The Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (33 1/3)

The Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (33 1/3)

<p>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 <i>Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde</i>, 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.</p><p>And like the product of any adolescent, <i>Bizarre Ride</i> 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, <i>Bizarre Ride </i>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, <i>Bizarre Ride</i> sketched out a whole strata of emotions that other rappers hadn't yet dared to tackle, and to a certain extent, still haven't.</p>