producers: j-swift, frank friction, slim kid 3, showbiz, bedie

The Pharcyde released one of the best hip hop albums of all time: "Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde". But after that release, the fun and brilliance left, and while tracks like "Pandemonium" and "The Rubbers Song" still were beyond dope, the "Labcabincalifornia" album was lacking the undeniable classic status of the first offering. And yes, if you listen to it now, it sounds better than it did back then, the album never was a disaster, but one could not and still can't shake off the feeling of having lost one very special friend in The Pharcyde. And with such a slacking second coming, staff trouble with Fatlip eventually leaving the group, news of split ups, articles of reunions, the hip hop world moved on. In a way The Pharcyde have also moved on, as they split with Delicious Vinyl to hook up with Germany's own Four Music label, to release their third album, simply called "Plain Rap".

What will The Pharcyde do now, return back to the humor and the fun beats, that had your head nod like your resting on your side and watching tennis? Or will they continue the jazzy and musical layers of the second offering and further elaborate the paths that growing up has led them to walk? The latter is the case, what many will consider a disappointment, but what the reflective head must understand, as today's world and business does not allow another bizarre ride. And so things start rather dark and with a sad bass on "Trust". But once the opening statement is made, things get a little friendlier with a quirky horn. This is nothing to get you totally anxious for what there is to come, neither the bragging and at the end thankful rhymes, nor the Frank Friction (aka Bootie Brown) beat can accomplish that. We then get a little excited though, with seeing the name J-Swift in the production credits for "Network", but what he gives us is a disappointment. Actually not during the chorus, as the melody on that is catching us a little. Easy to miss, but worth catching is the lyrical contribution from Black Thought of the Roots, that also makes its way onto this track.

On "L.A." we then finally get a track that is done well from beginning to end. Not only does Bedie use the Sade sample so cleverly, not even giving it away too much, taking a few notes and putting it together to something really new. The reflectiveness of the lyrics is what alienated us the second time, but now being used to it, we can approach it much differently and it's working for us. One third of the Pharcyde, the one that likes to sing too, Slimkid 3, does just that, but also does the beat on "Somethin'". A musical offering, that also gives us a reality check of be thankful for what you've got proportions. And Slim stays behind the boards to give us "Misery", that with the funkiness of the wah wah, and the soul of Dina Rae makes this track work very much, and appeals to us real Quik-ly. "Blaze" on the other hand is again held back by a tragically weak J-Swift offering, and this makes you second think your statement, that "Labcab..." would have been a classic too, if The Pharcyde would have kept this producer.

What gets us to "Rush", an uneasy faster track, that has Frank Friction return, and talks about the urgency of today, talking about "through my veins I can feel the blood gush / gushing, adrenaline rushing coz I'm rushing increased heart beating / post eighteen no time for debating, waiting (rush) / like getting busted, buttnaked fucking, / rushing to have sex rushing death, that's suicide / Pharcyde give you a rush like holding a gun or knife". Quickly passing by the "Sock Skit" break, on "Guestlist" we get more Frank Friction, but something much better than the previous cut, the smooth vibe is really working on this, and the scratched horn as the chorus does too. But the flows of the three Pharcyde, Tre, Bootie Brown and Imani lack that hunger, lack thatl totally pleased character, the ease, the timing, and the interest in themselves, that usually makes them so attention grabbing. With "Evolution", we enter the world of guitars again, and Frank combines them with thunders, creating the carpet for Tre to rhyme "born with sight but became sightless / rehabilitated visions from being frightened / in the dark, just bits of light when / lightning sparks, thunder rumbled / chasing courage from the heart / searching for solitude without a solitary card / knees bleeding but proceeding to pray to God / forever humble but before a man boys stumble / before there was peace vast lands had crumbled".

The cut "Frontline" gives us something really cool, with the Showbiz hooking up this playful and definitely positive track, that builds strengths with the singing, to result in one of the best cuts on this album. And then there's only "World" left, another sad track, with a melancholic beat that does not totally gave up on hope though. It fits the poem words comfortably, to give a chilling effect when Tre goes "people walk with the eyes of a child / and a smile so innocent and a heart so militant / brain's got an ill intent so be intense / some friends at the margin / making summer streams harden / all these bulls shitting / trying to milk me by the carton / but, uh, excuse me sir, I begs your pardon / can't you see how low the hole has gotten? / apple's completely rotten with the worm in it / dying, still we're relying on who?". What then leaves us with saying, that this album, unfortunately will not have The Pharcyde reclaim the enormous respect they once enjoyed. But with "Labcabincalifornia" really growing on you, and seriously sounding better now than a few years ago, maybe this record has to age like wine on you. The risk that it will turn to vinegar is small. The hope that it will become the best wine you have ever tasted too though.