Slept on Rappers

With the multi-talented Illa J rhyming and singing over a treasure trove of previously untouched Jay Dee gems, the project represents both a full-circle collaboration and a whole new beginning in the story of the musically exceptional Yancey brothers.

When Jay Dee passed away from complications relating to lupus in February 2006, he left behind an extraordinary legacy of production work, including hits for Common, Janet Jackson, and Busta Rhymes. One mother lode of previously untouched beats dates from his time working on the Pharcyde’s sophomore album "Labcabincalifornia" (1995). As DV owner and founder Michael Ross explains, "From ‘95 through ‘98 Jay Dee was my go-to guy for hot beats and remixes. He was always making beats, always. So there was a select amount of tracks that he composed for me during that time, tracks as good as anything he’d done, only they never got used. When I finally met Illa J last year, I gave him a CD containing those unreleased beats."

It was a case of pure serendipity, since 21-year-old Illa J had just relocated to Los Angeles and constructed a studio built around Jay Dee’s own recording equipment, dubbing it Yancey Boy Studios in tribute to their fraternal bond. "Dilla was twelve years older than me," Illa J says. "So back in the day in Detroit I was just a little kid, sitting on the stairs in our house, watching him make those first beats for Slum Village. So I always felt my brother’s tracks and had an instinct for what I wanted to do over them."

When Illa J set to work in early 2008 on recording the album, the project flowed quickly as he entered the proverbial can’t-miss zone. As Illa J says, "One of the things I learned from my brother is that you don’t get that much time, so make the most of it. That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate my life to doing what I love: music. To work with Delicious, the label that released those hits my brother made with The Pharcyde ("Runnin’" and "Drop") is really special."

Michael Ross says, "Illa J can write, sing, play instruments and rap. Not just a little bit of each, he’s really the complete package! And anyone who loves Jay Dee’s music is going to flip out when they hear what Illa J’s been laying down. For over a decade these beats have been waiting in the vault for this moment. It’s like Jay Dee made these tracks with an extrasensory purpose, so that Illa J could make this album. There is no question that this is exactly what they were meant for. These beats belong to Illa J, they’re his birthright, and I really believe Jay Dee would be proud of what his brother is doing."

--

Single: R U Listenin

The Pharcyde (pronounced /ˈfɑrsaɪd/) is an alternative hip hop group from South Central Los Angeles, where the group's members grew up. The original four members of the group are Imani (Emandu Wilcox), Slimkid3 (Trevant Hardson), Bootie Brown (Romye Robinson) and Fatlip (Derrick Stewart). DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla. The group is best known for the hit singles "Drop", "Passin' Me By" and "Runnin'", as well as their first album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde.

Pharcyde group members Slimkid3, Bootie Brown, and Imani met as dancers in the late 1980s and dancing was their main ambition as late as 1990. Around this time, Imani and Slimkid3 were in a group called "As Is" and later a group called the "Play Brothers", whilst Bootie Brown was a backup dancer for Fatlip (Fatlip being the last member to join the group). Bootie Brown recalls that their earlier dancing careers influenced their rapping - "sometimes the way I rap is almost like the way I used to dance". The group met Reggie Andrews, a local high-school music teacher who worked with the Dazz Band and Rick James, and who was a major musical influence on their debut album. The group also met producer J-Swift around this time, as he was Reggie Andrews's "star pupil" according to the book Check the Technique.

The Pharcyde recorded their first demo in 1991, containing the songs "Passin' Me By", "Ya Mama", and "Officer", and hired a manager, Paul Stewart, who had worked for Cypress Hill, De La Soul, and House of Pain. Mike Ross of Delicious Vinyl heard the demo and the group was signed to the label in the summer of 1991 - they were first featured on Brand New Heavies's album Heavy Rhyme Experience, Vol. 1, on the song "Soul Flower", released by Delicious Vinyl in 1992.

The foursome, with producer J-Swift, recorded their first album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, released in September 1992, and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA in 1996. The album was highly acclaimed, and became one of the most praised and influential alternative hip hop albums of the 1990s.

Their second single "Passin' Me By" became a minor Billboard hit, peaking at #52 on the Hot 100. The song was later featured in the hit movie Big Daddy and was also a crossover modern rock hit. The song is now usually considered a golden-era staple and is the group's most well known song. The album featured a couple of guest MCs, Bucwheed (known then as Buckwheat, formerly of the alternative hip-hop group The Wascals) on the tracks "On The DL" and "I'm That Type of Nigga".

Problems between the group and producer J-Swift began during the recording of the debut, with infighting and "personality conflicts". J-Swift started a crack habit, from which he is still trying to recover - a 2007 documentary, 1 More Hit, was made about his attempts to recover from his addiction and to regain his music career.

After the Bizarre Ride album was released, the group began touring with A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, culminating with an appearance at the Lollapalooza show in 1994.

In 1994, Pharcyde appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine.

--

Single: Passin Me By

"In 2005 Fatlip released his solo debut, The Loneliest Punk. It includes his single from 2000, "What's Up Fatlip" (which was included in the soundtrack for Tony Hawk's American Wasteland and the Youth in Revolt (film) soundtrack). The music video for "What's Up Fatlip" was directed by Spike Jonze. The album features guest appearances by Chali 2na (on the song 'Today's Your Day,' which is included in the skateboarding film, Yeah Right!), as well as Shock G (on the song 'Freaky Pumps'). The album contains songs produced by J-Swift who was responsible for the production of The Pharcyde's first album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde."

"Fatlip, master rapper of soulful self-satire and hangdog humor, has always been the most outsized personality within The Pharcyde. Perhaps that's why Fatlip was the first member of that legendary group to go solo, dropping the smash single "What's Up Fatlip?" with its Spike Jonze-directed video in 2000.
Another five years passed before the appearance of Fatlip's debut full-length The Loneliest Punk, an overlooked gem that featured the boy/girl blow-by-blow "The Story Of Us" and the booty call-out "Freaky Pumps." Fatlip has drawn comparisons to everyone from Cab Calloway to Ol Dirty Bastard, and in 2007 Fatlip's fishy rhymes sent The Chemical Brother's "The Salmon Dance" swimming to the upper reaches of the pop charts. "
--

Single: What's Up Fat Lip?