Firewater (Tha Alkaholiks album)
| Company type | Studio album |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | January 24, 2006 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
| Products | Hip hop music |
Firewater stands as the fifth and concluding studio album from the American hip hop ensemble Tha Alkaholiks, officially released on January 24, 2006, through Waxploitation in partnership with Koch Records. The recording sessions took place at Street Soul Studios located in Los Angeles. Production duties were primarily handled by group members E-Swift and J-Ro, with additional contributions from The Rural, Breakmecanix, Danger Mouse, Evidence, and Keezo Kane. Featured guest artists on the album include Bishop Lamont, King T, and Styliztik Jones.
Critical reception
The album Firewater was met with generally positive feedback, achieving a Metacritic aggregate score of 67 based on nine critical reviews.
Soren Baker of the Los Angeles Times commended the album as "a rare modern-day rap album that is as fun as it is good." Meanwhile, Nathan Rabin from The A.V. Club characterized it as "far from classic, but pretty damn fun nonetheless," and Spin compared its vibe to that of a familiar neighborhood dive bar.
Some critiques highlighted the effects of the group's maturation. Andy Kellman at AllMusic remarked that the MCs "have slowed a little with age," which hindered the album from reaching the heights of earlier releases like 21 & Over and Coast II Coast. Adrian Covert of Prefix suggested that while it may not serve as an epic finale, it remains a respectable effort. Eric Neigher from Slant Magazine pointed out its nostalgic "blast-from-the-past" character, and Michael Frauenhofer of PopMatters concluded that it neither adds to nor detracts from their established reputation. Conversely, Now magazine argued that the beats and lyrics lack the punchline-driven enjoyment found in their previous projects.
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) |
38 |