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The Pharcyde came up in South LA in the early 90s, mixing sharp humor with jazzy, sample-rich beats. Before rap, Imani, Slimkid3, and Bootie Brown worked as dancers, which shaped their springy flows and tight call-and-response.

From dancers to left-field MCs

In recent years the group has split into parallel lineups, with Fatlip, Slimkid3, and Imani touring as The Far Side (formerly of The Pharcyde) while Bootie Brown focuses on projects like Gorillaz. Expect a set built from Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde and Labcabincalifornia, likely dropping Passin' Me By, Runnin', Drop, and Otha Fish.

What you might hear

The crowd skews multi-generational, with record-store regulars comparing pressings and younger fans singing hooks they learned online. One neat footnote is that Runnin' was built with J Dilla, who flipped a Stan Getz phrase into that rolling guitar loop. Early on they cut versions of Soul Flower with The Brand New Heavies, which hints at their funk and acid-jazz ties. Treat the song picks and production touches here as informed speculation from past shows rather than a firm blueprint.

Living The Pharcyde: Scene, Style, and Shared Jokes

The look leans practical and nostalgic, with bucket hats, skate shoes, and long-sleeve Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde prints next to fresh indie label tees.

Vintage threads, modern ears

Early in the set, pockets of the room test each other with lines from Ya Mama, then crack up at the punchlines like an in-joke that never got old.

Call-and-response moments

When Runnin' hits, most voices lock on the "Can't keep runnin' away" refrain, often echoing it after the beat cuts for a bar. Merch tables favor cartoon artwork, tape-style fonts, and vinyl reissues, and you will spot collectors comparing matrix numbers and sleeve gloss. Between songs, the banter is quick and dry, a tone that matches the records and rewards people who know the skits. After the show, fans trade stories about first hearing Passin' Me By in skate vids or college radio, and newer fans ask for playlist starting points.

How The Pharcyde Makes The Beats Breathe Live

On stage The Pharcyde keeps the voices front and center, trading lines so the punchlines and switch-ups land clean. The DJ favors crisp, roomy drums and warm bass, letting the samples sit like instruments rather than wallpaper.

Beats with swing, voices with lift

They often stretch Runnin' slightly slower than the record so the crowd can shout the hook and the verses breathe. Drop sometimes opens with an a cappella tease of the reversed chorus before the beat slams in, a nod to the Spike Jonze video trick. On Passin' Me By, you might hear the DJ loop a bar of the Quincy Jones source before kicking into the main groove, which gives context without a lecture.

Small flips, big feel

Even when a live drummer or keys appear, the parts stay minimal, reinforcing the bounce rather than cluttering it. Lights tend to be simple color washes and quick strobes on drops, keeping attention on timing, breath control, and those sly ad-libs.

Kindred Grooves Around The Pharcyde

Fans of De La Soul often click with The Pharcyde because both balance wit, warm samples, and a sideways view of everyday life.

Overlap by ears, not eras

Souls of Mischief draws a similar crowd through knotty flows and Bay-to-LA underground kinship. Live bands who prize rhythm-first rap like The Roots scratch the same itch for people who want chops with their boom-bap. If you know Gorillaz from Bootie Brown's features, this show lands in that playful, sample-bright lane even when the beats hit harder. All four acts prize melodic hooks without losing the cypher energy, which is the overlap that fills these rooms.