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| The Pharcyde | |
|---|---|
| Name | The Pharcyde |
| Background | group_or_band |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Delicious Vinyl, FFRR, Decca |
| Associated acts | A Tribe Called Quest, Delicious Vinyl, J Dilla, De La Soul |
The Pharcyde The Pharcyde are an American hip hop group formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, noted for their inventive lyricism, playful personas, and influential jazz-inflected production. Emerging amid scenes surrounding Los Angeles, West Coast hip hop, Underground hip hop, and contemporaries such as A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Souls of Mischief, they achieved critical acclaim with landmark releases that impacted later artists like Common (rapper), The Roots, and Outkast.
Formed by friends from South Central Los Angeles and Rogers Park High School, the group coalesced during the rise of gangsta rap and the expansion of alternative hip hop alongside collectives such as Native Tongues and labels like Delicious Vinyl, Tommy Boy Records, and Def Jam Recordings. Early demos led to a deal with Delicious Vinyl and the release of the debut album in the mid-1990s, produced in part by collaborators including Jay Dee and sessions near studios used by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur. Following commercial success and touring with acts like Red Hot Chili Peppers, internal disagreements and lineup shifts mirrored those experienced by groups such as Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy, leading to solo work and later reunions that intersected with festivals like Lollapalooza and events associated with Pitchfork Music Festival.
Their sound fused jazz samples, playful storytelling, and offbeat horn and bass lines influenced by artists and movements including Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and the sample-based approaches of James Brown, Isaac Hayes, and George Clinton. Production aesthetics referenced crate-digging traditions associated with DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and J Dilla, while their lyrical interplay drew comparisons to groups such as De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Cypress Hill, and solo poets like Kool Keith and KRS-One. The group’s embrace of skits, comedic persona, and expressive choreography echoed performance practices seen in Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, and Prince-affiliated stage work.
Original members included four vocalists who worked closely with producers and DJs affiliated with labels including Delicious Vinyl and studios used by artists like Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Over time, departures and legal disputes paralleled personnel changes experienced by acts such as N.W.A, The Roots, and Outkast, with reunion efforts involving members collaborating with producers like J Dilla, Buckwild, and associates from Los Angeles and New York City hip hop scenes. Guest appearances and touring lineups featured affiliations with artists linked to De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde-adjacent collaborators, and session musicians rooted in Chicago and Detroit production communities.
Their studio albums were released amid a 1990s boom of influential hip hop records alongside works by Nas, Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, and Outkast, featuring singles that charted on lists maintained by Billboard, MTV, and BBC Radio 1. Key releases included a debut noted for its single successes, a sophomore album with darker tones produced in part by Jay Dee, and subsequent records reflecting lineup changes and independent distribution strategies like those used by Rhymesayers Entertainment and Stones Throw Records. Compilations, EPs, and reissues appeared through labels associated with archival releases similar to catalogs curated by Fat Possum Records and Ninja Tune.
Critics from outlets such as Rolling Stone, The Source, Spin (magazine), NME, and Pitchfork praised their originality, staging them among influential alternative hip hop acts together with De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Slum Village. Their work influenced generations of artists across scenes in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, and Atlanta, inspiring producers and MCs affiliated with J Dilla, Questlove, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams, and contributing to academic discourse in programs at institutions like USC Thornton School of Music and UCLA. Retrospectives have connected their cultural impact to movements represented by festivals and curators such as Coachella, SXSW, and label retrospectives by Delicious Vinyl.
They toured internationally, sharing bills with groups and artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, and festival lineups at Coachella, Glastonbury Festival, and Montreux Jazz Festival, performing in venues and cities like Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl, Tokyo Dome, Paris Olympia, and circuits similar to those of De La Soul and Outkast. Live shows were noted for choreography, skits, and improvisation akin to performances by Beastie Boys, Prince, and James Brown-inspired stagecraft, and for collaborations onstage with producers and DJs tied to J Dilla, DJ Premier, and Pete Rock.
Members pursued solo albums, production work, and collaborations with a wide array of artists and labels such as Slum Village, Slum Village members, J Dilla, Kendrick Lamar, Common (rapper), Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharrell Williams, Madlib, and Questlove. Projects included features on releases issued by independent imprints like Stones Throw Records, remixes appearing on compilations curated by Ninja Tune and Fatboy Slim-associated labels, and cross-genre collaborations reaching into electronic scenes connected to Four Tet, Bonobo, and Massive Attack.
Category:Hip hop groups from California Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles