Considered by many pioneers of West Coast Underground Hip Hop, Tha Alkaholiks are a distinctive trio from Los Angeles, California. Consisting of DJ/Producer E-Swift and Lyricists/Rappers J-Ro and Tash, their sound as Tha Alkaholiks has consistently been recognized for its energetic, smooth flows and sensational beats. Highly influential to many others, their 1993 debut, 21 & Over, is considered an essential ‘90s West Coast Hip Hop record. Meanwhile, 1993’s Coast II Coast lit up the charts, reaching number 50 overall on the Billboard 200 and Number 12 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Album charts. The latter, an album anchored by big singles like “The Next Level” and “Daaam!,” 1997’s Likwidation was another success with cuts like “Hip Hop Drunkies,” which featured Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
Making Tha Alkaholiks eternally a beloved band in the eyes of Hip Hop lovers, they continued in 2001 with X.O. Experience and 2006’s Firewater. After that time, the members continued to work solo before eventually touring together again in 2011 and sticking together since. Unfortunately, no new material emerged from them for nearly twenty years. A factor that has fans itching for something, in 2024, a re-recorded version of “Daaam!” appeared, sparking excitement among many. Rather cool and faithful to the original, yet with an updated sound, an even bigger surprise emerged just as the holiday season was starting to pick up in 2024, with the release of a brand-new, highly thought-provoking song called “Liksmas.”
If you are thinking this is the beginning of something fresh, you would be correct, because soon re-recorded editions of 1993’s “Only When I’m Drunk” and “Make Room” (with a killer new Heavy Rock background) popped up, before one of 1995’s “The Next Level” in early 2025. Proving that something was indeed brewing, they then assured everyone it was no April Fool’s joke and released another new song, called “At It Again,” on April 2, 2025.
A carefully plotted buzz-building campaign, at last, on May 2, 2025, a brand new studio album under the title Daaam! arrived through Cleopatra Records. A compilation of all the material previously released between late 2024 and early 2025, joined by seven additional recordings, the twelve-track album is a mix of Tha Alkaholiks’ past and present. Gifting listeners some rock-solid re-recorded takes on their elder material, other standout revisited include the killer instrumental “Best U Can.” Furthermore, fresh material like “Da Liks,” “Hands 2 The Ceiling,” and “MJ, Pt. 2” (featuring Planet Asia) solidifies that the guys are as sharp as ever. Rhythmically on point and sustained enthusiasm, this is Hip Hop in a truly authentic form.
Overall, it is a real treat for fans to see Tha Alkaholiks putting out a new album. With the thirty anniversary of Coast II Coast also taking place this year, hopefully Tha Alkaholiks will announce more shows to celebrate the past, along with the potential of the future, as the word of Daaam! reaches more ears. That is why Cryptic Rock gives the new Daaam! album 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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