Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
Encyclopedia
Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde is the debut album of American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 group The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde are an alternative hip hop group based in South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani , Slimkid3 , Bootie Brown and Fatlip . DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla...

, released on November 24, 1992 through Delicious Vinyl Records. The album was produced by former group member J-Swift
J-Swift
J-Swift is an American music producer responsible for songs with groups on the Delicious Vinyl Label. He has produced the alternative rap groups The Pharcyde and The Wascals.-Biography:...

, and features only one guest appearance, provided by little known Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 rapper Bucwheed (known then as "Buckwheat" from The Wascals). In the years after its release, Bizarre Ride has been hailed by music critics and alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...

 fans, and has appeared in numerous publication's "best albums" lists.

Released during the dominant Gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...

 era of West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...

, Bizarre Ride was described as "refreshing," due to its playful, light-hearted humor and lush, jazzy production. Along with albums such as To Whom It May Concern...
To Whom It May Concern...
To Whom It May Concern... is a 1991 alternative hip hop album by the Freestyle Fellowship, an improv collective out of the Los Angeles Project Blowed crew. It was only released on tape, but released on CD in 1999....

by Freestyle Fellowship
Freestyle Fellowship
Freestyle Fellowship are a rap group from Los Angeles consisting of rappers Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., Self Jupiter and producer J Sumbi...

, and I Wish My Brother George Was Here
I Wish My Brother George Was Here
I Wish My Brother George Was Here is the debut album released by Del tha Funkee Homosapien. The title of the album is a reference to George Clinton, whose music was an influence on Del, as well as to the late pianist Liberace who would on occasion openly pine for his brother George to appear on...

by Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Teren Delvon Jones , better known as Del the Funky Homosapien or Del tha Funkee Homosapien, is an American MC.-Early life and beginnings: 1990-1997:...

, Bizarre Ride helped establish a new alternative scene on the West Coast, followed by artists such as Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics (band)
Hieroglyphics, also known as the Hieroglyphics Crew and Hiero, are an American underground hip hop collective based in Oakland, California. The collective was founded in the early-1990s by rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien...

, The Coup
The Coup
The Coup is a political hip hop group based in Oakland, California. It formed as a three-member group in 1992 with emcees Raymond "Boots" Riley and E-Roc along with DJ Pam the Funkstress. E-Roc left on amicable terms after the group's second album but appears on the track "Breathing Apparatus" on...

 and Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...

. Despite its wide critical acclaim, the album produced only moderate sales, peaking at #75 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 album chart in 1993. However, on the strength of the second single, "Passing Me By," the album was certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...

 in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...

 (RIAA) on March 28, 1996.

Background

High school friends "Slimkid3
Slimkid3
SLIMKID3 also known as "Slim Kid Tre" and "Tre Hardson", was one of the four original members of Los Angeles innovative hip hop group The Pharcyde.-Two For Two:...

" (Tre Hardson), "Imani
Imani (rapper)
Emandu Rashaan Wilcox , better known as Imani is a West Coast MC. He was one of the four founding members of the hip hop group The Pharcyde...

" (Emandu Wilcox) and "Bootie Brown" (Romye Robinson) began their career in the entertainment industry as dancers and choreographers under the moniker "Two For Two", making numerous appearances in music videos. Their most notable exposure came with a short stint on the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 show In Living Color
In Living Color
In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...

. While working on the show, the group met their future manager Suave, then a road manager for Candyman
Candyman (rapper)
Candell Manson known by his stage name Candyman, is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his only hit single, "Knockin' Boots".-Biography:...

 and Tone Loc
Tone Loc
Anthony Terrell Smith , better known by his stage name Tone Lōc, is an American rapper and actor.-Early life and career:...

. The trio met Derrick "Fatlip
Fatlip
Fatlip is a Los Angeles-born hip hop musician. He started his career in the hip hop group The Pharcyde.-The Pharcyde:...

" Stewart and producer John "J-Swift
J-Swift
J-Swift is an American music producer responsible for songs with groups on the Delicious Vinyl Label. He has produced the alternative rap groups The Pharcyde and The Wascals.-Biography:...

" Martinez at an after-school music program called South Central Unit. The program's teacher, Reggie Andrews, taught the group about essential elements of the music industry, and later oversaw the group's writing and recording sessions. While attending SCU, the group recorded their first demo tape, which included the track "Ya Mama". In 1991, the group signed a deal with Delicious Vinyl Records, following a performance of the track "Ya Mama" at an artist showcase. Soon after, the group made their first notable appearance, with the track "Soul Flower", released on the Heavy Rhyme Experience album by the Brand New Heavies
Brand New Heavies
The Brand New Heavies are an acid jazz and funk group formed in 1985 in Ealing, a suburb of London, England.-Biography:The Brand New Heavies began in the 1980s as an instrumental acid jazz group called Brother International....

.

Recording

The four emcees, along with producer J-Swift, began recording their debut album in 1991 at the Hollywood Sounds studio in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, with Delicious Vinyl Records head Michael Ross overseeing the project as Executive Producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...

. J-Swift produced 10 songs and five interludes—15 of the album's 16 tracks. Before the completion of the album, Swift had a falling-out with the group over internal problems. He claimed that he was not properly compensated for his work, and that the other group members had tried to take production credit, when he had crafted all the beats himself. After the Pharcyde's split with J-Swift, the producer began a crack cocaine
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...

 habit, which he has still yet to completely recover from. In a 2006 interview with Mass Appeal Magazine
Mass Appeal Magazine
Mass Appeal was a Brooklyn based bi-monthly urban lifestyle magazine. The magazine began as a graffiti fan zine in 1996 and grew to become a sprawling urban trendsetter mag covering a wide variety of topics ranging from graffiti culture, hip hop music, and streetwear to skateboarding, video games,...

, Swift stated:
Now without a producer or a finished product, the group recruited local producer L.A. Jay to craft the album's final recording, "Otha Fish", which was also co-produced by SlimKid 3.

Lyrical content

Much of the album's acclaim was due to the eccentric, comedic content provided by the four emcees, who were described as a "pack of class clowns set loose in a studio" by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

. The album's wacky storytelling and light-hearted playfulness provided an alternative to the pessimistic, hardcore hip hop that had ruled the scene at the time. Due to its light lyrical content, the album has been described as an extension of the "Daisy Age", established by De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...

 and the Native Tongues Posse
Native Tongues Posse
The Native Tongues is a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and later jazz-influenced beats. Its principal members are the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and A Tribe...

. Allmusic described the group's rapping as "amazing", and stated, "The L.A.-based quartet introduced listeners to an uproarious vision of earthy hip-hop informed by P-Funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...

 silliness and an everybody-on-the-mic street-corner atmosphere that highlights the incredible rapping skills of each member." Instead of focusing on the troubles of the inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...

, the quartet use their verses to provide humorous first-person narratives, with varying topics. On the album opener "Oh Shit", SlimKid, Imani and Fatlip trade embarrassing tales about drunken antics, unusual sex partners and hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...

s. SlimKid, Imani and guest rapper Buckwheat use the song "On the DL" to vent personal stories that they'd like to be kept "on the down-low", with topics including masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...

 and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...

. On the single "4 Better or 4 Worse", Fatlip dedicates an entire verse to prank call
Prank call
A prank call is a form of practical joke committed over the telephone. Prank phone calls began to gain an America-wide following over a period of many years, as they gradually became a staple of the obscure and amusing cassette tapes traded amongst musicians, sound engineers, and media traders...

ing, in which the rapper spouts insane and psychotic threats while a confused female victim continually threatens to call the police. The group's debut single "Ya Mama", described by the Rolling Stone Album Guide
Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Rolling Stone Album Guide, previously known as The Rolling Stone Record Guide, is a book that, along with its sister publication Rolling Stone magazine, contains professional reviews of popular music...

 as the album's most memorable track, calling it a "marathon game of the dozens", sees the four rappers trading comical insults towards each other's mothers.
An online reviewer comments on the group's humorous rapping style:
While the majority of the album has a focus on comedic stories, the song "Officer" touches on the topic of racial profiling
Racial profiling
Racial profiling refers to the use of an individual’s race or ethnicity by law enforcement personnel as a key factor in deciding whether to engage in enforcement...

. "Otha Fish" finds the group rising up and moving on from their past hang-ups as described in the previous track, "Passing Me By", the album's hit single. On the song, the four recount heartbreaking tales of school-boy crushes that had eluded them. Their mix of humor and social insight was one factor in the album's acclaim. An editorial reviewer comments on the group's unique style:

Production

Bizarre Ride also featured the acclaimed production work of J-Swift, who provides the album with a lush, jazzy soundscape through use of live instrumentation and sampling. Swift relied on a large number of samples, by artists including James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...

, Donald Byrd
Donald Byrd
Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd is best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a...

, Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...

, The Meters
The Meters
The Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977...

, Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...

, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

, Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...

 and Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....

. Aside from the samples, Swift also provided piano, bass and rhodes on the album, and fellow producer JMD provided drums arrangements. These upbeat key arrangements and quick-paced drums loops provide much of the backdrop for the rapper's animated lyrical deliveries. Allmusic calls the album's production "easily some of the tightest and most inventive of any hip-hop record of the era." NME magazine stated, "The Pharcyde use jazz samples and phat beats to the ultimate effect: to create their own sonic Utopia.". An online review describes the album's unique musical atmosphere and layered production:

Singles

Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde featured four singles, all of which were accompanied by music videos. The group's debut single, "Ya Mama", was originally released in 1991, then re-packaged by Delicious Vinyl in 1992, with two additional songs, "I'm That Type of Nigga" and "Soul Flower". Though the song landed the group their record deal, it failed to reach any Billboard singles chart. Their first major exposure came with the release of the album's second single, "Passin' Me By
Passin' Me By
"Passin' Me By" is a song by Californian hip-hop group The Pharcyde, released in March 1993 through Delicious Vinyl Records. The song was the second single released from the group's 1992 debut Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde...

". Utilizing a sample from Quincy Jones' "Summer in the City", the song became the group's biggest crossover hit, peaking at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 chart, and #1 on the Hot Rap Singles
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...

 chart. The song was later featured on the soundtrack to, and in Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...

's 1999 film Big Daddy. The song is now considered a classic hip hop single, and was later included on comprehensive hip hop compilation albums like The Hip Hop Box
The Hip Hop Box
The Hip Hop Box is a four-disc compilation of Hip Hop tracks, spanning from Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" in 1979 to 50 Cent's "21 Questions" in 2003...

and Hip Hop Gold. The album's third single, "4 Better or 4 Worse", was released in mid-1993, and featured the stoner song "Pack the Pipe" and the throwback track "Return of the B-Boy" as its B-Side. The single did not reach any Billboard chart. The final single, the SlimKid solo track "Otha Fish", was released in late 1993. The song became the second charting single from the album, though not as highly placed as "Passing Me By", reaching only the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.

A number of tracks from the album were later remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

ed. "Ya Mama", "Soul Flower", "Otha Fish", "Passing Me By" all featured a number of remixes, which were later included on the 2005 Pharcyde compilation album Sold My Soul: The Remix & Rarity Collection.

Critical reception

At the time of its release, Bizarre Ride received mostly positive, though at times, mixed reviews. In the years following its release, critical reaction became increasingly more positive. A number of music publications have since recognized the album as a rap classic. Bizarre Ride was listed on Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

's "Top 100 Favorite Records of the 90s", and was also featured in the 2005 publication 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...

, in which it is stated:
Hip hop magazine The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...

originally gave the album a humble 3½ (out of 5) mic rating, but in 1998, included Bizarre Ride on their 100 Best Rap Albums list. Allmusic gave the album a perfect 5 Star rating, while Rolling Stone and Q both gave Bizarre Ride positive 4 Star ratings.

An Ink Blot Magazine review called Bizarre Ride "the most fun album ever", and stated:
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...

(12/25/93, p. 67) - Ranked #39 in New Musical Express' list of `The Top 50 LPs Of 1993' - "...a cartoon-strip of blunt-smoking antics, sexual innuendo and unashamed political incorrectness, crammed with infectious funky beats...."

In November 2010, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

 named the album as his 'favourite album of all time'.

Influence

While alternative East Coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City, USA during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in the East Coast...

 albums, such as De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...

's 3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising is the debut album from American hip hop trio De La Soul, released in 1989.The album marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. It is consistently placed on 'greatest...

 ultimately sold over a million copies, there was no equivalent from the West Coast. With Bizarre Ride, The Pharcyde became one of the first alternative acts on the West Coast to sell large numbers of albums. Though Bizarre Ride did reach Gold status, the album's sales paled in comparison to West Coast G-funk
G-funk
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. G-funk incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk tunes, and a high-pitched...

 releases of the era, such as The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...

by Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...

 and Doggystyle
Doggystyle
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...

by Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...

.

While Bizarre Ride sparked the career of The Pharcyde, the group did not attempt to capitalize on the album's reception. Following the release, the group set out on the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...

 tour, and waited almost three years to release their second album, Labcabincalifornia
Labcabincalifornia
Labcabincalifornia is the second album by The Pharcyde, released in 1995, three years after their debut Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. The album's production was handled by The Pharcyde themselves and Jay Dee, with additional help from Diamond D and M-Walk.The first single was "Drop"...

. While the album featured two highly regarded hit singles, "Runnin'" and "Drop", it received mixed reviews. Critics weighed the album against their debut, and some felt Labcabincalifornia fell victim to the sophomore jinx. Group member Bootie Brown later stated in a 2005 interview:
Following the release of Labcabincalifornia, member Fatlip split from The Pharcyde, and the group did not return until 2000, releasing the album Plain Rap
Plain Rap
Plain Rap is the 2000 3rd full-length LP by Los Angeles rap group The Pharcyde.-Track listing:# "Trust"# "Network ft. Black Thought"#"L.A."# "Somethin'"# "Misery"# "Blaze"# "Rush"#"Sock Skit"# "Guestlist"# "Evolution"# "Front Line"# "World"...

to mediocre reviews. Though the album marked the first collaboration between the group and J-Swift, Bootie Brown and Imani had a falling out with SlimKid (now known by his birth name Tre Hardson), before the album was released, turning the group into a duo. In 2004, Imani and Bootie released the group's fourth album, Humboldt Beginnings, receiving little attention and harsh reviews. Tre and Fatlip have both since released solo albums, but no project released by the group or its members since their debut has been able to reach the acclaim of Bizarre Ride.

Track listing

Sample information is taken from The-Breaks.com.

Tracklisting and production information is taken from the album's liner notes.
# Title Songwriter(s) Producer(s) Performer(s) Samples
1 "4 Better or 4 Worse (Interlude)" J. Martinez J-Swift *Instrumental*
2 "Oh Shit" J. Martinez,
T. Hardson,
E. Wilcox,
D. Stewart
J-Swift SlimKid 3,
Imani,
Fatlip
  • "Beale Street" by Donald Byrd
    Donald Byrd
    Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd is best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a...

3 "It's Jiggaboo Time (Skit)" D. Stewart,
E. Wilcox,
R. Jackson,
T. Hardson,
R. Robinson,
J. Martinez
J-Swift *Skit*
4 "4 Better or 4 Worse" T. Hardson,
E. Wilcox,
D. Stewart,
J. Martinez
J-Swift SlimKid 3,
Imani,
Fatlip
  • "Pot Belly" by Lou Donaldson
    Lou Donaldson
    Lou Donaldson is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.His first recordings were...

  • "Blind Alley" by David Porter
    David Porter (musician)
    David Porter is an American soul musician. Porter is best known as the songwriting and production partner of Isaac Hayes at Stax Records during the 1960s...

  • "Rockin' Funky Watergate" by James Brown
    James Brown
    James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...

  • 5 "I'm That Type of Nigga" D. Stewart,
    E. Wilcox,
    R. Jackson,
    T. Hardson,
    R. Robinson,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift Fatlip,
    Imani,
    Buckwheat,
    SlimKid 3,
    Bootie Brown
  • "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
    Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
    "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is a song written and recorded by James Brown. It was released as a two-part single in 1965, and is considered seminal in the musical genre of funk.-The hit single:...

    " by James Brown
  • "Maybe the Last Time" by James Brown
  • "Pass the Peas" by The J.B.'s
    The J.B.'s
    The J.B.'s were James Brown's band during the first half of the 1970s. On record the J.B.'s were sometimes billed under various alternate names such as The James Brown Soul Train, Maceo and the Macks, A.A.B.B., The First Family and The Last Word...

  • "Givin' up Food for Funk" by The J.B.'s
  • "Sing a Simple Song
    Sing a Simple Song
    "Sing a Simple Song" is a 1968 song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, the b-side to their #1 hit "Everyday People". The song's lyrics, sung in turn by Sly Stone, Freddie Stone, Rose Stone, and Larry Graham, with spoken word sections by Cynthia Robinson, offer a simple solution for...

    " by Sly & the Family Stone
    Sly & the Family Stone
    Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...

  • 6 "If I Were President (Skit)" D. Stewart,
    E. Wilcox,
    T. Hardson,
    R. Robinson,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift *Skit*
    7 "Soul Flower (Remix)" J. Kincaid,
    S.
    Bartholomew,
    A. Levy,
    R. Robinson,
    E. Wilcox,
    T. Hardson,
    D. Stewart
    J-Swift Bootie Brown,
    Imani,
    SlimKid 3,
    Fatlip
  • "Put Your Love (In My Tender Care)" by Fatback Band
    Fatback Band
    The Fatback Band is an American funk and disco band. Most popular in the 1970s and 1980s, The Fatback Band is most known for their Top Ten R&B hits, " Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some ", and "Backstrokin'"...

  • "Mr. Magic" by Grover Washington Jr.
  • 8 "On the DL" T. Hardson,
    R. Jackson,
    E. Wilcox,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift SlimKid 3,
    Buckwheat,
    Imani
  • "Hey Last Minute" by The Meters
    The Meters
    The Meters are an American funk band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Meters performed and recorded their own music from the late 1960s until 1977...

  • "Travelin' Man" by Stanley Cowell
    Stanley Cowell
    Stanley Cowell is an American jazz pianist and founder of the Strata-East Records label. He played with Roland Kirk while studying at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and later with Marion Brown, Max Roach, Bobby Hutcherson, Clifford Jordan, Harold Land, Sonny Rollins and Stan Getz...

  • "Equipoise" by Stanley Cowell
  • 9 "Pack the Pipe (Interlude)" J. Martinez J-Swift *Instrumental*
    10 "Officer" D. Stewart,
    R. Robinson,
    E. Wilcox,
    T. Hardson,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift Fatlip,
    Bootie Brown,
    Imani,
    SlimKid 3
  • "Maiden Voyage" by Ramsey Lewis
    Ramsey Lewis
    Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...

  • "The Mighty Quinn" by Ramsey Lewis
  • "The Grunt" by James Brown
  • "Funky Drummer
    Funky drummer
    "Funky Drummer" is a funk song recorded by James Brown and his band. The recording's drum break, performed by drummer Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music; indeed, it lays a strong claim to being the most sampled recording ever,...

    " by James Brown
  • "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
    Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
    "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" is a song by the American hip hop group Public Enemy from their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back...

    " by Public Enemy
  • "Countdown to Armageddon" by Public Enemy
  • 11 "Ya Mama" D. Stewart,
    R. Robinson,
    E. Wilcox,
    T. Hardson,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift Fatlip,
    Bootie Brown,
    Imani,
    SlimKid 3
  • "Seasons of the Witch" by Mike Bloomfield
    Mike Bloomfield
    Michael Bernard "Mike" Bloomfield was an American musician, guitarist, and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, who became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrumental prowess, since he rarely sang before 1969–70...

    , Al Kooper
    Al Kooper
    Al Kooper is an American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears , providing studio support for Bob Dylan when he went electric in 1965, and also bringing together guitarists Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills to...

     and Stephen Stills
    Stephen Stills
    Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...

  • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
  • "Good Stuff" by Mel Brown
    Mel Brown
    Mel Brown was an American-born blues guitarist.Brown was nominated for a Juno Award in both 2001 and 2002.Brown, a long-time smoker, died aged 69, on March 20, 2009, in Kitchener, Ontario, of complications from emphysema....

  • "Yes We Can Can" by Young-Holt Unlimited
    Young-Holt Unlimited
    Young-Holt Unlimited were an American soul and jazz instrumental musical ensemble from Chicago, Illinois.Drummer Isaac "Red" Holt and bassist Eldee Young, formerly members of Ramsey Lewis' jazz trio, formed a new outfit called the Young-Holt Trio with pianist Don Walker in 1966...

  • "I Don't Know What this World is Coming To" by The Soul Children
    The Soul Children
    The Soul Children was an American vocal group who recorded soul music for Stax Records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They had three top ten hits on the Billboard R&B chart – "The Sweeter He Is" , "Hearsay" , and "I'll Be The Other Woman" – all of which crossed over to the Hot...

  • 12 "Passin' Me By
    Passin' Me By
    "Passin' Me By" is a song by Californian hip-hop group The Pharcyde, released in March 1993 through Delicious Vinyl Records. The song was the second single released from the group's 1992 debut Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde...

    "
    R. Robinson,
    T. Hardson,
    E. Wilcox,
    D. Stewart,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift Bootie Brown,
    SlimKid 3,
    Imani,
    Fatlip
  • "Summer in the City" by Quincy Jones
    Quincy Jones
    Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...

  • "Are You Experienced?" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
    The Jimi Hendrix Experience
    The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...

  • "It's a New Day" by Skull Snaps
    Skull Snaps
    Skull Snaps was a funk group that released one eponymous album on the small GSF label in 1973 before disappearing. It was, in fact, the group originally known as the Diplomats, which released numerous singles between 1963 and 1970 with some success....

  • "125th Street Congress" by Weather Report
    Weather Report
    Weather Report was an American jazz-rock band of the 1970s and early 1980s. The band was co-led by the Austrian-born keyboard player Joe Zawinul and the American saxophonist Wayne Shorter...

  • "Friends" by Whodini
    Whodini
    Whodini is a hip hop group that was formed in 1981. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, aka Ecstasy ; and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, aka Grandmaster Dee.-Early years:Whodini was among the first hip-hop groups to...

  • "Hill Where The Lord Hides" by Eddie Russ
  • 13 "Otha Fish" T. Hardson,
    J. Barnes III,
    R. Robinson
    L.A. Jay,
    SlimKid 3
    SlimKid 3
  • "Today! (Herbie Mann album)" by Herbie Mann
    Herbie Mann
    Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...

  • 14 "Quinton's on the Way (Skit)" T. Hardson,
    R. Robinson,
    D. Stewart,
    E. Wilcox,
    Q. Howze,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift *Skit*
    15 "Pack the Pipe" T. Hardson,
    R. Robinson,
    D. Stewart,
    E. Wilcox,
    Q. Howze,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift SlimKid 3,
    Bootie Brown,
    Fatlip,
    Imani,
    Quinton
  • "Bijou" by Herbie Mann
  • "Autumn Serenade" by John Coltrane
    John Coltrane
    John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...

  • "Exquisition" by Cannonball Adderley
  • 16 "Return of the B-Boy" R. Robinson,
    E. Wilcox,
    T. Hardson,
    D. Stewart,
    J. Martinez
    J-Swift Bootie Brown,
    Imani,
    SlimKid 3,
    Fatlip
  • "Track #2" by Madhouse
  • "The Show" by Doug E. Fresh
    Doug E. Fresh
    Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...

  • (re-sung sample from) "The Roof Is on Fire
    The Roof Is on Fire
    "The Roof Is on Fire" is a single from Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three released in 1984 that reached number five on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart...

    " by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three
    Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three
    Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three was an old school rap group best known for the singles "The Roof Is on Fire" and "Request Line", both of which have been sampled by many other groups, from rap to R&B to rock...


  • Personnel

    All information is taken from the album's liner notes.
    • The Pharcyde - Co-Producer, Background Vocals, Creative Direction
    • Fatlip - Lead Vocals, Scratching
    • SlimKid 3 - Lead Vocals, Producer
    • Imani - Lead Vocals
    • Bootie Brown - Lead Vocals
    • J-Swift - Producer, Piano, Bass, Rhodes, Background Vocals, Scratching
    • L.A. Jay - Producer
    • Buckwheat - Vocals
    • Quinton - Vocals
    • Rahsaan - Background Vocals
    • Greg Padilla - Background Vocals
    • Brandon Padilla - Background Vocals
    • Cedra Walton - Background Vocals
    • Eric Sarafin - Engineer, Mix Engineer

    • Joe Primeau - Mix Engineer
    • Al Phillips - Additional Engineer
    • Doug Boehm - Additional Engineer
    • James Mansfield - Additional Engineer
    • Jim Ervin - Additional Engineer
    • JMD - Drums
    • Michael Ross - Executive Producer
    • Lamarr Algee - A&R
    • Leslie Cooney - A&R Coordinator, Background Vocals
    • PMP Mgt. - Management
    • Paul Stewart - Management
    • Street Knowledge - Management
    • Slick K2S/ Fuct - Art Direction, Artwork
    • Mark Heimback-Nielsen - Package Design
    • Block - Photography


    Album chart positions

    All chart positions from Billboard magazine (North America).
    Year Album Chart positions
    Billboard 200
    Billboard 200
    The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

    Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Top Heatseekers
    Top Heatseekers
    Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...

    1993 Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde 75 23 3

    Singles chart positions

    All chart positions from Billboard magazine (North America).
    Year Song Chart positions
    Billboard Hot 100
    Billboard Hot 100
    The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

    Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles
    Hot Rap Tracks
    Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...

    Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales
    1993 "Passing Me By" 52 28 1 6
    "Otha Fish" 35

    Accolades

    Information is taken from AcclaimedMusic.net.

    ( * ) designates lists which are unordered.
    Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
    About.com
    About.com
    About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....

    USA The Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of all Time 2006 #73
    Best Rap Albums of 1992 2006 #4
    Ego Trip
    Ego trip (magazine)
    ego trip was the name of a hip hop magazine started in New York City in 1994. It lasted four years and 13 issues and distinguished itself based on its irreverence and defiant attitude, eventually adopting the tagline, "the arrogant voice of musical truth."-Description:The roots of the publication...

    Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98 (1992) 1999 #6
    Les Inrockuptibles France
    France
    The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

    50 Years of Rock'n'Roll 2004 *
    Pitchfork Media
    Pitchfork Media
    Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

    USA Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s 2003 #80
    Rate Your Music
    Rate Your Music
    Rate Your Music is a metadata database where musical albums, EPs, singles, videos, bootlegs, and movies are rated and reviewed by users. This data is then used to generate recommendations for users and to create rated lists of albums...

    Top Albums of All-Time 2005 #455
    Top Albums of 1992 2005 #10
    Robert Dimery 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005 *
    Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

    Chris Rock
    Chris Rock
    Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...

    's Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums
    2005 #5
    The Source
    The Source (magazine)
    The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...

    100 Best Rap Albums 1998 *

    Citations

    1. Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Simon & Schuster, 2004. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8 (Note 1, see page 634)

    External links

    • Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde at Discogs
      Discogs
      Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...

    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
    x
    OK