Best 1,000 Albums Ever
by Eric Berlin

The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde: #858 of best 1,000 albums ever!

The Pharsyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

Why is The Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde on my best 1,000 albums ever list?

Chill, quirky hip hop that is absolutely unique (and uniquely good).  

What does The Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde mean to me? What does it make me feel? Why is it exciting or compelling?

“Passin’ Me By” is classic early 1990s hip hop. I love how uniquely laid back it is, confident in its flow, and at the same time it moves and it’s catchy. I dig Rolling Stone’s description of The Pharcyde as “a West Coast answer to De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest.” And if you’re anywhere near that territory in general, you’re doing something right.

Which The Pharcyde is on Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde.

By the way, I must mention that the album title incorporates the name of the hip hop act in a clever way. Usually when a band does this, it’s kind of boring or redundant a la Meet The Beatles! But no, not here: we’re not just taking a ride. We’re taking a Ryde. A Bizarre Ryde. II The Pharcyde. Wow.

You likely need to be a superfan of the 2013 comedy, 21 & Over, to recognize that “Oh S***” was featured within the movie (but not on the “official soundtrack”), but I am just such a superfan! It’s a really fun and slightly offbeat hip hop with a side of jazz track that fits the quirky and hilariously written movie perfectly.

The production on “Ya Mama” is exceptional, with 1990s rap skills courtesy of Fatlip, Imani, Romye Robinson, Slimkid3, Bootie Brown, and Dennis the Menace (no relation) that matches the best that hip hop has to offer.

I wasn’t joshing around about being a 21 & Over superfan (more on this above). It’s a hilarious and highly rewatchable college comedy that’s a classic “one night of madness” kind of flick. And two of its main stars – Miles Teller and Skylar Austin – have gone onto be involved in a ton of high profile projects since.

Lock ‘em up, Randy.

Since we’re talking Pharcyde, let’s talk some Far Side real quick. Here’s a link to my favorite Gary Larson Far Side comic strip of all time.

“I cuss, you cuss…”

Some stats & info about The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde

  • What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? SoCal Hip Hop, Hip Hop, Rap, Jazzy Hip Hop
  • Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – #482
  • All Music’s rating – 5 out of 5 stars
  • When was Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde released? 1992
  • My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #858 out of 1,000

The Pharcyde’s Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde on Spotify

What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?

Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.

But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective take on what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.