11. Sickness feat. Butch Cassidy

There's a story behind the name change of Tha Alkaholiks (they are Tha Liks now), that has never before been published. So you heard it here first!

A while ago, a Loud Records A&R was at a club. He was thirsty and went to get some beverage at the bar. Now as soon as he got the glass in his hand, an Alkaholiks track comes on. The whole club naturally erupted in a frenzy, from the bathroom to the balcony and most of our friends drink got spilled, due to pandemonium dancing madness going on. And the drink spilled over the guys hands, so he had to lick them clean with many licks. The rest that remained in the glass was so little that no one could become an alcoholic from it, not to mention that it would never be able to fulfill the needs of an alcoholic. Realizing what just had happened, the man called a meeting the next day and voila, Tha Alkahaloks are Tha Liks now. Oh, and yes, Mr A&R got a free refill. He works for Loud after all.

I of course just made that up.

However, That Liks now give us the first album under that new name. And so I got myself a six pack of the best beer there is (Schützengarten, for those that take notes), and sat down to check it out and let you know about it. So let's crack the first can open, and check out "Bar Code". Things get already rowdy up in here, and the track features Xzibit. E-Swift hooked up something majorly dope, complete with a scream-a-long hook, so expect this to be a favorite of every AA After Party. Ahhh, intoxicating, what reminds me to take another gulp. Rockwilder in the mean time picked up the production duty on "Run Wild", and this hit or miss producer misses, getting quite close though. Shae Fiol adds some nifty singing, and if we'd be drunk, we'd be like 'who cares, I'ma bob along anyways'. But I'm not drunk yet, so I shall say what I just said. "Straight up ignorance at its finest" is promised for "L-I-K-S" but that was being a little harsh on themselves. The alcohol topic is only kept back for a little while as J-Ro and Tash find a lot of funny disses in doubting our booze fighting skills. With more bragging going on, we are happily stumbling by "Bully Foot Skit" to then get the DJ Scratch produced "Bully Foot" featuring a lot of cheesy video game sounds and a still able to articulate Busta, who's holding his stomach over the sink to hurl or something. And although I have now cracked open the second can, the belly laughs can't be blamed on the consumption, as those lines are also funny to the sober.

E-Swift does some futuristic funk for "My Dear", that seems to be the chosen elevator music of the Mothership. A Pharcyde sample is used very cleverly. Defari leaves his punchlines at home and does some woman handling, getting rather pimpish. Okay, now it's time for a quick piss break, as there's an "Interlude" coming up. Now, Tha Liks didn't think we have that high a tolerance level, as they are already making it easy for us, calling the next track "Da Da Da Da". Sure the letters on the packaging are getting a little fuzzier, but still. Thayod's beat is cool too, and so is the drink, chicks and drama content. Simple pleasure for the simple needs, and we don't even feel bad a sec. Quite quickly over is "40 Oz Quartet Part I", where the most anpissapated group steps up and rhymes "they tried to send me to AA / I said 'ey 'ey / not today-'ay / I just bought a bottle of Tenquorey'ey". And that's done over that Art Of Noise track. Yeah, that one.

Burp. S'cuse me.

Things then get very clubby on "Sickness" feat. Butch Cassidy (produced by Rockwilder), where the question is raised "with all them weak niggas, why did we lose Pun?". Now, with all the universal success and adoption of Tha Liks, you sometimes forget that them are Cali Cats. This track once more proves it, with all that funk happening, and I'd get up and get my boogie on, if that, huh, fourth, beer wouldn't hold me down. The next cut "Going Crazy" is one of those tracks, that seem to be totally conceived for stage performances. This track is blasting through our ears just before the Neptunes produced "Best U Can", a rather quick little thing, appears. Here the Liks favorite other pastime (chicks) is being talked aobut, hi hi. Then "40 Oz. Quartet Part II" is using an old school track, with the name being at the tip of my tongue, but the can of beer that's pressed against my lips, wouldn't let it out. Okay, as I start to look for the disappeared keyboard keys, the alcohol is definitely kicking in. And I think Tha Liks are taking a little longer to get objects in focus as well. "Anotha Round" then gives me the first glimpse at how the hangover will be like, as this is somewhat threateningly hovering over my head, as this is a little less sparkling.

So veteran and OG Likwit King T comes around to shake his comrades awake on "The Bubble". And man, where there's a party, Xzibit gotta be too. However, he got the broken barstool with the beat to "151" (produced by DJ Twinz) isn't the best and so his night is not too comfortable. That's why he's not able to spread his charm with the center of attention turning to the Kurupt Young Gotti featuring "Promote Violins".

Auuhhh, last beer gone, and me with it.

And so before I drop from the chair, I gotta make sure to note, that this must be the most intoxicating Liks album. What they dropped out of the name, they gained back with the content. And with them being funny, if your tipsy or tea total, you'll have a plenty good old time with this record. Let's save the world tomorrow. As for me, I will now try to get that helicopter to land.