The group is perhaps best known for the hit singles "Drop", "Passin' Me By" and "Runnin''", as well as their first album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. Pharcyde continues to tour and record, both collaboratively and in solo projects—the most recent being Hardson's collaborative EP with the award-winning DJ Nu-Mark (of Jurassic 5) released in 2014 on Delicious Vinyl.
Pharcyde group members Slimkid3, Bootie Brown, and Imani met as dancers in the late 1980s and dancing was their main ambition as late as 1990. Around this time, Imani and Slimkid3 were in a group called "As Is" and later a group called the "Play Brothers", whilst Bootie Brown was a backup dancer for Fatlip (Fatlip being the last member to join the group). Bootie Brown recalls that their earlier dancing careers influenced their rapping – "sometimes the way I rap is almost like the way I used to dance". The group met Reggie Andrews, a local high-school music teacher who worked with the Dazz Band and Rick James, and who was a major musical influence on their debut album. The group also met producer J-Swift around this time, as he was Reggie Andrews's "star pupil" according to the book Check the Technique.
Though Humboldt Beginnings is to date the last Pharcyde album, its members have since been keeping busy with various contributions and projects. A compilation of The Pharcyde was released in 2005, titled Sold My Soul: The Remix & Rarity Collection, featuring a number of remixes and rare songs. Former member Fatlip released his solo debut in 2005, titled The Loneliest Punk, and Tre Hardson's second full-length solo album SLIMKID3's Cafe was released on April 4, 2006.
2012 saw the twentieth anniversary of The Pharcyde's debut Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde, and to mark the event Fatlip and SlimKid3 teamed up with the album's producers, J-Swift and L.A. Jay, as well as record label Delicious Vinyl, to play the album in its entirety at a tribute show at The Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. The performance was intended to be a one-off, but due to overwhelming success and reception, the group began touring the show 'Bizarre Ride Live', and, along with MC K-Natural, working on original music under the moniker The Bizarre Ride. In December of that year, The Pharcyde released the Amerigo Gazaway-produced "Still Got Love (Bizarre Tribe Megamix)" garnering significant praise. 2015 marked the twentieth anniversary of Labcabincalifornia, resulting in a similar tour through Europe and Japan. The group continued touring Europe through 2017.
Evolution
The Pharcyde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo..inhale, exhale
Been a long time coming, still a long way to go
Evolution of manhood
Evolution, revolution
[Slimkid3]
Born with sight but became sightless
In the dark, just bits of light when
Lightning sparks, thunder rumbled
Chasing courage from the heart
Searching for solitude without a solitary card
Knees bleeding but proceeding to pray to God
Forever humble but before a man boys stumble
Before there was peace vast lands had crumbled
Apart - from the truth a great distance
Met with many guides to provide assistance
To shorten that distance with me and the Maker
The mind was overthrown by the Undertaker
The Devil's a faker, see he lied to me
Singing sweet sad songs to mesmerise
But my eyes have seen four dimensions
Now gather your strength for all these bad intentions
[Bootie Brown/Frank Fiction]
That you seem to get when you get a little older
Days a lot colder, used to cry upon my mama's shoulder
Til pop finalised it, I analysed it, can fantasize
With your manhood, make your plan good
With the back up, unfortunately niggas act up
Seems to be no solution, too many facing execution
Then I know many ready to leave the revolution
On their evolution to manhood, manhood
[Chorus 2X: Diana Brooks]
When a boy becomes a man
Takes time to understand
The ways of the world today
[Chorus: Pharcyde]
Step by step, day by day
Don't let the negative vibes lead the 'Cyde astray
We keep the positive vibes till everything is okay
On the evolution to manhood, to manhood
[Imani/Citizen Strange]
We realised it then re-devised it then excercised it
Got connected and we checked and it's correct
That the soul extends far beyond this fleshy existence
The rest is still trapped in ignorance, giving resistance
From a distance, interference from far away
But neither Tim nor Anfernee had a harder way
On getting here, I'm spitting clear
Connecting with the energies from near and far away
Karma, karma come back like a riccochet
To hit ya so I'm coming with the scripture
For the fixture, get the picture?
[Chorus]
The Pharcyde's song, Evolution, tackles the topic of growth and maturation from boyhood to manhood. The lyrics address the difficulties that come with growing up, such as losing one's innocence and facing tough decisions. The song suggests that the path to manhood is not easy, and requires perseverance and strength, both physical and mental. The group discusses the importance of finding strength from within oneself, searching for guidance from those who came before, and remaining positive while navigating the sometimes harsh realities of life. The line, “we keep the positive vibes till everything is okay” suggests the importance of looking on the bright side and finding joy in the journey.
The song is a reminder to young men to reflect on their life choices and be mindful of the negative influences around them. The idea of evolution and revolution suggests that change is necessary to move forward and grow. The final line of the song, “on the evolution to manhood, to manhood” emphasizes that the journey is ongoing and ever-changing.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, inhale, exhale
Take a deep breath and prepare for the journey ahead.
Been a long time coming, still a long way to go
The evolution of manhood is a lifelong journey.
Evolution of manhood
The process of becoming a man involves growth and change.
Evolution, revolution
The evolution of manhood requires a revolutionary shift in mindset and behavior.
Born with sight but became sightless
As we grow older we may lose sight of what is important.
Rehabilitated visions from being frightened
We need to overcome our fears in order to regain our vision.
In the dark, just bits of light when
Even in the darkest moments there is always a glimmer of hope.
Lightning sparks, thunder rumbled
Sometimes life can be intense and unpredictable.
Chasing courage from the heart
Becoming a man means finding the strength within yourself to face your fears.
Searching for solitude without a solitary card
You don't have to be alone to find peace and quiet.
Knees bleeding but proceeding to pray to God
Even when things get tough, we can find comfort in our faith.
Before there was peace vast lands had crumbled
The path to peace is often paved by destruction and chaos.
Apart, from the truth a great distance
We can become disconnected from what is true and important in life.
Met with many guides to provide assistance
We need help and guidance from others on our journey to manhood.
To shorten that distance with me and the Maker
Through our faith we can come closer to understanding our place in the world.
The mind was overthrown by the Undertaker
We can become trapped by our own negative thoughts and emotions.
The Devil's a faker, see he lied to me
We must be wary of the lies and deceptions that can lead us down the wrong path.
Singing sweet sad songs to mesmerize
We can become enchanted by things that are not good for us.
But my eyes have seen four dimensions
We can gain a new perspective by looking beyond what is immediately in front of us.
Now gather your strength for all these bad intentions
We must be prepared to face the challenges that come our way.
That you seem to get when you get a little older
As we age, we may face new obstacles and difficulties.
Days a lot colder, used to cry upon my mama's shoulder
Growing up means facing new challenges and learning to rely on yourself.
Til pop finalized it, I analyzed it, can fantasize
We must learn from our experiences and use our imagination to create a better future.
With your manhood, make your plan good
Part of becoming a man is learning to make wise decisions for yourself.
With the back up, unfortunately niggas act up
Even with support and resources, there will always be people who cause problems.
Seems to be no solution, too many facing execution
There are many problems in the world that seem too big to solve.
Then I know many ready to leave the revolution
Some people may be discouraged and give up on trying to make positive change in the world.
On their evolution to manhood, manhood
The journey to become a man is a personal and ongoing one.
[Repeat: x2]
These ideas are worth repeating and reflecting on.
When a boy becomes a man
Becoming a man is a personal and transformative process.
Takes time to understand
Growing up requires patience and self-reflection.
The ways of the world today
We must learn to navigate the complexities of modern society.
Step by step, day by day
Personal growth is a gradual and ongoing process.
Don't let the negative vibes lead the 'Cyde astray
We must stay positive and focused on our goals, even in the face of adversity.
We keep the positive vibes till everything is okay
Positive thinking can help us overcome challenges and find happiness.
We realized it then re-devised it then exercised it
We must be adaptable and open-minded in order to grow and change.
Got connected and we checked and it's correct
When we are connected with others and ourselves, we can find truth and clarity.
That the soul extends far beyond this fleshy existence
Our true selves go beyond our physical bodies.
The rest is still trapped in ignorance, giving resistance
We may be held back by our own lack of knowledge and understanding.
From a distance, interference from far away
External factors can sometimes negatively affect our journey to manhood.
But neither Tim nor Anfernee had a harder way
Everyone's journey is different, but we can all overcome obstacles and grow.
On getting here, I'm spitting clear
Through his experiences, the singer has gained a clear perspective.
Connecting with the energies from near and far away
We can connect with others on a deeper level, regardless of physical proximity.
Karma, karma come back like a ricochet
Our actions have consequences, which can come back to us in unexpected ways.
To hit ya so I'm coming with the scripture
The artist is sharing his wisdom and insights with others.
For the fixture, get the picture?
The artist is trying to help others understand his perspective.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Artwerk Geo
Hey whats up? I had to take a time to show you respect on your video. I dont ordinarily drop a lot of time on youtube but its def a nice thing when you come by nice videos. Ive been pushing to make my vids of late so ive been taking more time to associate with folk and hope i can get the same love! Much appreciated!
willnzsurf
💚💯
willnzsurf
I recently learned they listen to a lot of Curren$y/Spitta nowadays. Hope this helps! 😀Have a nice day.
Abvluv Prod
and will always be undreground and over ratted!! thumbs up pharcyde!
lightweightslim
this is the end clip off the cydeways video they used to sell on tour. i bought from a show in seattle the night of the wto riots in 2000 and called-in sick to work the next day to roll l's and watch the tape. 'nuff respect...