November 16–23, 2000

disc quicks|hip-hop

The Pharcyde

Plain Rap

(Edel American Records)

As members of an ever-shrinking circle of hip-hop crusaders, The Pharcyde resurface for their first major release since 1995. Having lost the lazy-flowed Fat Lip to a solo career, the original trio of Slim Kid Tre, Imani and Booty Brown are left to carry the torch. Their auspicious 1992 debut Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde anointed a West Coast version of the abstract in the gangster rap stronghold of Los Angeles. But three years later, amid infighting and rumors of breakup, their sophomore effort Labcabincalifornia was viewed largely as a letdown. Industry rigors claimed the group’s unity but the core trio is back with a bittersweet vengeance, lamenting the past but looking ahead positively as only The Pharcyde can. Plain Rap offers 11 one-word-titled tracks, sort of a rap version of Miles Davis’ Aura with each track creating a specific colorful mood. "Trust" is a testimony to the crew’s resilient style, unwavering in theme and quality. "Somethin" and "Misery" feature the soulful vocals of Slim Kid Tre, and both Imani and Booty Brown employ strong spoken word-style poetics throughout. While the heft of The Pharcyde sound is diminished slightly by their broken circle, this is an emotionally tangible album that combines delicate content with mature production. Pharcyde comes off as true rap veterans, attempting to bring Cali sunshine to dark times. While many rappers claim to keep it real, The Pharcyde keep it right as well.

—M.F. Di Bella