Slimkid3 (Can't Knock the Shuffle Classic)

The Questions Hip-Hop

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Originally broadcast on May 24, 2021.

Simply put, Tre Hardson aka Slimkid3 is a legend. Hip hop was forever changed in 1992 when his group the Pharcyde emerged onto the scene with their classic debut album 'Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde.' The group brought a decidedly animated and imaginative element to their songwriting and presence on the microphone – and Tre definitely stood out with his distinct melodic voice; you could really even say that a lot of these rappers who sing owe a bit to Slimkid3.

The Pharcyde’s second album Labcabincalifornia sported a darker sound (and early contributions from the great Jay Dee aka Jay Dilla) that reflected the frustration the group was going through with both the industry – and internally. Tre did one last album with the group (2000’s Plain Rap) before embarking on a solo career that also has seen him team up with DJ Nu-Mark from Jurassic 5, Ozomatli, and occasional reunions with various members of his Pharcyde brethren – and today they are back at it (as a trio), touring the world and possibly poised to release new music soon. In this Can't Knock the Shuffle classic, we break down stories behind the following songs:

"Groupie Therapy" (Pharcyde 'Labcabincalifornia', 1995)

"Trust" (Pharcyde 'Plain Rap', 2000)

"King" feat Diamond D and K-Natural ('Slimkid3 & Nu-Mark', 2016)

"Life is Love" ('Liberation', 2002)

"Pick It Up" feat Dillon Cooper (TRDMRK, 2019)

"4 Better or 4 Worse" (Pharcyde 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde', 1992)

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