Happy 30th Anniversary to Tha Alkaholiks’ debut album 21 & Over, originally released August 24, 1993.
One of the weirder misconceptions about “party” oriented hip-hop is that it’s simplistic. There’s a perception that in order to get the crowd moving, the songs’ lyrics have to be dumbed down to the absolute lowest common denominator. But hip-hop has always been about moving crowds, both through lyrics and the beats. Tha Alkaholiks made great party music that didn’t pander to pop sensibilities and always remained true to hip-hop’s spirit.
Tha Alkaholiks are the product of the Los Angeles hip-hop scene. The crew, made up of emcees James “J-Ro” Robinson and Rico “Tash” Smith, along with emcee/producer/DJ Eric “E-Swift” Brooks, came up under the guidance of King Tee, one of the region’s hip-hop pioneers. The group (represented by J-Ro and E-Swift) had its first appearances on two tracks on King Tee’s Tha Triflin’ Album (1993) most prominently on “I Got It Bad, Y’all,” the album’s first single.
Released 30 years ago this week, Tha Alkaholiks’ inaugural effort 21 & Over is a lot of fun, remaining entertaining without dumbing down its approach. The album features top quality lyrics and well-crafted beats, both of which are designed to get people moving. J-Ro and Tash were two of the more clever emcees recording music during this era, and E-Swift’s work as a producer continues to be largely unheralded. Containing 10 tracks and clocking in at a little over 36 minutes, the album doesn’t waste time or drag.
Tha Liks begin 21 & Over with “Likwit,” a functional sequel to the aforementioned “I Got It Bad, Y’all.” All three members of the group contribute solid verses, and are joined by their mentor, as King Tipsy closes the track. The production on “Likwit” is exceptional, as it, like “Got It Bad…” uses a sample of the organ from Lou Donaldson’s version of “Ode to Billie Joe.” However, this time E-Swift further chops the sample, while adding various horns, flutes, and keys, which all filter in and out throughout the song.
“Make Room” was 21 & Over’s first single and further demonstrates Tha Liks’ at the peak of their musical and lyrical abilities. E-Swift is in rare form as he creates another busy yet crowd-pleasing track, composed of piercing horns, a low and subdued bassline, and rumbling organs. J-Ro contributes a pair of enjoyable verses, and Tash demonstrates why he would come to be known as one of the more underrated emcees of the ’90s, kicking witty punchlines like, “That's why I'm screamin’ on MCs like I’m ONYX / I’m hooked on gin and tonics like your mama’s Hooked on Phonics.”
“Only When I’m Drunk” is the type of fun track that would become one of the group’s strong suits. E-Swift hooks up a watery sample of the infamous “Seven Minutes of Funk” break, adding in extra key and horn stabs, perfect for all three emcees detail their drunken misadventures. J-Ro opens the song rapping as if he’s nearly drop-dead plastered, slurring, belching, and nearly vomiting all through his verse. Though usually the bruiser of the crew, Tash employs a smoother delivery than usual, rapping, “All up in this bitch with the gin and Tanqueray / Drink like Mr. Wendall, smoke bud like Dr. Dre.” Meanwhile, E-Swift contributes his strongest verse on the album, rhyming, “I get drunk and can't nobody whoop me / I’m tripping, must be the brew that I was sipping / Kicking in, guess I shouldn't have mixed it with the gin / ’Cause when I'm laying on my back I can feel the room spin.”
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21 & Over has numerous displays of the group’s lyrical capabilities to go along with their drunken carousing. “Last Call,” one of the album’s best tracks, features Tash and J-Ro displaying their superior verbal abilities over an elastic, bouncy bassline, a sample of the intro to James Brown’s “Payback,” and flourishes of horns. Tash starts off strong, rapping , “It’s time to roll my sleeves, fuck a few emcees up / Another rough cut from the crew that won’t ease up / Tha Alkaholik clique, a.k.a. the 40 downers / Flips rhymes like Calvin flips fries and quarter pounders.” J-Ro delivers similarly effective verbal blows. “Can’t we get along? Nope,” he proclaims. “Switchblade to the throat to emcees who ain't dope / Call me J-Ro the klepto, ’cause I’m stealing to the jaw / Of these half-baked rappers trying to get raw.” In terms of sheer lyrical executions, “Last Call” was one of 1993’s best.
J-Ro receives most of the spotlight on “Can’t Tell Me Shit,” as even though E-Swift has a brief and lackadaisical eight-bar verse, J-Ro owns the song. He hops from topic to style throughout the track, bragging, “I’m more gifted than Christmas morning / I pull out a pen and write a rhyme when I'm boning.” He takes time to dis R&B artists for reusing popular hip-hop-oriented breaks and instrumentals, jacking the genre’s aura rather than remaining true to their own roots. He also drops a gem of knowledge, stating, “Rappers always talking ’bout back to the old school / We never should’ve left in the first place fool.”
21 & Over features some of the first musical contributions from Oxnard’s The Lootpack a.k.a. Madlib and Wildchild, both on the mic and behind the boards. The album features some of the first Madlib productions to be released on a major label. Madlib’s production style was different 30 years ago, as he created more traditional jazzy hip-hop shit, rather than the trippy beats with un-quantized drums that he’s known for today.
Madlib and Wildchild make their lyrical debuts on “Turn Tha Party Out,” with the two trading verses and lines with all three members of Tha Liks. Though both Lootpack members were still clearly getting their sea legs, the track still works well. The Lootpack also work behind the boards on “Mary Jane,” the album’s third single, and Tha Liks’ ode to the herbal, rathe than likwit, intoxicant. I’m not sure if it’s the first hip-hop song where rappers talk about an inanimate object like it’s a person, but regardless, the jazzy, murky track works as a mellow love letter to good green.
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Tha Liks finish the album with the raucous “Who Dem N***as,” a sonically hectic, wild-out party track, this time featuring a brief opening verse by Deadly Threat. The South Central rapper was connected to the crew via King Tee, who helped oversee (and even produced for) his solo album. Tha Liks’ verses all feature braggadocio and trash-talking, as J-Ro asserts, “If I hear one more n***a kicking that Das EFX shit, I'm bombing / My style is un-Common.”
21 & Over began what was largely a successful career for Tha Liks. The group continued to refine and perfect the style and approach that they display on this album, creating a memorable and underappreciated album run. Even three decades later, their odes to getting hammered should still put a smile on any hip-hop fan’s face.
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Editor's note: this anniversary tribute was originally published in 2018 and has since been edited for accuracy and timeliness.