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.
Groupie Therapy
The Pharcyde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would give anything to swing hand in hand
With her but it was just a blur
I couldn't blame her why give up fortune and the fame
For a nigga who can barely afford his name
So the dame kept aim at the stars
I'm often thinking about her
When I'm waiting on calls across the border
That moment could be near and it was
Now my attorney is tellin' me to sign here
So I appear and perform international
The time came she stepped to me I thought rational
But she knew I wanted it
She walked around and flaunted it like a peacock
I knocked the Reebok Now she jock
Blowin' up the Pactel and the doorbell
Had to check myself as well love boat won't sail
'Cause I'm no captain let them know from the start
I let you break me off but I won't let you break my heart
So I'm surrounded by bitchery now this is
The most incredible shit in Slim Kid history
So watch if you will the moment some good
Shit pops and they be fogging up ya grill
Overly thrilled to get you in ya ass like Massin Gil
Still burning shit now and I'm still learning how not to fuck
With ya baby or make ya my old lady
You just overcasting ya ass is shady trying to block
The sunlight with all of that hype and now I'm discontinuing
All of this pipe that I've been laying as long as you keep
Swaying to another crew's tempo I gotta let you go and that's
Simple so get it through ya two temples because I'm
Tryin' to live fatter than a blimp ho
And you're exempt and I won't symp on a write off
So step out my world and turn the light off
She was my high school sweetheart down from start
When all I had was high hopes my health and my art
But when I got fame she became unsure
If I could still feel the same when I came off tour
I said "for sure" 'cause what God gave us, girl, I'm grateful
No need to be insecure baby your nigga's faithful
So now I'm off doin' dates in a gang of states
And as my status elevates I see the baddest eights
At the backstage gate lookin' great straight
Waiting for a nigga so now I figure
"Hey I only live once I'm goin' all out today"
Made a call out to L.A. To say what had to say
Now I get back the very next week only to learn
The tables turned like a technique twelve hundred
Last thing in the world that I wanted was my girl goin' out every
Night getting blunted
And zooted with a clique of well known
Reputed groupie hos from all the hip hop shows
Backstage with her little backpack trying to get chose
By another nigga with talent wealth and fame
Oh I suppose I guess I got myself to blame for turning
Her out into a hip hop freak now I seek counseling
From a therapist twice a week
So let me speak about the freak, so let me speak about the freak
Instantly she made another selection
Because he was in the lime plus had
The money connection "correction"
"Way more paid" is why she laid and played
A charade in the game of deception
This Miss-mysterious mistress is just an actress
Of the mattress 'cause she's a want to be mack-tress
Well built-but equipped with the tackiest of tactics
And I hate it why this is dedicated to all of them
Type of women who still be swimming lost and confused
In the lake of illusion with no values is why they're constantly losin'
The Pharcyde's song Groupie Therapy tells the story of a man who has become successful with his music, but he is struggling to maintain a relationship with a woman he loves. The woman he was in love with from high school is struggling to come to terms with his newfound fame, and he is constantly touring, which makes it difficult for them to maintain their relationship. The lyrics suggest that she has become a groupie and is now pursuing other men with fame and fortune. The man is struggling to come to terms with this and is seeking counseling from a therapist to deal with his emotional pain.
The first verse of the song describes the man's feelings for the woman and how he wishes he could be with her. However, he knows that she is unlikely to give up the fame and fortune that comes with being a groupie. He is often thinking about her while he is on tour, waiting for her to call him. The woman eventually steps to him, knowing that he wants her, and flaunts herself like a peacock to get his attention. However, the man is not interested in a serious relationship with her because he knows that she is just using him and that it will eventually hurt him.
The chorus of the song talks about the man's struggles with the women who are pursuing him, and how he is trying to let go of his high school sweetheart who has become a groupie. He is surrounded by bitchery, which is making it difficult for him to maintain his morality. He is trying to live a fat life and has to let go of the negative influences in his life. The second verse shows how the man's high school sweetheart has become a groupie and is struggling to deal with his fame, while he is struggling to deal with her disloyalty.
Line by Line Meaning
I was standing one of the cast of many
I was just one of many people in the entertainment industry
I would give anything to swing hand in hand / With her but it was just a blur
I wanted to be with her but it was just a passing thought
I couldn't blame her why give up fortune and the fame / For a nigga who can barely afford his name
I understand why she wouldn't want to be with someone who isn't rich and famous
So the dame kept aim at the stars
She kept trying to reach for the highest level of success
I'm often thinking about her / When I'm waiting on calls across the border
I think about her when I'm waiting for business calls in other countries
Made sure my rhymes in order 'cause / That moment could be near and it was
I made sure my rapping was polished because the moment of success could come at any time
Now my attorney is tellin' me to sign here / So I appear and perform international
My attorney told me to sign a contract for international performances
The time came she stepped to me I thought rational / But she knew I wanted it
She approached me but knew I was attracted to her
She walked around and flaunted it like a peacock / I knocked the Reebok Now she jock
She showed off like a peacock and I knocked her shoes off, now she wants to be with me
Blowin' up the Pactel and the doorbell / Had to check myself as well love boat won't sail
She was constantly calling and ringing the doorbell, but I had to remind myself not to fall in love with her
'Cause I'm no captain let them know from the start / I let you break me off but I won't let you break my heart
I'm not the one in control, but I'll have a physical relationship with you without getting emotionally attached
So I'm surrounded by bitchery now this is / The most incredible shit in Slim Kid history
I'm surrounded by women who only want me for fame and money, which has never happened to me before
So watch if you will the moment some good / Shit pops and they be fogging up ya grill
Watch how women will start flocking when I become successful and they start flirting with me
Overly thrilled to get you in ya ass like Massin Gil
They're excited to have sex with me
Still burning shit now and I'm still learning how not to fuck / With ya baby or make ya my old lady
I'm still navigating how to have casual relationships without getting emotionally attached
You just overcasting ya ass is shady trying to block / The sunlight with all of that hype and now I'm discontinuing
You're shady and trying to block my success with your negativity, so I'm ending our relationship
All of this pipe that I've been laying as long as you keep / Swaying to another crew's tempo I gotta let you go and that's / Simple so get it through ya two temples because I'm / Tryin' to live fatter than a blimp ho
As long as you're interested in other successful people, I'll end our relationship because I want to focus on my own success
And you're exempt and I won't symp on a write off / So step out my world and turn the light off
I won't help you out or feel sorry for you, so leave my life
She was my high school sweetheart down from start / When all I had was high hopes my health and my art
She was my girlfriend from high school when I was still pursuing my dreams
But when I got fame she became unsure / If I could still feel the same when I came off tour
She became insecure about our relationship when I started touring and becoming famous
I said "for sure" 'cause what God gave us, girl, I'm grateful / No need to be insecure baby your nigga's faithful
I assured her that I'm grateful for our relationship and faithful to her
So now I'm off doin' dates in a gang of states / And as my status elevates I see the baddest eights
I'm traveling to many different states to perform and as I become more successful, I see more attractive women
At the backstage gate lookin' great straight / Waiting for a nigga so now I figure
They wait for me at the backstage looking great, so I start thinking
"Hey I only live once I'm goin' all out today" / Made a call out to L.A. To say what had to say
I'm only young once, so I take a risk and call someone in LA to confess my feelings
Now I get back the very next week only to learn / The tables turned like a technique twelve hundred
When I returned home, I learned that the situation had completely changed
Last thing in the world that I wanted was my girl goin' out every / Night getting blunted
I didn't want my girlfriend going out every night and getting high
And zooted with a clique of well known / Reputed groupie hos from all the hip hop shows
She was hanging out with well-known groupies from hip hop shows
Backstage with her little backpack trying to get chose / By another nigga with talent wealth and fame
She was trying to get chosen by another famous guy
Oh I suppose I guess I got myself to blame for turning / Her out into a hip hop freak now I seek counseling / From a therapist twice a week
I blame myself for introducing her to the hip hop world and causing her to become a groupie - now I'm getting therapy for it
Instantly she made another selection / Because he was in the lime plus had / The money connection "correction"
She quickly chose someone else because he was famous and rich
"Way more paid" is why she laid and played / A charade in the game of deception
She slept with him because he had more money, even though it was a deception
This Miss-mysterious mistress is just an actress / Of the mattress 'cause she's a want to be mack-tress
She's not really mysterious - she's just pretending to be a seductress
Well built-but equipped with the tackiest of tactics / And I hate it why this is dedicated to all of them / Type of women who still be swimming lost and confused / In the lake of illusion with no values is why they're constantly losin'
She uses cheap tricks to attract rich men, and I hate it. This song is dedicated to all the women who are lost and lack values in life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Shane Harbin Faber, Dana Denise Owens, Michael James, Anthony Peaks, Simone Johnson, Trevant Hardsen, Emandu Wilcox, Derek Stewart, Romye Robinson, Joseph Kirkland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind