Indie Shuffle » the pharcyde

The Procussions – Today

Jason Grishkoff — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:40:36 +0000

Song: The Procussions - Today [download here]

What's so good?

I used to be of the mindset that “rap = crap.” That was until our resident senior staffer sweeneykovar introduced me to Crown City Rockers, a band out of Oakland with a distinctly jazzy feel. It opened up my mind to the many varieties of hip-hop, where once I had only seen “gangsta rap.”

Fast-forward eight years (woah, I’m getting older!), and this style of hip-hop still remains one of my favorite. Which is why when Potholes In My Blog uncovered this new track by The Procussions, I figured it’d make a great Sunday SOTD.

“Today” features trumpeter J Kyle Gregory and rhyme-smith Shad, and will make an appearance on The Procussions’ upcoming full-length (unnamed as of yet?). We’ll definitely be following the band on Soundcloud to stay on top of their next singles.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: The Procussions – Today

2. Posted in: hip-hop, jazz, underground hip hop, the pharcyde, crown city rockers

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Souls of Mischief – 93 ’til Infinity

el gringo rico — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:11:35 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Heiroglyphics, The Pharcyde, De La Soul

Song: Souls of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity [download here]

What's so good?

There aren’t many hip-hop collectives left in today’s world. Rhymesayers, Living Legends and indie sensation Odd Future come to mind, but none of these crews are as important to the evolution of hip hop as legendary groups like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, or Wu-Tang were (to name a few).

One slightly lesser known crew from the 90s were the Souls of Mischief out of Oakland, CA. Later they all became members of the well-renowned Heiroglyphics crew and cemented their place in hip-hop history, but much of the original work has been lost to the hourglass of time.

Fret not though, as we rewind two decades to revisit one of old school hip hop’s most timeless tracks and albums: 93 ’til Infinity. Released several years before folks like Del tha Funkee Homosapien began their ascension to fame, 93 ’til Infinity marked the very beginning of West Coast hip hop as we know it.

So sit back, take in the smooth sax-laden beats and remember that “this is how we chill…”

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Souls of Mischief – 93 ’til Infinity

2. Posted in: hip-hop, underground hip hop, mellow hip hop, old school, de la soul

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Dopehead – Plaid Palm Trees

Eric Fallows — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:00:04 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Romye (The Pharcyde), Danny Brown, Eazy E

Song: Dopehead - Mirrors [download here]

What's so good?

A first listen to Dopehead back in early 2010 proved to be shocking for its time. Then, a couple of his videos were displayed at The 1440 Collective located on the eastside of Detroit, and he transcended official. Like any other music lover who skips potentially good music because of the artist’s name, Dopehead is not gaining a fanbase, because, unlike the dime a dozen commercial rappers, he is hungry (remember what Snoop Dogg was like in 1992 when the Deep Cover video premiered?).

Noteworthy, Dopehead began his rap career as a member of Reservoir Dogs with the likes of Danny Brown, and, Chip$. Dopehead is Danny Brown’s hype man, and a good one at that. Go to one of their shows and you will see, firsthand, the type of unrehearsed chemistry that breeds between these two. Many hip-hop heads on the Internet have mistaken Dopehead’s flow for Brown’s. The juxtapositions and misconceptions deserve to come to an end with Plaid Palm Trees.

“Airbags,” the lead single, is a laid back truth cocktail, explaining his urban city life. He even manages to touch on the mindset of many trying singers and rappers with ”Everybody wanna be Dwele they ain’t him, everybody wanna battle rap, but they ain’t Em.” He essentially squashes that “I think I’m [insert famous local performer here]” mentality. “Drifiting” carries the sole feature on this entire album from Wu-Tang’s resident female vocalist Blue Raspberry — a beautiful one at that. Other standout songs include: “Mirrors,” “Sephiroth,” “Dope,” and “Pump Up The Volume.”

Dopehead’s Plaid Palm Trees can be downloaded — graciously, for free — here. Producer credits are tagged via each MP3 song.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Dopehead – Plaid Palm Trees

2. Posted in: hip-hop, underground hip hop, detroit, danny brown, the pharcyde

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Inspired Flight – It’s The Chemicals (Ft. Scarub)

Jason Grishkoff — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:44:26 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: Inspired Flight - It's The Chemicals (Ft. Scarub) [download here]

What's so good?

This song is like listening to The Postal Service smooshed up with The Pharcyde. No wait, it’s like hearing … okay, it’s like hearing Inspired Flight featuring Scarub. Which is an awesome pairing, if you ask me. One that I didn’t know existed before today. And to think it has been around for more than a year now! I guess I’ve been living under a rock.

I was first introduced to Scarub through the group Crown City Rockers, who have a track titled “Balance” which features his vocals. As such, when his rhyming sets in around the 2:25 mark of this track, it totally blows my mind away. The last couple minutes could be cut off — I easily see this song ending shortly after his feature. But I’ll forgive them for that.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Inspired Flight – It’s The Chemicals (Ft. Scarub)

2. Posted in: the postal service, progressive hip-hop, the pharcyde, crown city rockers, scarub

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

De La Soul – Eye Know

Dwayne — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:00:27 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Native Tongues, Steely Dan

Song: De La Soul - Eye Know [download here]

What's so good?

It’s been 22 years since 3 Feet High and Rising was released, and it seems like time we reminded you of the classic track “Eye Know.”

This happy track exerts cool like an evening with Miles Davis and James Brown. Flutes – check. Whistles – check. Trumpets – check. Perfection.

This still sounds as fresh all these years later as it did on it’s original release, so here’s the soundtrack to your summer chills.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: De La Soul – Eye Know

2. Posted in: hip-hop, the roots, a tribe called quest, de la soul, the pharcyde

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Blu – My Sunshine

sweeneykovar — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 16:00:25 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Common, Pharcyde, Exile

Song: Blu - My Sunshine [download here]

What's so good?

Blu’s long awaited major label debut, NoYork!, is still in the pipeline it seems, even though Warner Bros. themselves have yet to say a word about it. Hmmm.

Regardless of artistically-suffocating corporate red tape, the two Flying Lotus-produced tracks that have leaked, and this new one produced by Sa-Ra member Shafiq Husayn, all point to a marvelously quirky album.

Eschewing the heavy electro feel of the FlyLo songs, “My Sunshine” finds Blu over stuttering drums and a triumphant loop. The lyrics are still a nice jumbled mess of stream of thought, non-sequiturs and six word stories. Not mad at all.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Blu – My Sunshine

2. Posted in: hip-hop, soul, Los Angeles, Blu, the pharcyde

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Blu – HerFavoriteColo(u)r

sweeneykovar — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:39:53 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Ghostface Killah, Pharcyde, Baatin, Common

Song: Blu - Vanity [download here]

What's so good?

A bit of history: In early 2009 the Los Angeles MC Blu seemed poised to be on the cusp of breaking into the mainstream. His debut, Below The Heavens, made the world of hip hop take notice. His personal narratives and sublime lyricism had fans calling him the next Common or Mos Def.

But Blu didn’t quite see it that way. While it didn’t really seem so strange at the time, his two projects after BTH started to hint at an experimental urge that was beginning to boil within the MC. The Piece Talks with Ta’Raach was more like De La Soul Is Dead and his Johnson & Johnson project with Mainframe was a throwback to cratediggin’ and loops.

Then, just as he announced he had signed a contract with Warner Bros. for his major label debut album, Blu quietly dropped a completely self-produced album (save for one song), HerFavoriteColo(u)r, on his MySpace. Fans were as puzzled as they were pleased with the roughly mixed concept album centered around finding and losing love.

In the next two years, the musical output from Blu came at a snail’s pace with his Warner Bros. debut constantly touted as “coming soon.” Rumors of eccentric behavior did little to quell the public’s curiosity. Then, music began to eek out from young Johnson Barnes, now revealing himself to be deeply entrenched in a sound heavily influenced by the electro beat scene of Southern California.

Now, it seems he is readying to re-introduce himself to the public, and as part of that, Nature Sounds has re-mastered his 2009 Valentine’s Day project, finally offering the album in a mud-free mix.

The actual album itself has aged beautifully. The production is spliced with dialogue from Rushmore, Punchdrunk Love, Closer, The Brown Bunny, and other films where love is complicated and messy. Blu’s lyrics are dense, vivid and abstract, foregoing the “sad-fi, rapid-fire soul stuff [he] used to hit ‘em off with,” and instead choosing a stream of consciousness style that doesn’t always make linear sense: “Fuck a rapper I’m an actor in a film called, ‘Leave Me The Fuck Alone ‘Till I Find A Real Job.’”

There is still cohesion and direction to songs. “Amnesia” is a bittersweet reflection of losing love while “Vanity” finds Blu in a more playful mood. “Celln’L's” has the MC defiantly singing instead of rapping, almost sounding like he slipped in a Weezer song in the middle of his album.

Though the album was not completely understood or entirely well-received in 2009, this reissue asks us to revisit the project. What we find is that while Blu might not necessarily make music his fans want, he is always pushing himself and his craft forward. A natural musician, Blu’s HerFavoriteColo(u)r is a win.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Blu – HerFavoriteColo(u)r

2. Posted in: hip-hop, jazz, Blu, the pharcyde, common

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Gorilla Warfare Tactics – Temptations

Jason Grishkoff — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:00:08 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: Gorilla Warfare Tactics - Temptations [download here]

What's so good?

Pigeons and Planes dropped this sick track from New York-based trio Gorilla Warfare Tactics back in January. Their music is dope.

The group’s sound is heavily influenced by a little bit of old-school rap, as well as some newer-wave artists such as Jay Electronica and even Kanye. They’ll have a full mixtape dropping this summer, but for now you can grab their EP by following this link.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: Gorilla Warfare Tactics – Temptations

2. Posted in: hip-hop, soul, funk, the pharcyde, Macklemore

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

The Pharcyde – Passin’ Me By (Hot Chip Remix)

Jason Grishkoff — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:20:16 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: The Pharcyde - Passin Me By (Hot Chip Remix) [download here]

What's so good?

Two remixes of the same song from 1993. Two completely different approaches by two groups, Hot Chip and Outer Space Bass. The hard decision was which song to go with first, but in the end Hot Chip’s work edged out Outer Space Bass as the more original of the two (though strangely enough, both songs have dark overtones to their remix styling).

The introduction to Hot Chip’s rework may find you asking “wait, isn’t this how the song began anyway?”, but give it 15 seconds and you’ll quickly find yourself transported to a landscape that could have been created by Air. The contrast between the original The Pharcyde verse and dark Hot Chip approach is strikingly haunting, and stands out at once.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: The Pharcyde – Passin’ Me By (Hot Chip Remix)

2. Posted in: hip-hop, electronic hip-hop, hip-hop remixes, the pharcyde, people under the stairs

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

The Pharcyde – Runnin’ (Philippians Remix)

Jason Grishkoff — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:10:33 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: The Pharcyde - Runnin' (Philippians Remix) [download here]

What's so good?

A few days ago I pointed out that The Pharcyde has one of the best music videos of all time. Now I’m going to point to one of the cleanest hip-hop remixes I’ve heard in a long time. Taking some of the best elements of the original song and drawing them out, Philippians have developed a sonically pleasing piece of music that I believe could appeal to even the most skeptical hip-hop critics. For me, it’s the acoustic guitar and early introduction of harmony that provides the biggest draw. Top that off with the reminiscent 90s style, and bam!, one of the best remixes I’ve heard in a few months now.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: The Pharcyde – Runnin’ (Philippians Remix)

2. Posted in: hip-hop, the pharcyde, people under the stairs, sublime

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

People Under The Stairs – Hit The Top (Soulseize Remix)

Jason Grishkoff — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:17:13 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: People Under The Stairs - Hit The Top (Soulseize Remix) [download here]

What's so good?

In contrast to our usual Song of the Day hip-hop features, here’s some quality underground hip-hop a la the artists featured in our Back to the Basics series. The two members of People Under the Stairs hail from L.A., and have released seven albums since their formation in 1997. Their sound has been compared to A Tribe called Quest, Jurassic 5 and The Pharcyde (who, coincidentally, have one of the best music videos of all time). The above song, “Youth Explosion”, was released in 2000 and can be found on the album “Question in the Form of an Answer”.

------------------------ With countless sub-genres

1. Original post: People Under The Stairs – Hit The Top (Soulseize Remix)

2. Posted in: hip-hop, underground hip hop, the pharcyde, people under the stairs

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.