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Tash | |
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Birth name | Rico Smith |
Also known as | Catashtraphe |
Born | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper |
Years active | 1993–present |
Labels | Amalgam Digital |
Member of |
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.
Tash was born in Columbus, Ohio, but moved to California at age 16 with his four brothers and mother. His parents divorced the following year, but Tash decided to stay in California and pursue a career as a rapper. In California, he co-founded Tha Alkaholiks—originally known as Everyday Street Poets (ESP), later known as Tha Liks—with fellow Ohio native, DJ E-Swift and a Californian emcee named J-Ro. Tash had previously worked in a group named Disturbers of the Peace with E-Swift and even lived with him, while they each performed music locally. J-Ro had worked with Californian hip-hop artists such as Suavee D and King Tee, but never with Tash or E-Swift. Tash's connection with J-Ro allowed Tha Alkaholiks to appear on King Tee's 1993 album, Tha Triflin' Album . Soon after their appearance, Tha Alkaholiks started touring with famed hip hop artists such as Ice Cube, and even inked a record deal with Loud/RCA. After appearing on more songs with Tha Alkaholiks in collaboration with other artists, his party-themed rhymes created much anticipation for his group's debut album, 21 & Over .
The first album by Tha Alkaholiks, 1993's 21 & Over, lead critics to applaud Tash's "punch lines and comic timing," "killer delivery of topnotch MCs" and "more than enough talent and energy to back up [...] endlessly clever boasting." [1] The album as a whole was a great critical success but was not too commercially successful. It did have three charting singles though and likely gained Tash and his group a "sizeable cult following." [2] 1995 saw the release of Coast II Coast which was also a critical success, but had slightly more commercial success than its predecessor. It spawned two minor hit singles in "DAAAM!" and "The Next Level." Tha Alkaholiks changed their name to Tha Liks for their 1997 album, Likwidation . It was met with decent critical reception and about the same commercial reception as Coast II Coast. It did boast a Billboard Hot 100 hit with "Hip Hop Drunkies" featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard, which is their most successful recording of all time. Tash and his group went on to release X.O. Experience in 2001 and Firewater in 2006, before disbanding as a group. The large amount of time in between releases allowed each member of Tha Liks to work on solo projects.
Tash released one album, Rap Life , on Loud Records in 1999. It received some critical acclaim and little commercial. It only reached #148 on The Billboard 200, even with guest appearances by famed artists such as Outkast and Kurupt. It did reach #1 on the Top Heatseekers chart which tracks underground acclaim, and it had two singles that reached the Hot Rap Singles chart. Those two songs, "Rap Life" featuring Raekwon and "Bermuda Triangle," remain as Tash's best-known solo tracks.
According to a 2009 interview, Tha Alkalholiks are done releasing albums, and Tash was 100% finished with his next solo album, Control Freek on the Amalgam Digital label. [3] The album was released in June 2009. It featured appearances from B-real, J-ro and King Tee and production by will.i.am, Maestro, and J. Wells.
In a 2015 interview with Dubcnn, Tash revealed that he will be releasing a new album titled "Publicity Stunt". "Publicity Stunt", according to Tash is "a collaboration album where in the last 15 years, I just did so many songs with people." [4] The projected release date is May 2015.
Album information |
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Rap Life
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Control Freek
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Tha Alkaholiks, also known as Tha Liks, is an American hip hop trio from Los Angeles, California, United States.
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.
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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. The recording sessions took place at Yo Mama's House, in Los Angeles. The album was produced by Lootpack, King Tee, Derrick "D. Pimp" Williams, and tha Alkaholiks, who also served as executive producers 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.
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.
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has released eight albums. He also formed the hip hop group The Hrsmn in 1996, with whom he has released two albums. His debut solo album, Kuruption! (1998) was released by A&M Records and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200.
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.
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.
Firewater is the fifth and final studio album by American hip hop group Tha Alkaholiks. It was released on January 24, 2006, via Waxploitation/Koch Records. Recording sessions took place at Street Soul Studios in Los Angeles. Production was handled by members E-Swift and J-Ro, The Rural, Breakmecanix, Danger Mouse, Evidence and Keezo Kane. It features guest appearances from Bishop Lamont, King T and Styliztik Jones.
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.
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.
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Control Freek is the second solo studio album by American rapper Tash. It was released on June 30, 2009 via Amalgam Digital. Production was handled by E-Swift, J Beam, Affion Crockett, Da Truth, Emmaculate, E Sharp, Josh G, J. Wells, Maestro, Montage One, Oh No, Thayod Ausar and Tony Touch. It features guest appearances from Tha Alkaholiks, Knoc-turn'al, Fameus, King T, Ali Jammali, B-Real, Del the Funky Homosapien, Khujo, Kokane, Mathmadix, Montageone, O Sin, Samuel Christian and Styliztik Jones.
Shae Fiol is a Cuban-American singer-songwriter who currently lives in New York City. The name Shae was given to her after the Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Her mother is American born and her father is of Cuban descent. Shae's sound is described as acoustic soul, with Latin and jazz influence. She has been compared to artists Nelly Furtado, Esthero, and Sade.
Morgan Rodriguez, professionally known by his stage name MC Breeze, is an American rapper from Los Angeles. He released his only studio album, T.Y.S.O.N. , in 1989 via Atlantic Records. The album, which was produced by the L.A. Posse, made it to number 60 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The record spawned two singles: "Great Big Freak" and "L.A. Posse". The latter peaked at No. 79 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, No. 8 on the US Hot Rap Songs, and later was ranked at No. 64 by Complex's list of The 100 Best L.A. Rap Songs.
"Hip Hop Drunkies" is a song written and performed by American hip hop group Tha Alkaholiks featuring Wu-Tang Clan member Ol' Dirty Bastard. It was released in 1997 through Loud Records as the lead single from Tha Liks' third studio album Likwidation. Recording sessions took place at Soundcastle in Los Angeles and at Marley's House Of Hits in New York. Production was handled by E-Swift with co-production from Marley Marl. The single peaked at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100, at number 37 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and at number 6 on the Hot Rap Songs, making it the group's most successful single.