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

A book covering the debut album of the Pharcyde, a foursome that were as relatable as they were cartoonish and as much an inner city cipher as a suburban boys gang.

About the Author
Andrew Barker is a Senior Features Writer for Variety.

Reviews
The book traces the album's fitful creation through its release, and shows how five guys who were never as good apart as they were together could shine so bright on a single album. * Vinyl Me, Please *
Barker's journalistic study offers a vivid insight into how five hip-hop everymen came to make one of the genre's defining works. * Record Collector *



Book Information
ISBN 9781501321276
Author Andrew Barker
Format Paperback
Page Count 152
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic USA
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Weight(grams) 145g