🧢 Old School Wednesday
The Pharcyde ~ “Runnin’” (1995)
As a victim I invented low-key
‘Til the keyhole itself got lower than me
So I stood up and let my free form form free
Said I’m gonna get some before they knockin’ out me
I don’t sweat it, I let the bullsh*t blow in the breeze
In other words, just debris
Can’t keep runnin’ away
Some songs hit you in the chest the first time you hear them ~ and then keep hitting different every time you come back. And you keep coming back.
“Runnin” by The Pharcyde is one of those tracks. It’s just different.
Different from their previous work.
The first single off Labcabincalifornia was a clear departure from the wild, kaleidoscopic energy of Bizarre Ride II.
Still lyrically playful, but more introspective.
Still backpack hip-hop, but more mature.
At first listen, it’s jazzy, breezy, even soulful ~ but when you lock in, it’s really about fear, vulnerability, and survival.
What makes it work?
The Pharcyde’s ability to reflect and intertwine, to harmonize and rhyme ~
and Jay Dee.
🎧 Jay Dee’s Time-Stretching Genius
Back then, he wasn’t J Dilla yet ~ just Jay Dee. Still unknown to most of the world. Quietly working behind the boards and redefining what hip-hop could feel like.
This was early. So early that depending on who you ask, it was either just before or right around the time he got his now-legendary limited-edition MPC3000 ~ the one that eventually landed in the Smithsonian.
(Leave it to the Smithsonian to make something 🔥 sound like a term paper discussing AC/DC current.)
So the story goes: Pharcyde originally wanted Q-Tip to produce Labcabincalifornia. Tip was too busy working with Mobb Deep, but handed them a tape from a “young producer” he was working with.
“Try this guy from Detroit. His name’s Jay Dee.”
Once they heard it, some wondered if the tape was secretly Tip himself (his real name is Jonathan Davis ~ JD). The sound was undeniable.
So once they confirmed Jay Dee was real, they brought him in.
And Jay Dee did J Dilla things.
On Runnin’, he didn’t just loop a beat ~ he sculpted time.
🥁 The Drums
A 20+ bar loop ~ loose and imperfect in all the right ways.
Hi-hat straight. Snare syncopated. Kick drum swung. No quantizing. It lived and breathed.
It felt human.
But not everyone was convinced.
Some members of The Pharcyde weren’t sure the kick drum was even “hip-hop enough” ~ and wanted to replace it with a standard kick drum beat.
Arguments. Tension. A poorly timed lunch break.
Then the kind of fight you can’t keep runnin’ away from.
But in the end, they trusted the feeling.
They followed the vibe.
And we’re all better for it.
Because this is the song that introduced Dilla’s magic to the world.
That groove ~ that texture ~ would go on to change everything.
Questlove has said hearing Dilla’s MPC programming (on “Bullsh*t“) blew his mind and forever changed how he played drums.
His exact words are one of the best descriptions and greatest compliments ever:
It sounded like the kick drum was played by a drunk 3-year-old.
🧪 The Samples
Jay Dee chopped up a Brazilian bossa nova riff and flipped it into a hypnotic, meditative loop.
Unexpected. Jazzy. Emotional. And absolutely perfect.
The samples:
Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfá ~ “Saudade Vem Correndo” (1963)
The full translation? “Longing Comes Running.” How perfect is that?
Woody Herman ~ “Flying Easy” (1969)
James Moody ~ “You Follow Me” (1978)
Run DMC ~ “Rock Box” (1984)
RUN!
Here‘s a cool sample breakdown:
🎤 Only in LA…
I’ve always been a huge fan of The Pharcyde, and Runnin’ is one of my favorite tracks because it fits so many different moods.
When I first moved to LA, my roommates and I lived in this apartment building that had, let’s say… character. It had so many code violations it was basically condemned at one point.
But it was full of artists, actors, and musicians ~ the kind of spot that felt busted but magical.
One of our neighbors was this super chill guy. Always friendly. Great energy. There was always music coming from his place. We’d chat now and then ~ and he’d casually mention he wasn’t touring or something to that effect. Respect…
I just thought he was a cool dude.
Until one day, another neighbor looked at me and said:
“You’re such a music nerd ~ I thought you were playing it cool. But you really don’t know that’s Slimkid3?”
🤦♂️
I had no excuse. In my mind, I thought they were all still living in the Pharcyde Manor or LabCabin making hits… not downstairs in this crusty building at the top of La Brea.
In reality, it was around the time SlimKid3 had just left Pharcyde and was working on his solo The Legend of the Phoenix EP & Liberation Album. You could never tell, but he was probably going through some things.
Looking back ~ the band practices. The musicians walking in and out. The random celebrity sightings in the courtyard of this building were always a bizarre ride, but it started to make more sense.
What I find funny, I talked with Tre a bunch more times before he moved out, and it was always cool. I’m sure he heard me blasting Runnin’ (or ‘Passin’ Me By‘ or ‘Doin Time‘) from my car or through these old-school jalousie windows in my apartment, but I could never bring myself to ask about the Pharcyde stories. 🤷♂️
Only in LA can your neighbor casually be one of the voices behind one of your favorite tracks, like Runnin’.
💭 Final Thoughts
Runnin’ wasn’t just a song ~ it was a turning point.
For The Pharcyde. For Dilla. For hip-hop.
It was vulnerable. Experimental. Human.
It proved you could be reflective and expressive ~ and still ride a beat.
It proved jazz, bossa nova, and syncopated swing had a place in boom bap.
30 years later, it still hits.
Timeless ~ and somehow still ahead of its time.
🎧 “Can’t keep runnin’ away…”
