The Pharcyde: Humboldt Beginnings
Chapter One, 2004
The Pharcyde are one of those groups who have always had to live up to their debut album. They’ve come a long way since Bizarre Ride II (losing Fatlip and Slimkid along the way). Now they rhyme about herb over hi-tech electronic production instead of crackly vinyl. The rhymes are still all right, but there’s less humor and less soul.
“The Uh-Huh” has Neptunes-like production and smooth party-friendly rhymes about weed. “Storm” is about the music industry, with some references to space funk a la George Clinton. “Illusions” is a strange track, combining ’80s pop production with some serious rhymes. One verse is about poverty, while another tells other rappers to “stop frontin’!” “Right B4” is a love song filled with cringe-inducing clichés like, “You bring out the freak in me./You know I’m locked-in to your frequency./We make music as a symphony./I feel harmonic when we ensemble,/long-time gazes as we fondle….” “Choices” claims to be about a controversial subject, but it’s hard to figure out. It doesn’t help that the vocals are buried in the mix.
This album starts with a couple of strong cuts, then gets more shallow as it progresses. The subject matter is repetitive (how many tracks can one group make about smoking pot?) and the production is poppy. The skits are just run-of-the-mill samples. While this LP has its moments, it’s disappointingly inconsistent. Maybe it’s time for The Pharcyde to find a new concept.
