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FATLIP, May 2000 After the release of their critically acclaimed albums, Bizzare Ride To The Pharcyde and LabcabinCaliforna, people were shocked by the eventual break-up of the Pharcyde. Now a solo emcee, Fatlip, who left the group in 1996 while they were still promoting the Labcabin album, is back with a new single and a forthcoming LP. In an interview with The 411 Online, the self-described nerd talked about his falling out with the group and his new project. His current single, "What's Up Fatlip," is getting heavy rotation on the CMJ Beat Box Top 10 charts, currently at No. 5. His album, Revenge of The Nerds, is due out this summer on Delicious Vinyl Records. What we want to know is why FatLip is not in the Pharcyde anymore. "Well, It probably all started around '94 when we were doing the Labcabin album. You know everybody was branching off in their own musical directions, but at the same time we were experimenting. We were kinda inexperienced to being in the studio and making our own music, but we were all venturing out. Our tastes didn't coincide with one another and there were a lot of arguments in the studio. At that same time, we put the record out and we were doing a lot of shows, touring and everything. Personally, I wasn't satisfied with the record and for my own personal reasons, so I stopped touring. I started working on production and trying to figure out how to make records. The records that I like. I was making progress with that also. I felt like the touring thing was getting played out. We were doing the same songs from the first album. They felt like I wasn't a team player and they got fed up with that. Basically, we were in each other's faces for like the past five or six years and they just got tired of me." They kicked you out? Yeah, they kicked me out. They all came to my crib one day and they were like, "You should do your own solo thing." I was like 'aiight.' The whole process was like five minutes. They came through, said what they had to say, and they left. That was it. Did you still want to be in the group? Nah. Before that point, we were always arguing and I was already thinking that it's not going to work. Just fed up with one another. But they were the first ones to make a move. I wasn't really thinking that they were going to kick me out, but when they came and stepped to me with it, it made sense. Are you still in contact with any of them? Nah. No. When was the last time you've seen any of them? I heard that you saw Imani at the Blaze Battle at the House of Blues? We were drinking and talking about old times, but somewhere along the lines, the conversation took a turn where we started dissing one another. He (Imani) called me 'wack' and said my new sh-- is 'wack.' And I said, "you're worse than wack," or some bullsh-- like that. I don't how it happened. We just started arguing and all of a sudden, this n---- said "get out my face" or something like that. I wasn't even in his face. But anyway, he pushes me and I fall into this other dude I came with like an idiot. And the next thing I know, this n---- grabs a bottle and breaks it on the bar like cowboy or something. We started wrestling and we got kicked out. That was that. What about Tre and Romeye? The last time I saw Tre was at the Day in The West photo shoot, where all the West Coast rappers took a picture. I saw him up at that. Me and Tre is cool. Tre's not in the group no more. We don't call each other. We're not going to work on no music no time soon. What about Romeye? Nah. The communication ain't there. We cool but we ain't going to be vibin' on no music no time soon. Me and Jay-Swift, we got our little thing, so we like built our relationship back. We work on tracks here and there. We share a studio. The showbiz thing is ruff. A lot of people were feeling the LabCabin album. Most liked the first album. Which did you feel was the better one? Or did you like both of them? It's hard because all the stuff I was influenced by, it didn't sound like that. So when I was comparing to that, I didn't know what it was. I can listen now and understand why people are vibin' to it. But back then, it was just too weird. So your sh-- is more hardcore? Describe it. Nah. I want those records that you can play on mix shows and play in a club. Five years down the line, do you see the Pharcyde coming back together? Up until that night at the Blaze thing, there was maybe a possibility. But now I don't think so. Maybe ten years down the line. But there's still bad blood. I guess I was responsible for sh--, because I would be on a plane and just decide to get off. So I guess I was leaving them hanging. If it was a team, I wasn't a team player.
-- Joshua "Fahiym" Ratcliffe, The 411 Online All contents ©1994-2000 The 411 Online
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