The Pharcyde is a
Hip-Hop group from
Los Angeles,
California. The original lineup consisted of Derrick "
Fatlip" Stewart, Tre "Slimkid" Hardson, Imani Wilcox, and Romye "Booty Brown" Robinson. The group's first album,
1991's
Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, achieved Gold status, establishing the group as a force in alternative Hip-Hop, comparable to the East Coast's
Native Tongues crew (which included
De La Soul and
A Tribe Called Quest). The album was a statement of individuality, eschewing gangsta rap in favor of classic
B-Boy culture, with raw production, innovative samples, skilled rapping and a sharp sense of humor. It was followed by
1995's more serious-minded
LabCabinCalifornia. Subsequent releases included fewer and fewer original members: Fatlip left prior to
2000's
Plain Rap and Slimkid had departed by
2004's
The Humboldt Beginnings. In
2005, a collection of remixes surfaced,
Sold My Soul.