Alkaholiks Retiring After Upcoming Album

The Alkaholiks, which comprise of group members E-Swift, Tash and J-Ro, have announced that their upcoming album Firewater will be the last in a prolific career. "It’s the right time to go out with a bang," E-Swift said. "Knowing it’s our last album has made us much more focused, knowing we have to sum it […]

The Alkaholiks, which

comprise of group members E-Swift, Tash and J-Ro, have announced that their upcoming

album Firewater will be the last in a prolific career.

"It’s the

right time to go out with a bang," E-Swift said. "Knowing it’s our

last album has made us much more focused, knowing we have to sum it all up right

here, right now and the feeling is great. We owe it to the fans to put everything

into one last album and blow it up."

Firewater

will be the group’s fifth album. Group member Tash said that many things

had changed since the group was founded in 1992.

"We’ve been

doing this music together as a group for a long time,” Tash added. “And

times are changing, the world is changing, our lives are changing. We have been

party animals for over a decade. [It’s] always a good thing to bow out

gracefully and exit on top."

In addition to

the Firewater album slated for release in early 2005, the group will

release a best of CD music and video collection titled Mixed Drinks in 2005.

A farewell party tour is in the works as well.

"We all have

different goals and things we want to do as individuals. So it only makes sense

for us to move forward and find new challenges" said J-Ro. "I want

to travel the world a little bit, find some new things to sign, new things to

produce as well as do my solo album, but with a new world of influences. It’s

an exciting time for all three of

us."

While the group

is in retirement, Waxploitation CEO Jeff Antebi said that fans can expect each

member to produce music in the future.

"It’s the

end of an era in some ways. But it’s important to close one door before they

can open another one", explained Waxploitation CEO Jeff Antebi. "E-Swift

is going to do a joint E-Swift & Madlib album for 2005 as well as finally

produce the debut Likwit Crew album. Tash is preparing the follow up to his

Rap Life CD and J Ro is putting together his solo album. This is the right move

for them creatively and it’s very good news for Hip-Hop because it means more

music."

Firewater

will drop in early 2005 on Waxploitation Records/Koch.