Reviews (page 6 of 8)
A bit torn on this one, has some of the better wordplay and bars I’ve heard from a hip-hop LP in a while but the vibe just felt off due to some stale, repetitive subject matter. Reminded me of a less wholesome Tribe Called Quest
Funny and vibey
Good irreverent rap, feels like youthful inspiration. It's nice to hear something that doesn't take itself too seriously.
hl: "I'm That Type of Nigga", "Soul Flower", "Passin' Me By", "Otha Fish" As far as West Coast rap goes, well I prefer this to Straight Outta Compton 3.5 August 29, 2023
C+ 4 Better Or 4 Worse* 3 Oh Shit 2 It's Jiggaboo Time (Skit)* 3 4 Better Or 4 Worse 3 I'm That Type of Nigga 3 If I Were President (Skit)* 3 Soul Flower (Remix) 4 On the DL 3 Pack the Pipe (Interlude)* 3 Officer 2 Ya Mama 3 Passin' Me By 3 Otha Fish 2 Quinton's on the Way (Skit) 3 Pack the Pipe 2 Return of the B-Boy 3 I knew this album from either Conor Clapton or Liad telling me to listen to it years ago. Can't remember which one. I liked it more this time, but it still was pretty average. Definitely better than the competition though.
A pretty fun classic hip-hop record that unfortunately doesn’t really push itself or come across too memorably
Enjoyed the playfulness of this album. Nice jazz vibes throughout
I dunno, it's fun, but none of it is sticking with me particularly, and I usually love this kind of thing. Officer isn't on Spotify, did Chuck D make em take it down? Enjoyable enough. Passin me By and Otha Fish are grooves.
esta padre, osea yo creo que con otro mood hasta hubiera guardado una canción pero justo creo que hoy no estaba en el mood para este mood.
Good in places. Some meh towards the end.
It was good, but longer than i needed
Hipppyhoppy
Instrumentals are really pretty great, I can't lie about that. Having been born in 1995, I was not really old enough to enjoy '90s hip-hop at its peak, so this genre isn't one I visit too often. Lyrics still catch me off guard sometimes. This is a higher 3 than Snoop Dogg's Doggstyle (wow this project is giving me SO MANY hip-hop albums this week), but I can't give it a 4.
it was fine but i’ll never reach for it again
cool beats but a bit extreme lyrically for me
I quite enjoyed this- it felt retro and earlier than 1992 to me. It's fun to listen to but no more than that.
ok 6.5/10
ça m'est pas désagréable mais j'en garderai pas non plus des souvenirs vivifiants
Some of the lines on here are great but this album is long and unfocused. I don't think I'll be listening again.
Quite interesting rap album from early nineties. Full of funky beats and flow, with, at times, really funny lyrics and verses. Rather positive album, it was flowing nicely both in the background and when focusing on the songs. Easy listen, but definitely won't be coming back to this position.
Nice hip hop stuff with positive vibes. Felt a bit messy stylistically in places but fun.
Can't fault anyone for having as much fun as these guys are! And plenty of bangers and top notch samples too. 3 party hats out of 5. 🎉🎉🎉
bopped my head
2.5
Haha heerlijk album, hele enge tekst af en toe.
Old school rustige rap, niet bijzonder goed maar gewoon lekker
Good in spots, not particularly good in others. An unenthusiastic 3.
Original style, some new ideas, some formula
2023/03/22
Never heard this before but its a deep soulful fun rap album. The cuts/samples are lush soft and deep.. Its kinda a west coast rival to 3 Feet High and rising.
It certainly was a "Bizarre Ride" in the Pharcyde's debut. Apparently not the first bizarre ride they had been on though? Mixed in with some quality hip hop were some peculiar choices both in songs and skits. "4 Better or 4 Worse" felt like a skit mixed with a song, and to very odd effect. "Quinton's on the Way" was another outlandish skit. I guess we are supposed to be on an unconventional odyssey, though. What is the origin of skit interludes on hip hop albums anyway? It's an intriguing part of the subculture that is really only part of hip hop and R&B as far as I know. At the end of the journey, the Pharcyde produced some good work, but I would definitely rank them below their contemporaries like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, and others. Their weirdness and lewdness mixed with a flow and funk that probably inspired some strange departures from the alternative hip hop core in the years to come.
Enjoyed this. Except that weird serial murder-y one while I was walking alone in the woods no thank you.
I wish there were some otha songs like Otha Fish.
Loved the jazz rap but kinda fell off in the middle
More fun than Public Enemy or NWA. I love the roots it planted for Jurassic 5 and Gorillaz.
Did not finish the album beginning was meh
This wasn't a completely miserable 90s hip hop experience which puts it above about 50% of the other such albums I've gotten so far. I can't think of a song I thought stood out (maybe I'm that type of nigga) but I mildly enjoyed listening to the whole thing for the most part.
Brand new to me, was pleasantly surprised
Excited to have finally listened to this album, iconic and enjoyable.
Jazzy beats with light-hearted and often (sometimes too often) goofy lyrics. “Passin’ Me By” and “Ya Mama” are standout tracks. The interludes are automatic skips.
The track Officer is missing on Spotify.
I'm not a big fan of rap and hip hop, but I quite enjoyed this album. It was funky and fun, some songs more than others but overall it was good.
As someone who really doesn't like rap music, I found this album very listenable - in large part to the jazzy accompaniment, I'm sure. The skits were a bit annoying, but still I listened to the entire album - quite a feat for a rap record.
Not bad, but not great
Really fun and playful hip-hop. The beats are jazzy and funky too. Just an enjoyable listen all around.
Ik kende het niet, het begon leuk, vrolijke jaren '90 hip-hop, niet te serieus enzo. Lekkere beats, diverse instrumenten, al met al een positieve vibe. Maar al na een paar nummers merk je dat de nieuwigheid er van af is en is het vooral veel van hetzelfde. Leuk en verrassend genoeg in eerste instantie voor 3 sterren, maar niet meer dan dat. Jammer, want ik dacht aan het begin dat dit 4 sterren potentie had.
Love the beats but not in love with the lyrics
I had not heard of this group or heard any of their music before, and I enjoyed it. Although the lyrics can be quite juvenile at times, it's different in that there's real wit behind of a lot of it. The album sounds like they are genuinely having a lot of fun and that's catchy. The beats and rhythms are great, and the emcees nail it with their phrasing and timing. Some standout harmonies, too -- I liked what I heard driving 'Soul Flower (Remix)' for example. Once again, grateful to this project for introducing me to so many albums, artists, and styles I doubt I'd ever come across on my own, including this record. Nicely done.
Kunnia kolmosta. Ei oteta itteensä liian vakavasti tässä näin. Hupsuttelua.
Passin' Me By had my toe tapping
Much better than expected! 3/5
Not my type of music, was trying to give it a good go, but had to skip some. Saved tracks: If I Were A President, Soul Flower, Passin’ Me By
J'ai vraiment aimé la musique, je me suis retrouvée à danser presque tout le long, j'aime le flow des chanteurs. Mais la misogynie et la violence (harcèlement) de certaines paroles le rendent plus difficile à avaler et font que ça vieillit moins bien.
Rerating
Interesting rap album that doesn’t take itself too seriously, great beats and flow but nonsense lyrics, this would have been a huge hit with high school kids at the time.
Most of the time I prefer hip hop like this album, with simple beats and good flows. But when I stopped to listen to some of the lyrics, they were.... weird? I did like the whole song dedicated to "your mama" jokes though
Tämä oli parempi kuin odotin ja aika söpö. Tämmöinen vanha hiphopmikälie on niin kilttiä. Hokevat shit sitä ja shit tätä ja kuulostaa samalta kuin kiroileva taapero. Ihanat. Muutaman biisin jälkeen kuitenkin hieman kyllästyin, kyllä tätä varmaan kuuntelisi enemmänkin, jos ois kavereiden kaa tai rantakahvilassa tai jossain muussa letkeässä paikassa.
This is light-hearted and funny 90s hip hop. Not my genre (to be honest, the funniness is as much "not me" as the hip hop, I often don't relate to "humorous" lyrics) , but it's easy to hear that the production was richer and lusher than earlier 90s hip hop and this would have been a precursor to some of my favorite hip hop sounds. I like the layering of samples, the different voices, the jazzy vibes. That said, I probably won't be listening to this again, the language is crude and the humor doesn't speak to me.
I’ve said it many times before, but I’ve always felt my least knowledgable genres are hip-hop and jazz. I’ve never come across Pharcyde before, so am excited to hear them for the first time today. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Soul Flower (Remix), Passin’ Me By This was a pleasant surprise for me as I wasn’t sure quite what to expect. The music is kind of funk/soul with Pharcyde rapping over it, and it works well. I often got the feeling that it was a bunch of friends all having fun together which ended up with songs being made, and that often shines through. Whereas a lot of hip-hop tends to focus in on money and women as lyrical themes (and don’t get me wrong, Pharcyde does this too at times), there are also songs like Ya Mama and the interlude Quinton’s On The Way which shows they don’t take themselves too seriously. Overall, a pretty good album.
6/10. piola las canciones, si hubiesen sido mas chistosas (q claramente era la intencão) le tiraba un 7.
Nuce
Funky misogyny...funkogyny?
Not my style, but a solid record after all.
Sort of goofy at times but wicked sounds overall
Like De La Soul but not as good
Really enjoyed listening to this. The lyrics are hilarious and I loved all the jazz samples. Not sure if I’ll listen again but really fun record
74/100: I saw one review of this album that said The Pharcyde was clearly a talented group but perhaps didn't take themselves seriously enough on this album. I tried to ignore this review and approach this album with a fresh and untainted mindset; however, either independently of this review or because of it, I found myself thinking the same thing. With that being said, I think my view is slightly more nuanced than the original reviewer. While I agree that The Pharcyde's laid back attitude definitely doesn't do this well-produced and impressive album any favors, I think there's a place for jokes in music, even rap music. Not every rap album has to be about the same hard tropes. I think this album essentially full of "your mom" and penis jokes was actually really refreshing due to it's novelty. Despite that, though, there's a reason it's novel. It gets a little old after a while. I don't typically listen to music to laugh nor do I think most people, hence why there's not much demand for albums like this (and therefore not a large supply of them, econ lesson for you all). Overall, I enjoyed this album, but did not really vibe with it by the end.
It was a really good album. Didn't quite live up to expectations, but really good nonetheless. Might be a 4/5 album, but I'll have to reassess my feelings in the future. 3.5/5
Classic old school hip hop. It’s amazing how many other rappers have borrowed ideas from this album
Trip Hop is a genry that got old pretty quickly and most of it was kind of just forgotten by everybody, except for the real masterpieces that struck out like that first album by Tricky. Like Portishead and Massive Attack there's a certain sexiness to Tricky's music that contrasts with the dark, sometimes industrial beats that goes with it. It's like you're neevr sure if you're on the verge of getting some sexy time or just about to die in a horrible manner. Maybe it's both.
Interesting storylines, good beat
Listnened Before? N Good album. Perfect alternative style to the gangsta rap of the era. I enjoyed it... although the themes were pretty juvenile at times it was better than murder and drugs 24-7. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Passin' me by
I like the sound, the phrasing, the quirky bars, but the content could be updated a bit. I guess that's the price of listening to early 90s hip-hop. Yo mamma et.al. was a thing.
I really enjoyed the deep bass, good humour and playfulness of this
as much as I do not like rap, this one is ok
3.5
FINALLY a hiphop album. Great energy and dynamics between all the members, very lush and groovy backing tracks, I'm a sucker for this jazz rap stuff. Really good flows, very varied. I like how fun and goofy it is too, it really sounds like they're having fun in the studio and just goofing around with each other. Some of the skits can be a lil annoying but I'm never one for skits
Interesting, some good catchy bits, might need to listen again to pick up on the story
Alright but didn't take itself seriously enough, which is odd. The beats and sound was great, not to mention most of the songs, but too many tunes were ruined by the insistence on burp noises and your mum jokes. A bit of a shame really, because it could've been fantastic. A decent record
This is a nice respite from the rap of the era. The lyrics are comical and humorous. The sampling is slick and varied. Somehow I am just not in the mood for it this morning.
Enjoyable, bouncey, some of it familiar. Often stupid and funny. Good samples, good beats, they were all clearly having a good time. It's just a sorta feel good hip hop album.
If I had to describe what I thought Rap would've sounded like in the early 90's, this is pretty much how it would sound. Immature, crude and jazzy, that doesn't take itself too seriously, it could get a whole lot worse than this album. Enjoyable enough, in a weird half-satisfied type of way.
I liked the beats more
Very jazzy! Solid beats.
Good hip hop album
Product from it's time, it's fun tho
Alright early 90s rap album. I can see the appeal and how in the 90s these guys were influential and talented. I found some of their songs to be a bit annoying which can happen with 90s rap songs when they’re repetitive. The beats were solid and lyrically it was ok. I don’t think I’ll revisit this one much but it was ok. 6.3/10
Fun but the skits just drag the rating down
Solid
A fun album
This album can't really be taken seriously. The lyrics are comical at times, and overall it's just a fun album. Instrumentals and beats were solid.
I'm there is some very humorous and interesting raps on this generally decent sounding recording. Musically it's just not interesting enough to grab my attention enough for me to put the effort into finding out, unlike a group like A Tribe Called Quest. 3 🌟
At last something other than unlistenable sludge
Upon first listen, the music nor the performances feel as adventurous as it could be. Overall good rap album with hints of jazz, clearly something very inspiring for other artists. Will re-listen to it as the songs seemed too homogeneous the first time around.
J’ai bien aimé ça. C’est un peu come du Tribe Called Quest, mais avec beaucoup d’énergie et peut-être un peu moins de concision.
The beats get a 5, everything else, a 3. Sounds like a bunch of people got high and yelled whatever into the mic. Not a bad premise but it’s goofy as hell.
Trailblazing sure, especially in respect to the fact the band side stepped gangsta rap to continue the daisy age vibe of De La Soul. Great fun raps with a nice array off beats. I had never listened to this before in full but had one of their later albums which I would blast while working in '95. I have to admit I struggled a little with this album as it got a bit messy - lots of ideas not all of them winners
For some reason the song officer isn’t on spotify so I’ll just skip it… The album opens with an interlude it isn’t great but sets the feel for the music that is about to happen. Then it’s oh shit, I like the way that this one builds up in the rhythm until the start rapping two rappers trade parts both I think are alright but it sounds like they’re trying too hard. It’s jiggaboo time is a dumb skit but it’s alright. 4 better or 4 worse is okay for the most part instead of the eating brains verse also i’am starting to think the beats that this group use are sometimes too in your face and it feels like a competition between the rappers and the instrumental. I’m that type of n**** has literally got the issue that I just said about the last song, but it’s still good the rapping is probably the most aggressive so far If I were president is also a dumb skit but it’s not alright. Soul flower feels a little dumb, but hey the rapping and the beat is kinda solid. It gets ever so slightly slower with On the DL I really like this beat for the song and the rapping is class but I’am starting to realise that they’re not that good at making a chorus usually just repeating the songs name again and again. Why so many Interludes dam you pack the pipe. < officer used to be here> I don’t think this group like my mum by the sound of ya mama, I think it’s trying to be comical which I like because I only really hear humour in music with 90’s hip hop stuff. The songs decent though. The sampled beats in passin’ me by have a great vintage crackle sound to them which works well for effect the rest is much the same of what’s came before in terms of pros and cons. Others fish is one of my favourites on the album not one bit aggressive and good beats. Some of the rapping is even a bit like he’s trying to sing! Quinton’s on the way is a dumb skit and just a dumb long skit. We’ve reached the penultimate track Pack the pipe it’s alright it has a bit of a “smoky” and “muffled” sounding beat, the lyrics are still sharp but the baby voices no, just no. The album ends with return of the B-boy it’s alright, a party to end the album. Yeah this is a 3 for sure I liked it a little but the tracklist is too long ( even with officer redacted from records) and the higher pitch rapper is horrible to listen to sometimes.
Good 90s hip hop. Nice to listen to a fun and funny rap group that contrasted the gangsta rap at the time, that is still really solid
Best Song: Passin' Me By. The most technically impressive rapping performance, that also manages to tell an interesting story and has a nice musical hook. This song feels very "of an era", but in a good way. Close second for "Otha Fish". Worst Song: 4 Better Or 4 Worse. The "deranged phone call" character from the latter half of the song seemed like it was somehow actually going to work, but it overstayed its welcome into a weird, sexually aggressive territory that kind of undid whatever cool there was. I did like his slow, stilted delivery though. Overall: A good album that sometimes feels dated, but still holds up to a modern listening. A lot of Hip Hop ends up aging poorly, so I was happy that for the most part the age of the album doesn't get in the way of enjoying it. I liked the chill backing instrumentals, but the real star is Pharcyde's ability to consistently flip and mix up his flow.
Sometimes there are cool jazz beats here. Great skits. hip hop don't stop
Fun. I skipped over this at the time. I enjoyed it this time. Will I listen again? I'm not sure.
This is a crazy fun little album...way out of my listening range back in 1992, but thoroughly enjoyed it...just goofy and fun.
Fun, funny and funky. I've had a few gangsta rap albums recently, which I find totally toxic. This was a breath of fresh air by way of comparison. Enjoyable, if not super memorable. I wish the skits were gone. Passin' Me By is a highlight.
Quite a ride as advertised. The jazz and funk grooves are exceptional, the humour self deprecating and otherwise, but the misogyny has not so worn well. You could easily carbon date this to the early 90s.
Fun, light-hearted, good rhythms and "Ya Mama". Great stuff.
Waaaaayyyyy better than expected. Enjoyed this one very much. The language is a bit distracting at times, but compared to music today it is quite tame. Overall, I think it was definitely worth listening to. 3.5 / 5
Upbeat Hip hop from the early 90s - sounded like a cross between Public Enemy and Jurassic 5. Enjoyable enough but nothing ground breaking.
The live drums and piano always appealed to me back when this came out. They do make it feel very different to a lot of the sample-led rap records that have come my way on this service recently. Some of the rapping is a bit goofy, but I think that's deliberate. Comedy songs always suffer on repeated listen, so Yo Mama just seems a bit knuckleheaded. 3.5 I guess.
Old school hiphop, starten af 90’erne, jazzrap
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
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 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.
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
3.5
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.
Kind of a fun album
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.
Pretty good fun, although iffy in parts. Interesting to hear the Public Enemy parodies here and there - eg Officer
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
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.
Fresh Prince Vs .... Ahead of its time, with a fun range of styles jammed together.
Never heard this one and I really liked it. Reminded me of a more hip hop version of arrested development.
5/10. Eh, not bad, not great.
Daft
Ya mama won't like this so much...
good beat
This was a fun album.
Fun
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
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.
3/5 - Good
Very interesting - given the date, no wonder it made waves.
Doesn’t impress enough to stick with me past the runtime of the album. Interesting beats and lyrics but the two never coalesce.
Eh
Normal
Who is in charge ova hereee 3/5
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.
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
Good early 90s rap. Probably better than a 3, but not enough here for me to round up to a 4.
Light, funny old school.
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.
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.
Not bad, didn’t make an impression
Viel wel mee om naar te luisteren. Maar ik ben niet overtuigd om het opnieuw op te leggen
A very average hip hop album with no big tune for it to really take off.
Just nothing worthwhile, too long, too chaotic, but not like I hated it
More enjoyable than I expected
Big on the beaty. Witty with the wordy. More tolerable than others in this genre but unlikely to revisit.
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.
Some good stuff on this
Not bad but nothing memorable.
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.
This was good fun. Upbeat beat sometimes naughty lyrics. Unlikely to listen again though
Preeeeetty good
Great flows and beats, but a little cheesy in some bits and the skits were kinda wack.
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.
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.
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.
Fun album
Not my music stylr, but I liked the jazz influence and the flow
Ik vind rap absoluut niet leuk, maar de beats van dit album zijn wel heel lekker! Kreeg een beetje een soul gevoel of zo. ***
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
Meh
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.
Silly lyrics and dumb skits, but I liked some of the jazzy music.
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.
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
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.
Not my favorite hip-hop album
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.
Uutta mulle, ihan jeekkis
Very Run DMC-y, not bad though.
Nice oldschool alternative hip-hop with some jazzy overtones.
Chill, funky beats providing the background to some slick rhymes. Very early 90s. Not really my cup of tea
Couple of great tracks. Hard to identify with the rest of it these days.
B- heard some stuff that was sampled in fat boy slim
I'd rate it 3.5 stars
Second rate Tribe Called Quest. Sorry
Fun hip-hop, enjoyable.
Great early 90s hip hop, lots of nice hoots and a great flow. No filler - a rarity for the genre imo
Enjoyable. Not as fun as I remembered.
No
Bit like de la soul
Great early 90s hip hop, lots of nice hooks and a great flow. No filler - a rarity for the genre imo
Fun hip hop with some well put together beats and rhymes - less of the skits though
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.
Good rap album, a little dark and vulgar with a few too many skits for me
Started strong, a lot of stuff to like. It got a little grating after a while, but still enjoyable. I like the jazzy backings
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.
A few good songs
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.
I like the vibes - pretty token, worthless review especially since I didn't really give it full attention :/
Enjoyable. Brought me back to the nineties. Didn't totally vibe with it, but that could easily change.
Kinda out there but a fun listen
Ok
Never heard of this group. Will probably never listen to them again but was nice for a Thursday afternoon.
3/5
5
1:1 geklaut bei „Auf einem Auge blöd“ von Fettes Brot, haha
Hip hop suave. Agradable. No destaca especialmente. Sin sorpresa. Con ritmo y estilos predecibles
hip hop that sounds like digital underground - i liked it but not sure i would seek it out
I don't listen to a whole lot of hip hop, but thoroughly enjoyed this.
Lighthearted early 90s rap but explicit. It's not bad at all. Passin' Me By is the most popular song by far. 6/10.
jazzy hip hop
Cool
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.
I enjoyed a handful of songs but listening to them one after the other is quite tiresome (full disclaimer: not my fav genre)
Pretty good tongue in cheek hip hop
I liked "Oh Shit", but didn't go much farther tbh
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 feel like elevator music and 90s rap had a child with this.
Never heard of it before. Songs not familiar. Definitely enjoyable but not my jam on a whole.
Thank God I've matured some since 1992...
Good fun, with all the typical problematic elements.
90s rap album. great backing tracks as usual, smooth flow between tracks
Started well. Got bad and boring
From album cover easter egg (vagina) to catchy 90s beats, this is a good all around.
Recognized some songs, good to put a title to em
Just some friends having fun in the studio. Beats are pretty comfy, too. What's not to like?
Passing me by is a generational mood and classic, for that it gets two stars alone, every other track is more or less wack
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.
Got better along the listen.... not bad!
what did i even just listen to
Album #208 The Pharcyde: Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde I suppose bizarre is a good word for it. I think what summarises this album most for me is that my favourite track was the 4 Better Or 4 Worse Interlude, and my least favourite was 4 Better Or 4 Worse; great jazzy instrumentals, accompanied by the ramblings of a set 8 kid. I think it’s pretty clear where the likes of Eminem took their influence from after hearing this, since the lyrics are either played for a joke or for shock value. Also, I thought that one of the members was a woman until I looked up who was in the group. It’s not terrible, but looking at the tracklist, I don’t think I’d ever want to hear any of it again. Should have been a lot better with those beats. Best Songs: 4 Better Or 4 Worse (Interlude), Oh Shit, Passin’ Me By Worst Song: 4 Better Or 4 Worse Score out of 10: 4.5
Nice rythmic Hip Hop , not my music though and repetitive nigga nigga
4/10
It's ok, nothing more. Got a bit bored with an hour of them messing around.
Today's album is very beastie boys esque, upbeat, happy sounding, and makes me want to rip my ears out. Its a weird sensation. Language is foul, beats are alright, and this is the first one I am truly struggling to finish and looking for every opportunity to be distracted. I shall persevere, but man this one is tough
4 great songs, many fine songs
I thought it was fun, but it isn’t really for me Favorite song was return of the b boy
640/1001 2026.06.19
Immature and juvenile.
It’s okay, I guess.
ugh, more old school hip hop
Dated, formulaic, boring
It was pretty enjoyable for the first 4 or 5 tracks but then it started getting pretty tiresome.
Fun hip hop album. Miss the time when rap albums were as enjoyable. It has great rhythms and some iconic moments. 7/10 [KEEP]
Not really my thing
I'm far too old for this. Well done and dumb. It's not that it's bad, I just don't like it..
This is one of those rap albums where they mostly talk, but I prefer the ones that are more melodic, even though this one is not too bad. Passin' me by seems to be alright. Overall, it was okay having it on the side where I was doing other stuff.
I can tell this guy really likes, old-school absurd, rap. This reminds me of Del the funky, we’re essentially the entire point of the album is just gotcha bars. Pretty good production and the beats are catchy. There’s just not a whole lot of substance.
From the Vault #11 (January 19, 2026) What it be, what it do. I'm back with another pre-emptive review. The Pharcyde is a vaguely familiar name to me. I'm not sure why - it's not like I'm engaging with these hip-hop albums of my own accord. Really drawing a blank on why I'm familiar with these guys. Guess I'll just hop into it. Oh, I was thinking of the comic by Gary Larson the whole time. I can't help but love the Cow Tools strip because of its infamy. Anyways, this wasn't half bad. A big surprise considering my opinion of hip-hop and the crasse album cover. The instrumentals are easily the best aspect of this album. There's a lot of ground covered in the samples and general sound of this album. There is kind of a disconnect between the instrumentals and lyrics, however. I wish these songs were paired with better lyrics. The vocals get the job done for a hip-hop album, but they didn't do much in establishing a presence or character for The Pharcyde, which was a little disappointing. Overall, I thought this album has a leg up over many of the other hip-hop albums I've listened to, but it's appeal wore off somewhere down the middle, which is no doubt a product of how many goldarn songs are on this thing. Book time. Spread the Native Tongues' style to California. Blends many genres, P-funk being the most prominent. Has an enduring influence among musicians. This is way more competent than what I'm used to from hip-hop, which is funny since the book says the band members were carried by the guidance of their high-school music teacher when creating this album. Anyways, it's pretty unique and holds up well. I cosign this inclusion.
This is the first record I’ve had on here (day 32) that I would say I don’t really like. The music itself is jazzy and cool, but between the skits and the lyrics, this is not for me.
I will confess to not being aware of this album during my first year of teaching but it does have a more live and occasionally jazzy feel than those early gangsta rap albums. There is a playfulness and moments of humour but it still sounds like a bunch of annoying teenage boys being inappropriate in the school corridor for the most part. I do also hear some of the sound that Prince developed with the NPG which I'm sure I would have given more leverage to. These hip hop albums always seem a bit long.......
I’d never even heard of Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde before this challenge, so this was a completely new one for me. I went in open-minded, although hip hop isn’t usually a genre I connect with, especially after spending time on Beastie Boys the day before. What stood out straight away is that The Pharcyde don’t take themselves too seriously. There’s a playful, almost parody-like feel to the album, which makes it more engaging than I expected. That said, the opening interlude doesn’t really set the tone, and it would have been a much stronger start if it had kicked off with Oh Shit, which is a genuinely fun track. There’s a lightness and humour running through the album that makes it an easy listen in places, even if it doesn’t fully convert me to the genre. The production is solid, and there are moments where it really clicks. Favourite tracks: 4 Better or 4 Worse and Passin’ Me By, both standout tracks that I really enjoyed Least favourite tracks: The interludes don’t add much and could be removed. More broadly, I still struggle with how quickly some of the lyrics feel dated across the album Album artwork: I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but it definitely stands out
Nah, even for hip hop it's pretty bad
Old School hiphopia mutta ihan väärällä tavalla. Paljon toistoa huonoa riimittelyä ehkä olen väärä kohderyhmä
It's rap...'nuff said
Another ‘90s hip-hop time capsule; a fun-sometimes strange—listen.
This is definitely an album of its time…a very 90s ‘playground’esque rap album complete with an entire track of ‘Yo Mama’ jokes. A bit too sophomoric for my tastes, but I did enjoy the jazzy elements infused in the music. 2.5/5
There were some funny lines but they were kinda repetitive.
Creative lyrics. Fresh Prince vibes. One go was enough though..
Dienstag 05.05.2026 Lustigerweise exakt gleichen Setting an 2 verschiedenen Tagen: Ringbahn von Beusselstraße bis Heidelberger und dann Fahrrad von da bis zur Mensa 2 der FU
The fresh prince meets NWA
hip hop, rap, rnb, 1992 -> 2
A frustrating album. One you want to love and tell everyone about, but the reality is it’s kind of a mess. the rappers are almost indistinguishable from each other and the mix (to my ears way too much mid range) doesn’t help. Great samples but too many damn skits. Some good lyrics mixed in but mostly just ok stuff.
Had high hopes at the start, some classic sounding beats and accomplished rapping. As it went on it settled into a fairly immature rhythm, mostly sounded like a group of people messing around without worrying too much about the quality. Aspects of this are decent but I know I won't listen again. 2.5. but more a 2.
Really enjoyed how earnest it all was, skits apart. Passin Me By and Otha Fish were the top tracks, definitely heard them before. Sort of cool, sort of not cool - these guys are rapping about weird shit.
En nyt mitenkään erityisesti tykännyt. ⭐️⭐️
Aika samaa mättöä alusta loppuun.
Not for me
Wasn't for me. Stands out from other 90s hip hop, but not in a good way.
Couple of cool songs but nothing to write home about.
There weren’t a lot of albums covering these topics in this way in 1992. So it was definitely ahead of its time. But I’m just not getting greatness from it. Maybe it’s because I’m not a true hip hop head (although I do really like it), that I can’t fully appreciate it. Or maybe it’s possible to be influential without being amazing.
Lowkey offbeat.
Not the best but not terrible. 4/10
4 better or 4 worse threw me off. What the fuck.
Some days, the album is like taking your medicine I guess… I’m sure I’m missing something but not sure what gets this the nod vs others from this genre.
This is a solid 2.5 for me. And some days I might round up. Some days I might round down. It was interesting. Some good 90s beats and rhymes were decent. But felt like some songs were way too long and didn’t love the skits. So for today I’m going ⬇️
Fik ikke hørt færdigt - det har helt sikkert banet vejen for meget hiphop i dag, så jeg forstår godt hvorfor det er nice, men for mig bliver det hele også lidt ensformigt. (passin' me by var fed, forstår godt at det er hittet ) ville give 2.5
Not my favorite. The production is great but the verses aren’t. One of the rappers is super annoying.
Kult dette, men mye av denne typen hiphop høres veldig likt ut (90-talls - eks. A Tribe Called Quest, Jurrasic 5, Fugees..). Sterk 2 fordi det begynner å bli litt kjedelig.
My brother sent this to me years ago and I only remembered oh shit. After listening to it again 5 minutes ago, I still only remember Oh Shit (and passin me by is very good) because it's a bit outdated and long
good vibe for gym, but not my genre
Wieder ein Rap Album aus den 90ern mit den bekannten Schwächen bzgl. ausufernder Länge und monotonen Songs. Hier auch zu viele Skits, holt mich insgesamt nicht ab.
Steh da zwischen 2-3, interessante Ansätze auf jeden Fall, stellenweise hat mir das auch durchaus gefallen, insgesamt aber nicht ausschlaggebend genug.
Music good. Lyrics just not of interest to me. I do like some of the long constructs and how they flow. The general playfulness and joking are probably a good counter to the Gangsta Rap style that seemed to take over the sound all at once everywhere.
I just can't get into 90's hiphop at all.
I get why it's on here, but I've never been much of a fan of this style and era of hip hop. To me, it's cool beats with boring flow. I like it more than most gansta rap, but I really think 90's hip hop just isn't my thing.
I honestly tried... but i just can't get into hip hop/rap music. I went in with an open mind and I really enjoyed picking out all the samples and the amount of work that had gone into creating the beats/music.
The backing is decent big beat jazz, the rapping is tuneful and varied, fluid almost. The lyrics don't mean much to me and are silly in places. Overall this is quite good but no stand out songs and all I can remember is 'oh shit'. I'd rather listen to definition of sound. Hardly groundbreaking
Not my cup of tea.
Not my thing but it’s fine as an occasional song popping into a playlist. Let down a bit by the childish and immature lyrics.
Was OK. Reminded of Beastie Boys. Not for me though.
I liked a lot of the instrumentals but the lyrics sound like they were written by a 14 year old
I like Runnin', but nothing on this album matched that for me. I almost deducted a star for a debut album having II in the title.
not racist just don't like it
I'm sittin' on the couch and wish Greg would please hurry up She offered me a cup of ripple, broke out the titty Squeezed her nipple, said, "Suck it if you like but please don't bite it" I had an urge to say fuck it but I knew I had to fight it what the fuck?????????????
niente di speciale
I thought this was going to be more interesting than it was, turns out it's just another shitty hip-hop album with unfunny skits and identical songs. Fuck off.
It was ok. Not for me
Hip Hop alternativo, con sonidos jazz, tampoco muchos. Producción de Swift, pero se nota y mucho la mano de Dj Dilla. La compañía es la de Tone Loc, que compartía manager con ellos. Ya habían despuntado de la mano de The Brand New Heavies en el disco Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1 con Soul Flower de Maceo Parker (James Brown y The JB´s) aquí presente. Este disco abrío un camino que luego seguirían bandas como Jurassic 5. Yo de esa época prefriero a mis bandas favoritas: Digable Planets muhco más elegantes, que lamentablemente no están en esta lista. Otros ilustres son Guru, A tribe called quest o De la soul. Yo no lo veo como un disco esencial ni siquiera del Hip Hop. Hay otros mejores como los Digable Planets, Arrested Development o los las bandas del colectivo Native Tongues. De Public Enemy pues para qué hablar. Y para sencillos sueltos por ejemplo está Strobelite honey, de Black Sheep, un temazo. Passing me by a lomos de Quincy Jones es el mejor y más conocido, aunque tiene otros sencillos como Otha Fish, la citada Soul flower o Ya Mama.
I was very excited to see the cover of this album because I love roller coasters! This would be an interesting album to listen to while riding a roller coaster, but other than that, it's not good. I never got into it. Not the type of hip hop I like.
I wish I could give this a 2.75, it's not that bad!
Du hip hop, mention spéciale pour la chanson à base de blagues "Ta mère..."
This album offers snippets of the 90s hip hop stuff I have time for. The classic beats and tight vocals are distinctive of the era and I found the tracks that stayed true to that were decent (thought it ended well on Return of the B Boy). Also some decent mixtures of different musical influences that I could appreciate - some jazz elements that actually worked well. But it also has the downsides. Repetitive in themes and sounds. Also while I think the skits were attempting to do something different they really didn’t work for me - lighthearted and good natured sure but it just fell flat. A real mixed bag. Some at a 3 but overall felt a 2 or was right.
There was times where I nearly enjoyed it. They were funny and fluent then it just transcended into dribble. The cool kid cracks a funny off the cuff joke then some wise kids echoes it back until it dies. Mild enjoyment now and then but this is far too simplistic and only so much cocking about on repeat I can cope with.
Another bit of classic hip-hop from the early nineties which is guilty of all the common issues I have with the genre at this time: - The beats are unvaried and rhythmically repetitive. - The rapping is tight but the flows are unvaried and tend to plod along at a single tempo. - The skits/interludes are overused and annoying. - The album is twenty minutes too long. This is fine for a few tracks but it gets repetitive and boring after a while. I wonder whether these are really albums designed to sit through in a single session... Lyrically, this also has some questionable moments. '4 Better Or 4 Worse' being a stand out track that got bizarre in a bad way. Generally I enjoy listening to these albums once as a historical study into the culture, but its not my favoured type of hip-hop and I won't be relistening.
A couple of nice grooves can't save overall juvenile album