THA ALKAHOLIKS (February 2008)| Interview By: Nima Etminan

       Dubcnn had the chance to catch up with Tash, J-Ro & E-Swift aka Tha Alkaholiks while the trio was on their European X-Mas 2007 tour. In this video interview, we talk to the group about a future Liks album, the status on a Likwit Crew album, the relationship with Xzibit, J. Wells & Kurupt's "Digital Smoke" album, J-Ro's solo "Rare Earth B-Boy Funk Vol. 2", Tash's solo "Control Freek", the Roger Troutman "Still More Bounce" project, and Tash even drops a verse for the cameras!

As always we have both the transcript and the audio for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: eddie@dubcnn.com

 

Interview was done in February 2008.

Questions Asked By : Nima Etminan

Full Video Interview: Download Here (34MB, Windows Media)

Video Stream (Brightcove):

 
 


Download: Click Here

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Dubcnn: We're right here with Tha Alkaholiks, what's going on?

J-Ro: What's happening? We're on this Christmas tour! We Santa Clauses.

E-Swift: Merry Christmas everybody!

Tash: Merry Christmas!


Dubcnn: J-Ro, you dropped your solo album earlier this year "Rare Earth B-Boy Funk Vol. 2", how do you feel about that record looking back at it now?

J-Ro: It was like, I was working on a bunch of songs, and I just put them all together and made an album. It wasn't like I sat down and thought it through from beginning to end to make the album. I just put songs that I had on there, that's why you got such a diverse sound on the album.

Tash: "You call that love?"

J-Ro: It's smashing man, it's doing real good over there in Paris, and in Scandinavia, in Germany, go pick that up!


Dubcnn: What would you say was the main difference between recording an album in L.A. as opposed to over here in Europe?

J-Ro: Basically, not dodging bullets on my way home from the studio. *laughs* That's pretty much it!


Dubcnn: J. Wells and Kurupt dropped that "Digital Smoke" record last year, what do you think of that album?

J-Ro: That's a killer album man, to me it's a classic album. It's not too many classics coming out noawadays. I like the way he put it together.

Tash: I'ma tell you what's gonna happen. With J. Wells "Digital Smoke", people ain't gonna appreciate it until 5 years down the line. Everybody reads magazines, everybody doing all this other stuff and everything, but "Digital Smoke" is gonna be a classic album 5 years from now!


Dubcnn: Tash, what's up with you though, what's up with "Control Freek" the album?

Tash: *pause* Nothing! *laughs*


Dubcnn: We've been waiting! It's been a while since "Rap Life"!

J-Ro: We waiting too!

Tash: What it is man, it's like this. I kind of took my bread from the "Rap Life" album and everything, and started investing it into different companies, making moves, it's like KRS One said, "The whole parade go by you, but why, they wasn't fly". Basically, in 2008, it's gonna pop off, I'ma show ya'll niggas that me, J-Ro and E-Swift are the best rappers from the West Coast. We're gonna bubble, don't even trip, 2008, it's coming.


Dubcnn: What about you E-Swift, are you working on something?

E-Swift: I'm always working on something man! I'm all over the place, doing records.

Tash: He lives right down the street from me in Vegas!

E-Swift: I'm DJ'ing a lot, working on my record...

Tash: E-Sweezy, the best that ever did it!


Dubcnn: What would you say is the next project coming from the Alkaholiks camp that we can expect?

J-Ro: Right now, a Likwit Crew album. It's bubbling.


Dubcnn: Is that just talk or are ya'll actually working?

J-Ro: I don't want to say too much about that yet...


Dubcnn: I heard King Tee is trying to put it together?

J-Ro: That's the Godfather.

E-Swift: That's the man right there!

Tash: King Tee!

J-Ro: Once he says let's put it together, it's done!


Dubcnn: So you're gonna fly out to L.A. to record the Likwit Crew record?

J-Ro: Yeah. We're doing a U.S. tour from March till the end of April, so we're gonna be together on tour.

E-Swift: J-Ro's album right now is really the most current thing that's out. That's in stores now. And the Tash album is pretty much done.

J-Ro: King of Europe!

E-Swift: That's how we set it up though. We came up with the Alkaholiks album, then everybody was talking about we broke up, but that's impossible!

Tash: We gotta tell the truth to people man, bottom line is, me and Swift we're on the West Coast, J-Ro moved to Europe, so we do a lot over the internet. So it takes a little bit more time, but don't trip, the Alkaholiks album is coming!


Dubcnn: The question that's gonna pop up everytime is: what's up with Tha Alkaholiks and Xzibit?

E-Swift: Ooh yeah, my favorite question! X man! I'ma call you as soon as I get back overseas, I got some shit for you, you already know what it is.

Tash: I'd rather say it like this. I'm not a good talker, I'm a rapper, so I'll tell you like this: *starts rapping verse mentioning situation with X - see video* "I still fuck with Xzibit, fuck ya'll deal with it" Merry X-Mas! We're gonna leave it at that. But yo can you film this? I met everybody rapper dude, everybody that raps, every single rapper ever that ever recorded a record, and that's the best right there, J-Ro, J.R.O., Just Rockin' On!


Dubcnn: Before we go I wanna get a few words on the Roger Troutman tribute video ya'll dude, "Still More Bounce", what kind of experience was it filming that video?

J-Ro: That was amazing man, I mean that whole project was real sad, it was sad that Roger had to go so early, but people that came out and showed love, it wasn't like we had to reach out to them, but people were calling us up like "How can we be a part of this project?" So I wanna thank everybody that was a part of that.

Tash: Mac Mall! Ice-T! Kurupt! Xzibit!

J-Ro: All the homies. The video was crazy man.

Tash: Can I say one more thing? Shout out to Pimp C too man, he was on his way to be a legend. Pimp C, rest in peace baby! Spice 1! Shout out to Gordy too, Zulu Tribe!