Influential alternative rappers The Pharcyde announce headline Roadmender gig

Pharcyde are playing at the Roadmender in August.

Influential US alternative rappers The Pharcyde are headlining the Roadmender in August.

The Pharcyde was formed in the late 1980s by MCs / producers Tre ‘Slimkid3’ Hardson, Derrick ‘Fatlip’ Stewart, Imani Wilcox, and Romye ‘Booty Brown’ Robinson in south central Los Angeles.

Hardson, Wilcox, and Robinson were dancers and choreographers who met on the LA underground club circuit, worked together for a while and served a stint as dancers on In Living Color.

Stewart, meanwhile, performed at local clubs and eventually hooked up with the others in 1990.

Under the tutelage of Reggie Andrews, a local high-school music teacher, the group learned about the music industry and the process of recording.

They landed a deal with Delicious Vinyl in 1991 and a year later released their eccentric debut album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, which went gold.

After support slots for De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest as well as a successful spot on Lollapalooza's second stage in 1994, the group released its second album, Labcabincalifornia, which was calmer than their first but no less warped.

After a five-year break which saw little action except for the debut of Stewart as a solo rapper, The Pharcyde returned in late 2000 with their third album Plain Rap which was followed in 2004 by Humboldt Beginnings. Their latest single My Man was released in 2022.

They come to Northampton armed with one of the finest back catalogues of the era, including hits such as Passin' Me By and Drop, Runnin'.

The Pharcyde headline the Northampton venue on Thursday, August 8.

Tickets cost £27.50 via www.seetickets.com/event/the-pharcyde/the-roadmender/2991277