Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde

I only liked that one with yo mama jokes. The rest was mediocre. That was funny. Yo mama jokes are funny. I sound like a dad. Fuck.

The Pharcyde was always a little outside my hip hop listening zone in the 90s, but this is a very fun record. Will come back to it.

I'm tired of writing the same thing over and over. Hip-hop isn't music. 1/5

Jazzy hip hop with okay beats. I'm not super into hip hop, but this was at least somewhat listenable to me. It was better than "The Chronic" by Dr. Dre.

I love albums where it feels like everyone involved is just having a great time recording it. Sure, some of the lyrics are a bit immature and don't quite hold up 30 years later, but this album is a blast!

Juvenile and dirty a lot but the beats are tight (? Can I say “tight”? Is that a thing the hipster hoppers would say? Possibly “dope” or “fresh”). Pretty fun not excessively obsessed with being victimized, vilified, or otherwise guilty without being tried. In a trial that is, a jury of your peers, something America hasn’t had for years.

But I digress. This is funny and cool but like I said a little dirty at times.

You could talk me into this being a top ten all-time hip hop record, but you’ll have to talk me into it.this feels like what hip hop was before the preoccupation with gangsta rap in the 90s, which today means it’s “alt hip hop”.
The track order on this record is kinda hilarious to me… by the time I get to “Ya Mama” I start to wonder how much more goofball music I can handle, and then “Passin’ Me By” starts and I’m sucked right back in. This record covers a lot of ground. I’m at like 3.5 stars

I wasn’t really liking this for the first couple of tracks but it started to grow on me after a while.

Overall it was a fun enough listen, I’m gonna try to go back to it later to see if the first part clicks with me.

Top Track - Soul Flower - Remix

I always preface these reviews by saying I know jack about hip hop. Musically these are definitely the types of beats I prefer. Lyrically I was a little more skeptical, though I was laughing out loud from the start. These guys sneak up on you though. There is something more subtle going on amidst all the Yo Mama jokes, an improvisational playfulness that shows you everything the genre can be. I can't say I deeply love it, but at the same time I feel like it's one of those albums you could hand to space aliens and say, "This is some of the amazing shit our species is capable of." I suspect I'll still reach for Outkast when I'm in this kind of mood, but glad I took the ride.

Groot fan van het yo mama liedje. Verder vrij voorspelbare jaren 90 hiphop.

Fun hip hop album. Miss the time when rap albums were as enjoyable. It has great rhythms and some iconic moments.

7/10 [KEEP]

Not really my thing

It's nice, quaint, early 90s rap. Kinda funny, but there's some sneaky good word play in there as well, if you're listening. Beats are a bit too poppy for my tastes, but that's just 90s rap (non-gangsta edition) for you.

6 out of 10 no notes.

I’d never even heard of Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde before this challenge, so this was a completely new one for me. I went in open-minded, although hip hop isn’t usually a genre I connect with, especially after spending time on Beastie Boys the day before.

What stood out straight away is that The Pharcyde don’t take themselves too seriously. There’s a playful, almost parody-like feel to the album, which makes it more engaging than I expected. That said, the opening interlude doesn’t really set the tone, and it would have been a much stronger start if it had kicked off with Oh Shit, which is a genuinely fun track.

There’s a lightness and humour running through the album that makes it an easy listen in places, even if it doesn’t fully convert me to the genre. The production is solid, and there are moments where it really clicks.

Favourite tracks: 4 Better or 4 Worse and Passin’ Me By, both standout tracks that I really enjoyed
Least favourite tracks: The interludes don’t add much and could be removed. More broadly, I still struggle with how quickly some of the lyrics feel dated across the album
Album artwork: I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but it definitely stands out

I liked the beats on this, and the rapping was pretty good, albeit with a few dodgy lyrics. I could have done with fewer interludes and skits though.

Honestly I didn't know what to expect as I don't typically bop to 90s hip hop, but this album was CRAZY good. Well sequenced, catchy earworms on every track, good and interesting interludes that don't overstay their welcome. This is a new rotation for me. 5/5

This album is a total breath of fresh air, especially for someone who loves that classic, jazzy boom bap sound shared by groups like Naughty by Nature, K7, and Fu-Schnickens. It’s gloriously absurd and playful, trading in the heavy machismo of 90s gangsta rap for a lighthearted, "Daisy Age" vibe that feels like a West Coast answer to A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul. The production from J-Swift is immaculate, filled with slick jazz samples, warm basslines, and live-sounding drums that make the whole record feel like one big, energetic house party. From the hilarious storytelling on "Oh Shit" to the iconic, dreamy atmosphere of "Passin' Me By," the chemistry between the four MCs is undeniable.

However, the album embraces its immature side, which may be off putting to some. While the "yo mama" jokes and puerile humor contribute to its charm, some of the lyrical content, especially the dated jokes and sexual innuendo, can feel a bit awkward to modern ears.

It feels like a more carefree Cypress Hill, with none of the political bite and more of the swagger of hip-hop on full display. Fun to listen to once, but not exactly something to return to.

Has that 90s hip hop sound that makes me just want ti immediately give it a high score. But it’s all a little bit silly, to the point I don’t think I’ll go back to it again.