3, but settled on 3. It does have some good funky music and beats I liked.
A breezy hip hop album. The instrumentation has a strong jazz influence which is pleasant, relaxed and elevates it above the norm for a genre I'm not usually keen on. Light and humerous lyrics. This still has that 90s rap vocal rhythm which gives it a dated feel. 3/5
Fun stuff. Very animated and playful. Only heard "passing me by" back in the day and love that track. Think it's a standout. Like the interplay of emcees and their different voices/styles.
What a surprising joy. This went from a Knives Out album (one I expected to hate and dreaded having to listen) to a ton of fun in a hurry. 118 albums in and this one is my favorite rap album so far. It gave me a nice energy boost to start a Wednesday morning. Some of the lyrical content might be cringe worthy, but there's a goddamn warning label on the cover. We know what we signed up for.
Sorpresa positiva. No m'esperava gaire d'un grup que desconeixia i una portada tan poc atractiva... i el cert és que el hip hop estilós de The Pharcyde és força engrescador. Barrejat amb funk i molt de soul, comet l'error habiual del génere en donar cabuda a massa temes, alguns d'ells se'ls podrien estalviar, però n'hi ha uns quants ('4 Better or 4 Worse', 'Ya Mama', 'I'm That Type of Nigga', 'Soulflower') que mereixen un lloc molt destacat al hip hop més melòdic dels 90
Ik vind rap absoluut niet leuk, maar de beats van dit album zijn wel heel lekker! Kreeg een beetje een soul gevoel of zo. ***
So *that's* where that came from... ("Passin' Me By"... I've heard it remixed and used in other places.) There isn't anything else on the album I loved-- though "Oh Shit" is pretty good.
Love the piano player, so much talent. What a story to be told of his life. J-Sw!ft. The drummer Moore plays crisp sounds. The album is fun to listen to, brings one back to the 90’s. A definite era of sound like no other.
Hmja, best ok. Al ken ik rap-albums uit dezelfde tijd die toch wel leuker zijn. Had ook werkelijk nog nooit van Bizarre Ride gehoord.
Great flows and beats, but a little cheesy in some bits and the skits were kinda wack.
This was good fun. Upbeat beat sometimes naughty lyrics. Unlikely to listen again though
Hard to decide a rating for this album. I enjoy the jazzy beats and rap style, so nostalgic and 90s cool. Didn't enjoy the misogynistic lyrics or all of the skits but on the whole I did like this album.
Bizarre Ride II has that early form Hip-Hop flavour in the way of their flow and overall beats and sound with a familiar cadence and flow of the late 80s early 90s. Their lyrical content is typically not as heavy as those of other artists of the time - particularly NWA and the like. Overall an easy listening album, where lots of the tracks would work well in things like skate videos or skate video games Best: Oh Shit; Ya Mama Worst: Return Of the B-Boy Note: Spotify didn't have the track Officer - had to jump over to YouTube to listen.
Big on the beaty. Witty with the wordy. More tolerable than others in this genre but unlikely to revisit.
Viel wel mee om naar te luisteren. Maar ik ben niet overtuigd om het opnieuw op te leggen
Love the beats. Don't love the lyrics. Some songs are just brutal in terms of their shock value (4 Better or Worse where some dude keeps calling to harass some girl) or use of the N word (clearly I'm that Type of N). Some are kind of funny/cheeky (Ya Mama) but I feel they rely on that bag of tricks a bit too often. The beats are awesome though. Totally 90's rap sound - I wonder how dated it sounds to someone who didn't grow up then. Probably a 3.5 but I think I'm rounding down. But it was a tough call.
If you haven’t seen it, watch the Pharcyde’s video to “Drop”. That’s pretty amazing. As for this album, I liked the style and their flow was great. I just… I can’t listen to any track on this and feel comfortable. Is that wrong? There are rap albums I will listen to on my own, and some I will listen to with my 13-year old. But this… I feel dirty listening to it. 2 Live Crew is different. They’re going for shock. This is an emphasis on sex, and weed and the n-word that I cannot follow. Maybe I would have enjoyed this when I was younger, but the 50- year old says differently.
Good early 90s rap. Probably better than a 3, but not enough here for me to round up to a 4.
Fun, irreverent West Coast hip hop that sounds like a cross between Frank Zappa's sophomoric lyrics and the Beastie Boys. I like this more laid back rap style that doesn't take itself so seriously, yes Gangsta Rap I'm looking at you. Sure, it was misogynistic and sophomoric, but it was a fun listen. My favourite track was Passing me by, its such a classic song and has also been sampled tons of times over the years, testament to how cool it is. I had to Google the lyrics of the songs and read along to appreciate their wit
The 1001 App sometimes gives me the urge to name new sub-genres. If I could, I would label this "accessible hip hop" or "user-friendly hip hop". It had nice melodies and the rappers didn't sound angry or full of attitude. I kinda liked this one.
Doesn’t impress enough to stick with me past the runtime of the album. Interesting beats and lyrics but the two never coalesce.
The presumption is that the album is bizarre, and truthfully it is. Explicit lyrics taken into account, the album manages to make it bright vs. dark, as if the listener is supposed to find humor in it rather than a Shakespearean tragedy. This is hard to like and even more difficult to hate. While the subject matter on "4 Better Or 4 Worse" seems to be a prank call, it is difficult to find that as being humorous. It is ugly and demeaning to the female recipient, and while it may be funny to the caller, there is a deeper truth to be gleaned from the song. The song is not funny, it is actually quite cringeworthy but it sheds a different light on the story. The listener and probably even the band knows that a phone call like that is supposed to be funny when it is not, and because it is not, it is, because it is a story being told that is outlandish and near unbelievable. Where the band deviated from the usual stories of 90s explicit rap, The Pharcyde instead put their focus inwards on to a different aspect of our humanity, our ability to be silly, at times profane, to amplify the ridiculous parts of life, and still be here when it is over, a roundabout reminder that we are humans. Granted, this review does not pretend to endorse the album's subject matter but it does ask the listener to leave any seriousness behind when listening to it. Allow for some awkwardness or discomfort and try to convince the heart and mind that, yes, it is all fun but in poor taste, and that is the point. It is not often that an album sets out to do what it intends, but this album does and it does it well. Objectively, the album is well-written and The Pharcyde are excellent purveyors of their craft and it sounds like they are having fun with it. The parental advisory is well-earned, and that is going to have to be okay. Hard to like, even harder to hate.
Oh good, more hip hop skits on an overly long hip-hop album with far too many tracks But to be fair, this ain't too bad. There was always something more interesting about the Daisy Age sound and the samples they used. It's kinda sad that even in the 2020's, listening to a group of mixed gender MCs sounds really fresh and interesting
Never heard this one and I really liked it. Reminded me of a more hip hop version of arrested development.
ça faisait longtemps que Robert ne nous avait pas proposé un album de rap old school d'une bonne heure sans intérêt. Cela m'a rappelé avec émotions mes premières déceptions générateuriennes, découvrant au petit matin des albums de Ice Cube ou autre Ghostface killer. Une belle madeleine de Proust en cette matinée.
The music behind the vocals was pretty interesting at times I still don't love hip hop though, but this is my favorite i've heard
Pretty good fun, although iffy in parts. Interesting to hear the Public Enemy parodies here and there - eg Officer
I cannot believe this album is from the 90’s - in many ways it still sounded so fresh. Some definite Princess Superstar vibes in there - but ultimately not my go-to genre.
This is very enjoyable, in a TTQ way, the beats are great the samples interesting and the whole air is pretty agreabl(y)thick with weed.
This album has a really fun sound and The Pharcyde can be pretty impressive in their clowning around. Could that really be a Jetsons Jet Screamer reference in “Soul Flower”?! This has a refreshing brightened up rap style that I very much like. The handling of the subject matter is problematic in many, many places. I had too many cringey moments. I didn’t mind the sex, drugs and humor, except too often the fun comes at the expense of others which really brings down my enjoyment level. I can say the music and rap skills have me leaning towards a 5, but the lyrics send me somewhere around 1 or 2. Averaging those to a 3. I’m not satisfied with this rating as listening to my favorite tracks it is too low but listening to many of the other tracks it seems too high. Favorite Tracks: Soul Flower, Officer, Return of the B-Boy
I have heard of The Pharcyde, and was interested and hopeful when I saw this album pop up on the list. Like many hip-hop albums from the 90s, I dig the beats and samples…although a few tracks ran a bit long and became too repetitive. As for lyrical content, I found many of the tracks difficult to embrace making the listening experience a little disappointing.
Fun, classic jazzy early 90s music with light-weight content. Some swearing and fixation on sex, but at least not gangster aggression. Similar in style to Jungle Brothers, Tribe called Quest and De La Soul.
I like this, I do, it's very 90s hip hop. I remember some of this from back in the day, and I can hear its influence in other things. But, I just can't play these lyrics at the front desk of a government office. Sorry
Would make good background noise if I was focusing on something else, but not really an album I'd want to focus on listening to.
Vibemuziek, maar pakt me verder niet. Als het op staat op de achtergrond zou ik het nice vinden maar zou het zelf nooit op zetten.
This was a fun listen, though after a while you do get the impression that it's all trying a bit too hard, like forced fun.
I like the catchy background beats, but I generally don't care for rap, especially with crude lyrics like this.
Ei herätä suuria tunteita. Perusräppiä pienillä sekoiluelementeillä. Peruskakkonen kuten suurimmalle osalle saman genren levyjä.
A little too energetic and playful for a guy with a case of the Mondays. But its fun and clever and feels a little elevated compared to 90s gangster rap.
Early rap music was not that bad. Regarding jazzy rap, US3 debut album was much better.
As far as beats go, it hits the usual notes of early 90's beats. It's got a hint of the old 80's with something new, and it almost always sounds great. For the lyrics, they flow super well, but the stuff the group raps about sometimes just isn't worth listening to. Half the album is carried by the beats, but the other half has pretty profound lyrics and well-told stories. Favorite track: Passin' Me By
I liked the samples and the upbeat vibe, their willingness to just be loose and have fun. Disliked the basic themes, and the mysogeny, transphobia, homophobia, etc. Probably won't come back to this much.
Kan best wel wat met rap en hip-hop en de flow was best oké, maar dit ging toch een beetje langs me heen.
Fun album - not my type of jam, thou - but can’t deny these guys know how to enjoy themselves. Although I do not think I’ll listen to these songs again, I get why this is on the list and the influence on things yet to come.
Partially listened. Here's my vote against "three words constitute a song's worth of lyrics" in general, and especially when one of those lyrics is sh#t.
Very much early 90s rap. The first half of the album is bad. I could tell these guys had good flow in the verses but the content was so offputting that I already made my mind up that this is getting a 1. Lots of references to sexual assault, misogyny, yo mama jokes, and just juvenile vulgarity. I have no problem with swearing, but not like this. The back half of the album is an improvement, Officer and Pass Me By are both pretty good. They'll get an extra point for those tunes but without them this would be a 1 and I still have no desire to hear it ever again.
Promising to start with, but overlong and occasionally horribly misogynistic in a "hey I'm playing a character" way, which seems even worse.
The jazzy influences and the fact that this album came out squarely during the gangsta rap era probably made this album stand out at the time. It was a decent listen; there were some songs in here that I found particularly catchy. I think personal enjoyment for me would come in at around a 2.5.
Well, I liked it a little better than Straight Outta Compton. Enjoyed the good beats but didn't quite hit home for me. Cool early hip-hop record though.
Eh. There were times it was okay, and there were times I was wondering what the hell I was listening to. '4 Better of 4 Worse' is complete garbage. Being weird and gross doesn't make for interesting listening. Really wanted this to be over unfortunately.
Not my thing, better than Kanye, but I gave it a 2 because I'll never listen to it again.
Un album ringard mais important puisque c'est dans celui-ci qu'est apparue pour la première fois la lettre S dessinée à la façon « graffiti ». The Pharcyde commencent en effet leur projet par deux séries de trois lignes parallèles et les relient diagonalement de gauche à droite avant de dessiner des bouts pointus en haut et en bas. Cette façon curieuse de dessiner le S sera reprise par tous les enfants dans les cours d'école.
This is the debut album from the hip-hop group The Pharcyde. It is a classic hip-hop album because it was released early on during the Gangsta rap era, however it was a playful, alternative form of hip-hop at the time. The album has been certified gold in the US. The comedic lyrics, friendly banter, self-deprecating humor - both low and high - and wild tales, all apparent in these songs makes for a great album by a funny group of guys that can actually rap. This is now a nostalgic album from the golden days of rap, but the music still holds up. My only gripe is that I'm more of a fan of modern day rap.
They parched the lyrics department dry for all the N bombs and dick jokes. Only saving grace was just catchy beats, but was a struggle to listen to. I expect better from Gary Larson
Wasn't a big fan of this. I liked a couple of songs, but the lyrics were pretty distasteful at times which put me off.
Slurpees rhymes with herpes. The music was fine and they seemed to be having fun but I was cringing at a lot of lyrics so I didn't have a good time.
Mir schwant nix gutes… Beim 7. Song unvermittelt ausgemacht. Diese Platte ist so unglaublich langweilig, dass ich mich noch nicht mal darüber aufregen kann. 90ies HipHop: Sabbel sabbel sabbel - kein, sabbel sabbel sabbel - Reim! Muss man/ich nicht hören. 1 Stern.
Not a fan. I don't see the point of vulgarity for the sake of vulgarity sake and shock value. I skipped through most of the record and then decided it wasn't for me and moved on.
Maybe it is just of its time - I did not get much from this one. It is broadly gentler and more playful than a fair amount of the hip-hop of that time, but it does not get anywhere near the heights of Del Tha Funkee Homo Sapien, or De La Soul. Not very bizarre at all.
Musically, I really liked this. But then they had to open their mouths and ruin it all. Using the N word just to sound edgy just makes you a poser.
Do. They. Have. To. Always. Be. So. Very. Loooooooooooong?? This was too long. Just too long. Also, I like to think I'm a guy who has a fair amount of experience listening to music that's intentionally chaotic. And there are chaotic albums that I 100% listen to for pleasure. But there were moments on this record where it just felt like I was in a room with six or seven people and they were all talking at once about 6 or 7 different things and one of them had a drum machine and another had some LPs and all of it was going on all at once and all I wanted to do was just get the hell out of that room. So it was all too much for me today. I'm not saying I didn't appreciate the "Oh Shit" song or the one about your momma. I'm human, after all. But I was mostly annoyed by this one.
i enjoyed hearing something very different! jazz rap is a unique and creative combination. how they used certain jazz elements in rap songs? very cool! but there weren't any songs i really liked, i'm sorry to say.
This album has a really cool beat to it, very reminiscent of the early 90s hip hop. I honestly hadn't heard of this album until it came up on this list. That being said, lyrically I was offended as a woman and I won't be listening again.
I like the energy but that's about all I liked. It also being too long was the final nail in the coffin
Not a fan
Hip hop suave. Agradable. No destaca especialmente
always shinyyyy