Today's offering comes from another branch of innovative hip hop, and with a link to MF Doom, the amazing talent of producer, composer and DJ, J Dilla, who features on Runnin', from The Pharcyde's second album Labcabincalifornia (1995). Other Fish comes from the south LA group's first album Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1992), a cri de coeur against one-sided relationships. Both songs are examples of hip hop during its most innovative period, exploring jazz, alternative rhythms and rhyming, with a slick level of that was more interesting than some of the braggadocio, gangster or commercial hip hop that came before it. Founding member Slimkid3 (Trevant "Tre" Hardson) leads the rapping line on Otha Fish, using a great shuffling rhythm, and sample of Herbie Mann's song, Today, which has a wonderful flute riff:
It took a second to register up in my branium
My dome, my head, my skull, my cranium
My eyes have had enough, it was time to do some talkin
I had to creep through the hound-dogs that were stalkin
This slimmy caught me peepin, this means she wasn't sleepin
on who I was, so she crept in like a hawk
In a minute's time, we adjourned to the floor
Ooh! I hit a high note cause of the way that she was walkin
We got into the groove, I didn't bust no, uh, hip-hop moves
I just kept it nice and smooth
Next thing you know, we got together, word, I thought we'd be forever
Didn't have an um-ber-ella, now I'm soaked in stormy weather
whether two birds of a feather fly or fall it'll be together
Never sympin, and leave your love life limp
There'll be no suicide attempts for this slim-trim kid
Cuz you know there's otha fish in the sea, that is, in the sea
In the sea that is …
Produced by J Dilla, also known as Jay Dee, and did the instrumental, Runnin' is performed by the bands rappers Fatlip, Slimkid3, and Imani in a song that faces up to the issue of bullying:
I must admit on some occasions
I went out like a punk and a chump
Or a sucka or something to that effect
Respect I used to never get
Cause all I got was upset
When niggas used to be like
("What's up, fool?! Nigga, what's up?!")
And tried to sweat a nigga like the Lip
For no reason at all I can recall niggas throwing Cs in my face
Down the hall I'm kickin' it in the back of the school eating chicken at 3
Wondering, "Why is everybody always pickin' on me?
I tried to talk and tell them, chill, I did nothin' to deserve this
But when it didn't work, I wasn't scared, just real nervous and unprepared
To deal with scrappin' no doubt
My pappy never told me how to knock a nigga out
But now in '95 I must survive as a man on my own
Fuck around with Fatlip, yes, ya get blown
I'm not tryin' to show no macho is shown
But when it's on, if it's on, then it's on
Can't keep running away
Can't keep running away
Can't keep running away
Can't keep running away …
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