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The Pharcyde.
Just about every hip-hop act claims to be innovative and to be taking rap to the next level, but few can truly back up that claim. The Pharcyde, on the other hand, has no such problems. Coming out of South Central LA in 1991, at the height of the gangsta rap era, they released 'Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde': a bugged out album full of jokes, off-key singing and utterly abstract lyrics then followed it with the jazz-driven, equally incomprehensible 'Labcabincalifornia.' And that's when things began to go awry: first Fatlip and then Tre left for solo careers, leaving Booty Brown and Imani to carry on the legacy, releasing two albums and touring steadily over the past four years.
When I ask him how things have changed, Booty Brown's answer is fair enough. "People are kind of like, 'where's Fatlip and Tre?' but it's kind of weird for people to ask that question... I mean, Tre left in 2000, Fatlip left in, like '97, so when people actually bring these things up it's almost like someone you went to high school with, somebody you were friends in high-school or friends in college with and after you left college, it really was pretty much over."
A lot of rappers are full of bravado, but Brown is refreshingly down to earth, constantly stressing how happy he is to be still plying his trade, doing what he loves, as he puts it, "I'd rather be doing something that I like to do, rather than making an incredible pizza for the customer, you know what I mean?"
It's hardly surprising that Brown should be happy where he is
now. Problems with their first label, Delicious Vinyl, kept
their pockets flat for a long time, and though it is now considered
a classic, the initial reception to their debut was far from
enthusiastic. "When 'Bizarre Ride' came out, people were like
'what is this?'People were like, 'what is Ya Mama? [the
lead single, composed entirely of "ya mama" jokes], I don't
understand,' and Passin' Me By, it's like 'you guys are
singing? No one sings on their whole thing.' I'm not saying
we're ahead of our time or we're doing something futuristic,
I just think people grow into our music, that it is different."
With the release of their latest album 'Humboldt Beginnings' they hope to continue this trend, filling out the stripped-back sound of 2000's largely ignored 'Plain Rap.' Though he respects a lot of rappers, in terms of innovation, he looks to a different source.
"I mean, it's not like I try to model myself after her or anything, but Madonna seems to change every record."
With the new album, Pharcyde also enters a new chapter by producing almost the entire record themselves, only bringing in outside talent for two cuts but unfortunately, again, their timing isn't the greatest. With the new Supreme Court ruling that all samples, whether recognisable or not, must be acknowledged, producers may have to watch out when digging in their crates. Brown shrugs.
"You're always gonna have someone who doesn't give a fuck about the laws really, they're gonna be like, 'man, I'm just gonna make the music I want.' It's hurting the people that's out there, trying to sell it majorly, but I think underground hip-hop artists that's out there doing it still, they're not gonna give a fuck. I mean, they probably don't even know that the law even exists." And which group does The Pharcyde belong to? "Definitely the underground."
So much so that they've shifted studios, from Labcabin (which was preceded by the celebrated Pharcyde Manor), to a basement in Korea Town. "It's kind of different, 'cause there's not to many things going on around here, as far as, it's not really a beats place, it's more like nursery schools and primary schools, things of that nature... But it's nice, you know, I like it."
If you think that just because the show might be a little subdued with only two rappers, think again: they've been making up for missing members on their greatest hits for years, and now they write music for two, anyway.
"When Fatlip was there, he didn't like going out on the road, so we've always had to make it up, it's always been something extra. Then when Tre left, it was just a little bit more to do."
Oh, and in case I didn't mention it earlier, before these guys were rappers, they were professional dancers: they know how to put on a show.
Alexis Buxton-Collins
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Pharcyde play at Tonic on Thurs 14 Oct. Tix now available from dB Magazine.
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