The Pharcyde (pronounced "far side") is an American alternative hip-hop gro… Read Full Bio ↴The Pharcyde (pronounced "far side") is an American alternative hip-hop group, formed in 1989, from South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani (Emandu Wilcox), Slimkid3 (Trevant Hardson), Bootie Brown (Romye Robinson), and Fatlip (Derrick Stewart). DJ Mark Luv was the group's first disc jockey (DJ), followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla.

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.

Officer
The Pharcyde Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴

Yo fat lip man
Yo man they tryin' to run a power move on us man
Yo man
You got to tell the suckers what's up boy
Yeah ha-ha

I got a letter from the DMV
The other day

I opened and read it
It said they were suckers
They tried to tell me that my license was suspended
I got offended
For a minute then pretended
That I never even got the damn letter
It's nine o'clock
On the dot
So I think I'd better
Scoot off to school
'Cause in class there's a test
I gotta dress fast
Grab my glasses and my vest
Oh damn
As hardheaded as I am
Hopped in my hooptie ride
Pumped up the jam
Put it in reverse
Into first
And disperse and
From that very moment on my day got worse

As I was standing in the street
I suddenly seen the smoke
I know that Derek's on his way
I ran to get my coat
And a bag from the room
It took a minute, boom
Hopped into the car
We drove away in a zoom
I assume doom
As we were drivin' on the gravel
At any given minute we could have a shortened travel
So I ramble
About my life, is actually shambles
Should have took the bus
A bus without the silence or some old Nikes
I wish we had good bikes
We need to exercise
Maybe we could take a hike
And you could give Sheri back those car keys
Because everywhere I walk I would not have to say please

Please
Don't pull me over Mr. officer
Don't pull me over Mr. officer please

Please
Don't pull me over Mr. officer
Don't pull me over Mr. officer please

Please
Don't pull me over Mr. officer
Don't pull me over Mr. officer please

Please
Don't pull me over Mr. officer
Don't pull me over Mr. officer please

Away
To our destination
No license no insurance
Not even registration
Tags on the plate say December '82
Car's so dirty it looks gray
But it's really blue
Who would
Think we're up to good
Four black niggas ridin' through the neighborhood
In hats and glasses
Makin' funny passes
Like drivin' slowly
Playin' low-key for asses
Knowin' damn well one-time will harass us
And all the while
We see girls jog
Sheri's little car is pourin' out smog
Then we made a right and I spotted one in tights (Yo baby what's up, pull over)

(You live with your homeboys? Yeah I live with my homeboys
That's where you're takin' me to your house
Where your homeboys are?
I mean but they're not home,
You ain't got your own crib?
Naw I ain't got) (5-0 man, 5-0)

Lights, action
Without the camera
Sirens and high beams
Two to a tee
The blue coat billy goats are crowding up my rear view
Hot on the tail of an innocent being
My heartbeat is racin' at a pace so fast
I'm wishin' that the coppers would get off my ass
My tail, can't go to jail 'cause it's wack
What would happen to my girl and my record contract
Yo fellas (What)
Take off the baseball caps
Word up I heard that the nerves get tapped
And throw on the glasses and give up the (Tees)
Oh please don't pull me over officer please
I'm discombobulated (What)
Discombobulated (What)
Discombobulated malfunctioned faded
F-a-d-e-d
I can't believe it's me
Oh please
Oh please
Oh please
Oh please
Oh

Please
Don't pull me over Mr. officer
Don't pull me over Mr. officer please

Please
Don't pull me over Mr. officer
Don't pull me over Mr. officer please

Please
Don't pull me over Mr. officer
Don't pull me over Mr. officer please

Please

Don't pull me over Mr. officer
Don't pull me over Mr. officer please

Overall Meaning

The Pharcyde's "Officer" is a commentary on police brutality and racial profiling in the United States. The lyrics detail the story of the singer, who is being pursued by police for driving without a license, insurance, or registration. As the pursuit ensues, the singer expresses fear and anxiety about potentially being pulled over and subjected to police brutality. Throughout the song, The Pharcyde uses humor as a coping mechanism to address the seriousness of the situation.

The use of humor in the song serves as a commentary on the absurdity of racial profiling and police brutality in the United States. The Pharcyde makes light of the situation to show the audience just how ridiculous it is that someone can be discriminated against because of the color of their skin. The lyrics also illustrate the fear that African Americans and other people of color often feel when they are confronted by the police.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CARLTON RIDENHOUR, WILLIAM JONATHAN DRAYTON, JOHN MANUEL MARTINEZ, TRE VANT JERMAINE HARDSON, DERRICK L. STEWART, ROMYE ROBINSON, EMANDU WILCOX, JAMES HENRY BOXLEY III, ERIC T. SADLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS