Track Listing

1. Bullshit - Jay Dee, The Pharcyde
2. Pharcyde - Bootie Brown, The Pharcyde
3. Groupie Therapy - Diamond D., The Pharcyde
4. Runnin' - Jay Dee, The Pharcyde
5. She Said - The Pharcyde, Trevant Hardson
6. Splattitorium - Jay Dee, The Pharcyde
7. Somethin' That Means Somethin' - Jay Dee, The Pharcyde
8. All Live - The Pharcyde
9. Drop - Jay Dee, The Pharcyde
10. Hey You - The Pharcyde, Trevant Hardson
11. Y? - Bootie Brown, Jay Dee, The Pharcyde
12. It's All Good - The Pharcyde
13. Moment In Time - M. Walk, The Pharcyde, Trevant Hardson
14. The Hustle - Bootie Brown, The Pharcyde, Big Boy, Schmooche Cat, Randy Mack
15. Little D - The Pharcyde
16. Devil Music - Fat Lip, The Pharcyde
17. The E.N.D. - M. Walk, The Pharcyde
18. Emerald Butterfly - D.J. L.A. Jay, The Pharcyde, Trevant Hardson
19. Just Don't Matter - The Pharcyde, Trevant Hardson

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18195 in Music
• Released on: 1996-04-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 76 minutes

From Amazon.com

People who love the idea of hip-hop and believe it can be as complex and broadly emotional as any music, but who are weary of the rigidity with which rappers define themselves, salivate over groups like the Pharcyde. The foursome comes from the gangsta rap mecca of South Central L.A. but their musical vision veers closer to the worldwide vibe of east coasters De La Soul than any Gat-toting sellout. Their 1992 debut Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde unveiled a group with flair and personality--both smart and whimsical--and an honesty rarely heard in rhyme.

During the three years that followed its release, group members Imani, Tre, Romye, and Fatlip moved from their Pharcyde Manor in South Central to a suburban L.A. home/studio, Lab Cabin. The long-awaited sophomore effort, Labcabincalifornia, reflected the group's new environment with a sound more polished, more mature, but a lot less uproarious than before.

The group apparently labored meticulously in Lab Cabin, where they cleaned and tightened the Pharcyde sound. But, it seems their upscaled style sanitized the energy and enthusiasm so abundant on Bizarre Ride. Tracks like "Runnin'" and "She Said" roll with more subdued and disciplined west coast jazz/soul samples and feature technically strong but often aimless and uninteresting rapping. Even a promising cut titled "Splattitorium" turns out to be a quiet stoned mumble over mellow piano tinkles. Perhaps with Labcabin, the Pharcyde guys grew too much. Hopefully next time around they'll remember how to be kids again. --Roni Sarig

CD Description
The change in the Pharcyde between the group's first and second albums can best be summed up by the variation in album covers. Where BIZARRE RIDE II THE PHARCYDE depicted a cartoon version of the four rappers twisted and turned by a wild rollercoaster ride, LABCABINCALIFORNIA shows the real rap quartet in Southern white suits in a somewhat posed group photo. Where the former showcases wonderful, youthful chaos with skits and ideas that are woven together with little attention to logic, the latter is an album of distinct five-minute story songs. Moreover, the concepts on LABCABINCALIFORNIA aremore complex and intellectual--even political--than those of BIZARRE, which dealt primarily with relationship issues.
The politics are much subtler than the rants of a group such as Public Enemy, but are unmistakably present. If P.E. isthe publisher of a subversive newspaper against an evil state, the Pharcyde is a group of poets who live on the hill--both are effective in their own way. The Pharcyde's nuance carries into its lyricism. Although not particularly complex, the group's rhymes are casually catchy, so much so you'll have fragments of "Runnin'", "Y?", and "Drop" roaming through your cranium for days, if not years.

Customer Reviews

Classic mid 90's album
I cant belive anyone could give this album anything but 5stars,its a classic and in my top 20 hiphop albums ever,i prefare it to their first. the beats are super dope coming from legends like Jay dee aka J dilla,Diamond d and La Jay so you know that its gonna be dope.The lyrics are witty,funny and real anything you need in hip hop,Fat lip is my personal favourite from the group just love his unique voice and flow.The album is a must for any REAL hiphop fan so check it out you cant go wrong.

LabcabinCali
Labcabincalifornia is the second album from The Pharcyde, a hip hop collective consisting of 4 members. Although it has a very different, less playful style than the first record (Bizarre Ride), it's still an excellent album, and in my opinion is even better than their first effort. The album has many stand-out tracks (She Said, Emerald Butterfly, Hey You!, Drop etc.), the best is the J Dilla produced classic 'Runnin'' which is a hip hop staple that every fan of the genre should hear.

getyyyy
Aside from the hype-driven indie world, hip hop is the genre that gets hit by the sophomore jinx the most. What's the problem? Maturity. Some groups have managed the transition well (A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, BDP etc.) by experimenting with their sound and tackling political and social issues, but so often groups try and follow up their hectic sound by making every sample subdued and every beat mid-tempo to appear "grown-up". Labcabincalifornia is this in 17 tracks. 'Runnin'' is still killer and you're at least guaranteed some quality beats with Diamond D and J Dilla on board, but the community spirit of old is gone and replaced by a group forgetting their true strengths. It's a decent album in its own right I suppose, but throughout I just wanna be listening to their much-superior debut. 'tis a shame indeed.