Tha Liks’ didn’t look to Jimi Hendrix for sonic suggestions, but for chemical inspiration. Not the acid in the headband Hendrix, but the so drunk-he-choked-on-his own-vomit Jimi–except J-Ro, Tash, and E-Swift held their liquor far better. Had they gone the other route, gobbled acid, and sampled psychedelic guitar solos, they would’ve inevitably been critics darlings–or at least scored the Edan/MF Doom vote. Instead, the X.O. Experience, refined a simple but effective brew of party raps dedicated to their ability to drink gallons of X.O. Cognac and procure the finest smoke the city of Angels had to offer. Even a Mormon would be hard-pressed to hear this and not want to crack open a 40.
Rappers like Tha Liks often get outflanked in favor of artists that are either more abstract or more concrete. And granted, searching for introspection on their records is like staring into an empty bottle. But few groups ever sounded like they were having more fun. Busta Rhymes, Xzibit, Kurupt, and King Tee stumble into the studio. E-Swift worked the boards, except on the album’s lead singles, “Best U Can” and “Run Wild,” featuring the Neptunes and Rockwilder in their prime. There are few Saturday night party records better than the X.O. Experience. If you don’t enjoy it, you probably just need to follow their advice and smoke something…drink something.–Jeff Weiss
Download:
MP3: Tha Liks-“Run Wild”
MP3: Tha Liks-“Best U Can”
