How do you follow an album like Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde? That album means a lot to me as it is a brilliant album which proved to be my gateway to hip hop. The opener, Bullshit, answers this question emphatically. It's instantly familiar, laid back, West Coast hip hop with some jazzy keys and percussion which make it sound like the spiritual brother of For Better Or Worse from the debut.
They're not the most lyrically dexterous rappers but they have a very good flow and the interplay between the four vocalists is fantastic.
Runnin' is one of the great hip hop singles of the '90s. It has a summery feel which is partly down to the latin flavoured guitar work. The chorus is wonderfully melodic, and the track is topped off with a sublime sax break. I always imagined that it would sound great pumping out of a sound system on some idyllic Caribbean island. If I'd have gone on holiday at all during the '90s (I didn't), this would have been my ideal soundtrack. She Said is another superb track. It's a blunted, late night scorcher with a hint of sexiness. It's essentially a love song for stoners. Something's That Means Somethin' is gloriously funky whereas Devil Music has a woozy G Funk vibe.
This is probably technically better than the debut but, conversely, I don't like it as much. It lacks Bizarre Ride's humour and charm and is less consistent. This is still excellent however, and the best tracks here rival anything on that debut.
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