Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde

33⅓ Main Series #122

by Andrew Barker

As immediately believable as they were cartoonish, as much an inner city cipher as a suburban boys gang, the foursome that made up the Pharcyde were the most relatable MCs to ever pass the mic. On their debut and magnum opus Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde , they created a record almost overstuffed with possibility, the sound of four restless man-children fresh out of their teens, finding a perfect outlet in a form of music that was just as young and fertile.

And like the product of any adolescent, Bizarre Ride wears its contrarianism and contradictions on its sleeve. It's a party album about shyness and unrequited love. A swirl of jubilant L.A. psychedelia recorded in the midst of the Rodney King trial. A blast of black consciousness that still makes room to poke fun at Public Enemy and reference the Pixies. A dense, sophisticated sonic stew punctuated by yo mama jokes and prank calls. While hip-hop was already calcifying its tropes of steely machismo and aspirational fantasy, Bizarre Ride was a pure distillation of the average hip-hop listener's actual lifestyle-the joys and sorrows of four guys who were young, broke, sexually frustrated, and way too clever for their own good. A touchstone for Kanye West, Drake, Lil B and a whole generation of off-center MCs, Bizarre Ride sketched out a whole strata of emotions that other rappers hadn't yet dared to tackle, and to a certain extent, still haven't.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Hip Hop, Pop Culture

152 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2017

Reviews

[Amos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whole lotta research and some great interviews make up this awesome little book on the Pharcyde's making of their classic hip-hop album Bizarre Ride To The Pharcyde.
Loved it..

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm huge fan of late 80's/early 90's hip hop: De la Soul, The Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets etc: basically I like big beats, funny rhymes and off kilter samples. Naturally The Pharcyde's debut Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde falls into this category.

The funny thing is that I don't know too much about the band and this is where Barker's book is handy.

Barker starts by describing the background of the group's members then the state of hip hop from the 80's til the mid 90's, the group's formation and detailed descriptions of the recording of the debut and its influence on the older and younger generation of hip hop artists.

The last chapter is a bit of a downer as the group split acrimoniously and all members have had disappointing solo careers and still cannot get along, or in the case of their unofficial fifth member and producer, J-Swift, homeless in Spain. It's a pity that an influential group had such an ending but at least their legacy lives on.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books in the series, especially in the last 30 or so. Reasoning....for starters, he breaks things up into short, accessible chapters. Nothing too long and daunting, gives you the freedom to put the book down, digest the story and return. 20 page chapters with obscure music verbiage isn't all that appealing. Second, there's tons of substance and insider information, so you get the feel of the record, the making and the influences. Plus, to top it off, there's a touch of post-Bizarre follow up, which is a nice bonus. Sure, you don't get much from 2 of 5 voices, but you can't blame the author there.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A seminal album in a truly outstanding era for hip-hop that deserves a critical eye. I'm not sure what I expected from this book, however, as I don't think a track by track analysis is really needed (and that kind of approach would probably become exasperating right quick) and this reads like long-ish Behind the Music episode in a pleasing way, but I came away from this wanting a little more. That's probably an unfair reaction as I do think exposure and evaluation are important in their own rights, especially for an album that could be dismissed as playful and therefore not particularly meaningful when looking at the 1990s West Coast hip hop and popular culture. Mr. Barker effectively dismisses those types of criticisms. This is definitely a worthy project and I'd love more close reading of 90's hip-hop (I'm looking at you Enter the Wu-Tang). Recommended.

I received an ecopy from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ross Bonaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it pretty rare when one of these 33 1/3 books is just a straightforward history of the album in question, and especially when it's an album I'm not that familiar with, it's a refreshing change of pace for this series. Andrew Barker's "Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde" is exactly that, as it shows the beginnings of The Pharcyde, the recording of this album that would become the band's only time working together as this unit, and the fallout of the albums and its members. Listening to this album for the first time, it felt like a bunch of teenagers just joking around and having fun—and it is that—but Barker's book showed me just how talented this group was and how The Pharcyde was completely different from all the other artists coming out of mid-90s hip hop. I love it when a 33 1/3 book makes me appreciate an album even more simply by giving me a greater context for the work, and even though it's fairly direct in how it approaches this album, I'm kind of glad it gave me this background.

[Sheehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This album was everything to me in 1993, and onward...

"Francis," my straight outta' Hong Kong, freshman roommate in school overhead the album rotating so frequently, HE could recite the first eight bars of "Passin' me by", he would rock it like a Sinatra Karaoke, all suave as hell like young Frank...No session started without invoking Quinton's arrival, freestyle ciphers followed "pack the pipe" for hours...and this is still the only hip-hop album I still enjoy the skits as much as when I first heard them 25 years ago.

The author did his investigative homework and really adds value to the historical record of this album, it's creation and reception; and I finally found out the lost history of the real life Quinton!

"Quinton's on his way, Quinton's on his way
Quinton's on his way with another J and it's OK..."

[Tim Vasil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own many books in the 33 1/3 series and this title really shines. The author does a great job portraying the friendships and evolving relationships of the group menbers as well as providing great details on the producers. It almost reads like a screenplay and would make for a great movie - on friends coming together from their love of music and then growing apart under the weight of fame and demands from the industry.

[Chi Chi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read about one of my favorite albums of all time. Barker does a nice job of walking you through the making of the album while putting it in conversation with what else was happening in Los Angeles and in hip hop at the time. He also provides a good explanation as to why they never duplicated their success.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites in the series

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite ones of this series. An album I loved that I learned a lot about.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soul flower blooming
in glow of chaotic streets
- cut to dark cabin

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

great just wish it was longer

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great! Now Will someone please do one on Blowout Comb?