Album Spotlight # 5

Coast II Coast by Tha Alkaholiks

I’ve known alcoholics and it is not a cool thing. That’s why when this rap group first came out I shunned them. I didn’t want to hear a group that just talked about getting drunk all the time.

Their first album 21 and Over got a lot of play on radio shows and Much Music. It started to grow on me but I was determined not to support them on principle. About a year after their initial success, I saw their first album in a cheap bin at a downtown record store. I thought about it, “Hmmm, can’t really go wrong for six bucks,” so I bought it. The record was slamming and it made me a fan.

I bought this second album on cassette and made sure to put it in my pocket with a permanent marker when they came into town in 1996. They played at the small but legendary X-club in Hamilton. The best thing about this venue was that the artists usually came off the front of the stage and hung out in the crowd afterwards.

I had the tape in my pocket just in case. Sure enough, I got every member of the group to sign my tape. The album isn’t the best album I’ve ever heard but the concert was definitely off the hook. They had so much energy on stage and it transferred to the entire crowd.

They even surprised everyone in attendance when Xzibit came out to perform his brand new hit, Paparazzi. No one was expecting this. The crowd went nuts when this song came on. I have never seen that much energy from a small club audience before and I don’t think I will again.

That is why this album is special to me. It will forever be tied to this concert in my memory and I have the autographs on the cassette insert to prove it.