Office Listening: Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

Photo: The Pharcyde

We've got a serious penchant for rap music here at Skiddle, as our recent hip hop focused Spotify playlist (check it out here) alluded to. One album that's really tickled our ears of late is the classic 1992 hip hop sojourn Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde, which you can stream below.

There are many remarkable things about The Pharcyde's opus, not least due to the era in which it was spawned. Written at the end of the eighties and early nineties at a time when hip hop on the west coast was fully engulfed in the semantics of gangster rap, The Pharcyde rose out of a scene that was witnessing 2Pac very much in his ascension, whilst N.W.A's Straight Outta Compton was still ringing out everywhere.

Despite being LA natives, the hip hop quintet launched an entirely different sound from their peers, in what was to become one of the finest debut records of all time. Musically, producer J-Swift held strong ties to jazz, soul and even rock, whilst lyrically Fatlip, Slimkid3, Imani and Bootie Brown out-poured lashings of comedic humour to proceedings.

Less concerned with murder, violence and political unrest (although elements of this are still present) as they were putting down their enemies moms ('Ya Mama') or daring to tackle subjects like unrequited love ('Passin Me By'), The Pharcyde embarked on a boldly lighthearted and exemplary route that prompted LA critic Ernest Hardy to name the album "one of the most joyously heartbreaking albums ever". 

Whilst the 1992 masterpiece might draw elements from A Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory (which appeared a year previously) as in the jazz fueled aesthetic, it only takes a few minutes of listening for the downright originality to jump out the speakers and slap you about the face.

With intelligently borrowed elements from the likes of jazz gods John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, Quincy Jones, Weather Report and Weather Report, The Pharcyde and J-Swift created an engulfing world of smokey jazz vibes, beautifully layered textures, and well rounded journeys that completely explored their full potential. 

Whilst 'Oh Shit', and 'Ya Mama' might have been the big hits, the album fails to put a foot wrong. Records like 'Otha Fish' for instance are as well put together as anything, perhaps ranking as this album's finest moment - the beats sound deep, rounded and fresh, whilst the rapping remains as quirky and exciting as ever.

A welcome and brave break from the brutal machismo of most hip hop, and certainly modern hip hop, The Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride II remains one of the most seminal examples of the genre at its finest, full of tounge in cheek, marijuana induced moments that remind you just how fun music can be.

The Pharcyde have since taken to playing Bizarre Ride II in its entirety, rapidly becoming one of the more endearing heritage acts as hip hop and it's late eighties/early nineties golden period celebrates reaching musical maturity. They'll be reforming once more in 2014, complete with FATLIP, Slimkid3, L.A Jay, K-Natural & J-Sw!ft at London's Jazz Cafe on September 4th, for fans of the recording new and old to bask in it's glory. We can't recommend this enough.

Bag your Pharcyde tickets here.

Tickets are no longer available for this event