Likwit Crew

Last updated
Likwit Crew
Origin Los Angeles, California, US
Genres Hip hop
Years active1992–present
SpinoffsLikwit Junkies (Defari & DJ Babu)
Liknuts (Tha Alkaholiks & The Beatnuts)
Members King T
Tha Alkaholiks (E-Swift, J-Ro & Tash)
Lootpack (DJ Romes, Madlib & Wildchild)
Xzibit
Declaime
Phil Da Agony
Defari
Styliztik Jones
J. Wells
Website likwit.net

The Likwit Crew is an American hip hop collective from California, founded by Compton-based rapper King Tee. Considered to have been originated in 1992 when King Tee introduced Tha Alkaholiks trio, composed of members E-Swift, J-Ro and Tash, on the lead single "Got It Bad Y'all" from his third studio album Tha Triflin' Album . [1] [2] [3]

Contents

In 1993, the Lootpack trio, consisting of Wildchild, Madlib and DJ Romes, debuted on Tha Alkaholiks' first studio album, 21 & Over , which also featured a guest appearance from King Tee on two songs. [4] 1995 saw the releases of Tha Alkaholiks' sophomore studio album Coast II Coast and King Tee's fourth album IV Life , both featured Xzibit, marking the latter's inclusion to the collective.

From the mid to late 90s, the collective began to expand, replenished with rappers Phil Da Agony of the Barbershop MC's and Defari Herut, as well as close affiliates by the likes of Declaime and Montage One in conjunction with the release of projects of its established members—Xzibit's first two albums At the Speed of Life (1996) and 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998), Tha Alkaholiks' third studio album Likwidation (1997), the Lootpack's debut Soundpieces: Da Antidote (1999) and Tash's solo album Rap Life (1999).

King Tee, who was expected to release his fifth studio album The Kingdom Come while signed to Aftermath Entertainment at that time, along with fellow Likwit Crew members Xzibit and Defari, was featured on Dr. Dre's critically acclaimed second studio album 2001 . By the end of the following year, Xzibit's third studio album Restless , which featured contributions from Likwit Crew members Defari, J-Ro, King Tee, Tash, affiliate record producer Thayod Ausar, as well as high profile artists such as Snoop Dogg and Eminem, was highly praised by music critics and received a Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. A follow-up to Restless, Xzibit's 2002 Man vs. Machine , made it to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the US and received a Gold certification by the RIAA. The album didn't feature any of the Likwit Crew members, however it presented short-lived supergroup and Open Bar Entertainment signee the Golden State Project, composed of Xzibit, Ras Kass and Saafir.

During the early to mid 2000s, several collective members released mediocre projects—Tha Alkaholiks' fourth studio album X.O. Experience (2001), which was released under Tha Liks moniker, and Wildchild's 2003 debut Secondary Protocol —while making connections with such acts as Planet Asia and Dilated Peoples, participating in the latter's first four studio albums. Phil Da Agony, Mitchy Slick and Krondon formed Strong Arm Steady, who appeared on Xzibit's fifth studio album Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004). Defari and Beat Junkies/Dilated Peoples' member DJ Babu formed a duo the Likwit Junkies and released their debut studio album The L.J.'s in 2005 via ABB Records. In 2001 to 2002, Styliztik Jones and J. Wells officially joined the collective. [5]

2006 marked the release of Tha Alkaholiks' fifth and final studio album Firewater , Defari's third solo effort Street Music and Xzibit's sixth studio album Full Circle . In 2009, Xzibit was featured on B-Real's debut solo studio album Smoke n Mirrors alongside newcomer Young De, eventually forming Serial Killers. In 2011, Tha Alkaholiks and New York–based hip hop duo The Beatnuts announced the formation of Liknuts. [6] In 2012, Xzibit has released Napalm , his seventh studio album after six years gap between the albums, which included a Likwit Crew posse cut "Louis XIII" featuring core members King Tee and Tha Alkaholiks.

Members

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dilated Peoples</span> American hip hop band

Dilated Peoples is an American Los Angeles-based hip hop trio, composed of rapper and record producer Evidence, rapper Rakaa, and Beat Junkies deejay and record producer DJ Babu. The group better known in the UK, they reached the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart with two tracks, "This Way" and "Worst Comes to Worst." Their songs were featured in the 2003 video games Need for Speed: Underground and NBA Street Vol. 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Babu</span> Musical artist

Christopher E. Oroc, stage name Melvin Babu, better known as DJ Babu or DJ Babu the Dilated Junkie, is a Filipino-American DJ and record producer. He is a member of DJ crew the Beat Junkies, Los Angeles-based hip hop trio Dilated Peoples together with Evidence and Rakaa Iriscience, and a member of the Likwit Junkies along with rapper Defari. He served as the curator and host of Soundcheck for Beat Junkie Radio on Dash Radio. As of 2017, DJ Babu is the Program Director and a lead instructor alongside fellow crew members Mr. Choc, Melo-D, DJ Rhettmatic, D-Styles and J.Rocc at the Beat Junkie Institute of Sound.

Roger McBride, better known by his stage name King T, is an American West Coast Hip hop rapper from Compton, California. Emerging as one of Compton's earliest hip hop artists, he was signed to Capitol Records, where he released his debut album Act a Fool in 1988 with the hit singles "Act a Fool," "Payback's A Mutha," "The Coolest," and "Bass” [Remix], all of which were considered hip-hop classics. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he worked primarily with producer DJ Pooh, and was responsible for the rise of Tha Alkaholiks, whom he helped guide into the rap game. King T is also the CEO of his own record label, King T Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loud Records</span> Hip hop record label

Loud Records, LLC. is a record label founded by Steve Rifkind and Rich Isaacson in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madlib</span> American record producer (born 1973)

Otis Jackson Jr., known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM, J Dilla, and Freddie Gibbs. Madlib has described himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last." His stage name is an acronym for "Mind Altering Demented Lessons In Beats".

<i>40 Dayz & 40 Nightz</i> 1998 studio album by Xzibit

40 Dayz & 40 Nightz is the second studio album by American rapper Xzibit. It was released on August 25, 1998, through Loud/RCA Records. Recording sessions took place at Sound Castle and at Area51 in Los Angeles, at N-House Studioz and at Record One in Studio City, at Track Record, Inc. in North Hollywood, and at The Enterprise in Burbank. Production was handled by Sir Jinx, Bud'da, A Kid Called Roots, DJ Pen One, E-Swift, Jesse West, Mel-Man, Montage One, Soopafly, The Glove and Xzibit himself. It features guest appearances from fellow Likwit Crew teammates Montage One, Defari, King Tee and Tha Alkaholiks, and the Golden State Project members Ras Kass and Saafir, as well as West Coast rapper Jayo Felony and Staten Island rapper Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan. The album debuted at number 58 on the Billboard 200 and number 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States, and at number 32 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fredwreck</span> Musical artist

Farid Karam Nassar, better known by his stage name Fredwreck, is a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop recording artist, DJ and record producer. He got his big break when he became a producer for Dr. Dre's newly founded record label Aftermath Entertainment, and then went on to work with Snoop Dogg's record label Dogghouse Records and became a known producer on Tha Dogg Pound-affiliated material. During this time he also was a producer for Snoop Doggs track: Riders on the storm Ft The Doors on EA's Need for Speed Underground 2. He has produced tracks from Kurupt's Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha and most of his next release, Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey; both released during the period the rapper had left Death Row Records. He has also produced for other hip-hop and pop artists such as Eminem, Britney Spears, Ice Cube, Westside Connection, Lil' Kim, Hilary Duff, Xzibit, The Game, Nate Dogg, Everlast, Cypress Hill, 50 Cent, Mobb Deep, as well as non-US acts such as Dizzie Rascal, Tamer Hosny, Qusai Kheder and Karl Wolf.

<i>21 & Over</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Tha Alkaholiks

21 & Over is the debut studio album by American hip hop trio tha Alkaholiks. It was released on August 24, 1993 via Loud/RCA Records. Recording sessions took place at Yo Mama's House in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Lootpack, King Tee, Derrick "D. Pimp" Williams, and Tha Liks themselves, who also served as executive producers together with Fabian Duvernay. It features guest appearances from King Tee, Field Trip, Lootpack and Threat. The album peaked at number 124 on the Billboard 200 and number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States.

<i>Coast II Coast</i> 1995 studio album by Tha Alkaholiks

Coast II Coast is the second studio album by American hip hop trio Tha Alkaholiks. It was released on February 28, 1995 via Loud Records. Recording sessions took place at Yo Mama's House in Los Angeles. Production was handled by Diamond D, Madlib, and Tha Liks themselves. It features guest appearances from King Tee, Declaime, Diamond D, Lootpack, Q-Tip, The Baby Bubbas and Xzibit. The album reached number 50 on the Billboard 200 and number 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. Its lead single "Daaam!" peaked at No. 85 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and No. 20 on the Hot Rap Singles, while the second single off of the album, "Next Level", landed at No. 43 on the Hot Rap Singles.

Lootpack is an American hip hop group signed to Stones Throw Records with members Madlib, Wildchild, and DJ Romes. They made their first appearance on the 1993 debut album by Tha Alkaholiks, 21 & Over.

<i>Soundpieces: Da Antidote</i> 1999 studio album by Lootpack

Soundpieces: Da Antidote! is the first full-length studio album by American hip hop trio Lootpack. It was released on June 29, 1999 via Stones Throw Records. Production was handled entirely by member Madlib. It features guest appearances from Medaphoar, Declaime, Godz Gift, Kazi, Oh No, Defari, Dilated Peoples and Tha Alkaholiks.

<i>Likwidation</i> 1997 studio album by Tha Alkaholiks

Likwidation is the third studio album by American hip hop group Tha Alkaholiks. It was released on August 26, 1997, via Loud Records. Recording sessions took place at Enterprise Studio in Burbank, California, at Yo Mama's House and at Sound Castle Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Production was primarily handled by member E-Swift, as well as Madlib, Easy Mo Bee, T-Smoov, and Marley Marl. It features guest appearances from Xzibit, Keith Murray, King Tee, Lootpack, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Phil da Agony, The WhoRidas, with cameos from DeBarge, LL Cool J and Nas. The album peaked at number 57 on the Billboard 200 and number 15 on Top R&B Albums. Its lead single, "Hip Hop Drunkies", became the group's biggest hit in 1997, peaking at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<i>X.O. Experience</i> 2001 studio album by Tha Liks

X.O. Experience is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Tha Alkaholiks. It was released on July 10, 2001, via Loud Records. Recording sessions took place at Soundcastle and Skip Saylor Recording in California, at The Hit Factory in New York, at Mastersound Studio in Virginia Beach, and at Mirror Image Studios in Dix Hills. Production was handled by member E-Swift, as well as Rockwilder, DJ Scratch, DJ Twinz, Thayod Ausar and The Neptunes. It features guest appearances from Xzibit, Busta Rhymes, Butch Cassidy, Defari, King Tee, Kurupt and Shae Fiol. The album reached number 47 on the Billboard 200 and number 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. Its lead single "Best U Can" became a minor hit in 2001, peaking at No. 64 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 14 on the Hot Rap Songs. The album's cover art is an homage to The Jimi Hendrix Experience's 1967 album Are You Experienced.

<i>Tha Triflin Album</i> 1993 studio album by King Tee

Tha Triflin' Album is the third studio album by West Coast hip hop artist King Tee. It was released on January 26, 1993, via Capitol Records. Recording sessions took place in 1992 in California. Production was handled by nine record producers, including DJ Pooh, DJ Aladdin, Bobcat, Marley Marl, Tha Alkaholiks, Broadway, SLJ, Mr. Woody, and King T himself. It also features guest appearances from Ice Cube, Deadly Threat, Nefretitti, Mad Kap, and Tha Alkaholiks. The album spawned two singles: "Got It Bad Y'all" and "Black Togetha Again". Both singles were later included on King Tee's greatest hits compilation Ruff Rhymes: Greatest Hits Collection. The album peaked at number 95 on the US Billboard 200 and number 17 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The success of this album is quite significant as it allowed King Tee's protégés, Tha Alkaholiks, to gain a following. It also provided a foundation for King Tee's Likwit Crew.

Rico Smith, better known by his stage name Tash, is an American rapper. He is most known for his work as a member of the West Coast hip hop group, Tha Alkaholiks alongside J-Ro and E-Swift. Tash has released two solo albums, Rap Life (1999) and Control Freek (2009), and worked on five albums with Tha Alkaholiks.

Jon Wells is an American record producer, record executive, and rapper. He is a member of the Likwit Crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xzibit</span> American rapper and actor

Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, better known by his stage name Xzibit, is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, and radio personality. He began his musical career in 1992, releasing his debut studio album, At the Speed of Life (1996) through Loud Records, an imprint of RCA Records. The album was received positively, charted on the Billboard 200, and spawned the single "Paparazzi," which peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100. His second album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998) was met with similar reception, spawning the single "What U See Is What U Get."

Kankick is an American hip-hop producer from Oxnard, Los Angeles.

This is the discography of American rapper King T.

The following list is a discography of production by Madlib, an American hip hop record producer and recording artist from Oxnard, California. It includes a list of songs produced, co-produced and remixed by year, artist, album and title.

References

  1. ↑ Sanchez, Tim (November 2, 2012). "Lessons from a Legend: King T's Midas Touch on Biggie, Xzibit, Tha Alkaholiks and Dre". AllHipHop . Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ Clot, Ross (April 8, 2001). "Likwit Crew Reunite for Compilation Album". HipHopDX . Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  3. ↑ Ducker, Jesse (January 24, 2023). "King Tee's 'Tha Triflin' Album' Turns 30 | Read the Anniversary Tribute". Albumism. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  4. ↑ Huey, Steve. "Lootpack Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic . Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  5. ↑ Paine, Jake (March 18, 2013). "King T Recalls Tha Alkaholiks' Formation, Reveals He's Working On Likwit Crew Album". HipHopDX . Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  6. ↑ Blanco, Alvin (June 9, 2011). "The Beatnuts & Tha Alkaholiks Dropping 'Liknuts' EP". The Boombox . Retrieved September 3, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.