Clifford
“Method Man” Smith’s sixth solo album, Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium, dropped
in December of 2018, just before my ridiculous Christmas Day Wu-Tang stunt
posting session, which meant he had just missed my arbitrary cutoff date for
inclusion. It is a direct sequel to his previous effort, The Meth Lab, and is
most notable for not just the sheer number of guest features included within
(which places it in the same category as its predecessor), but for the fact
that it still isn’t the album Method Man had been promising fans since roughly
2007: a mostly RZA-produced effort entitled Crystal Meth, which, at this point,
if you truly still feel like that project (a) even exists, and (b) will
eventually see release, welp, you’re far more optimistic than I, an
Interweb-based music critic known for cursing excessively and for writing “meh”
whenever I can’t come up with anything remotely positive to say about a song.
Last week, television and film actor Method Man, who also moonlights as a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, released his fifth solo album, The Meth Lab, with the assistance of Tommy Boy Records. Considering that label's past history of screwing over its artists (including Meth's coworker GZA/Genius), I found that move pretty surprising. I also was shocked to see that Tommy Boy Records still existed, until I remembered that Ghostface Killah's 36 Seasons was also distributed by the label. Either way, this information pointed out the obvious: Method Man was no longer signed to Def Jam Records. Or if he still is, they're being very lenient with the terms of his contract right now. But I'd go with the former.
Most of you probably don't know this, but whenever I write about a project that upsets me to the point where I start to question why I even bother with this shit, I retreat into music I already know I like as a way to calm myself down. I assume a lot of you two do something similar when life gets in the goddamn way; maybe you plop yourself onto your couch and fill your eyeline with various movies and TV shows proven to provide comfort, or maybe you turn to drugs, or alcohol, or religion, or stronger drugs. Hey, I'm not here to judge. I'm just trying to say, in a very polite manner, that I was very fucking disappointed with that Raekwon album.
Not surprisingly, whenever a Wu-Tang Clan effort blows, I go back and listen to better, more awesome Wu-Tang Clan efforts. Also not surprisgnly, this playlist of mine features a metric ton of Wu, and I'm actually very proud of the fact that I've only included one such song in the count thus far. That streak ends today, but most likely not with something you expected from me.
Today's entry is a bonafide rap album intro, taken from Raekwon's fellow Wu mate Method Man's fourth full-length solo album 4:21... The Day After. It's the kind of intro I can get behind, in that it features actual rapping, but it also accomplishes two things simultaneously: Meth sets the overall tone for the evening ahead while successfully erasing any memory of his botched third album, Tical 0: The Prequel, from the listener's mind. And that is no small task, because you see, that particular album sucked. I also have no doubt that Meth would actually agree with me on that point: he seems like a genial, realistic dude.
4:21... The Day After was a return to form for Method Man; it's an underrated album that contains several high (no pun intended) points fitting for the man who was the first to break out of the group aesthetic. It also features at least two tracks that are playlist-worthy, one of which I'll probably get to in the future, and the other being "Intro". If you take a glance at my previous review for this album, I'd bet you can figure out what the other playlist entry will be. It's a fun way to waste time at work, anyway.
"Intro" starts things off with an extended sound bite lifted from an educational documentary about the horrors of drug use. The "Make marijuana legal!" chant was originally intended to scare the shit out of the viewer, whose only two concerns of the day were the Cold War and those fucking hippies, apparently. But as fans of rap music, anyone with even the slightest familiarity with Method Man will know where he falls into the argument: even if he isn't the pothead he used to be, what with having a family, kids, grown-up concerns, and the passage of time, he's still the guy who named his debut album, Tical, after slang for a laced blunt, and his BFF is Reggie "Redman" Noble, by the way, so it's not like he's completely out of the woods. For further examples, please refer to the actual title of the album this song appears on.
As the sound bite plays out, producer RZA brings up a simple loop that both keeps things moving and has just enough melody and dusty drums to remind listeners of the Wu-Tang Clan of olde. However, the Method Man that spits a single verse isn't the young buck that tried to convince the world to hear him out back in the early 1990s: this Method Man is confident, cocky, and doesn't give a shit if you listen to him or not, and that kind of swagger comes only with years of experience, as he grew into a grizzled hip hop veteran that both appreciates and constantly questions the direction in which our chosen genre has traveled. Also, he sounds really good: one listen to "Intro" will make you actually want to give 4:21... The Day After a chance, which is what all rap album intros are supposed to do in the first fucking place.
Short version: Method Man and The RZA should work together more, just not necessarily with Bobby's digital orchestra or with all of the live instrumentation that plagued A Better Tomorrow. And you should probably listen to 4:21... The Day After.
Do you agree or disagree with this selection? Discuss below.
(For today's Reader Review, D-Silbs brings our attention back to one of the better examples of recent Wu-Tang Clan output, Method Man's4:21...The Day After. Be sure to leave your comments for D-Silbs below.)
On the heels of an undisputed classic (Tical) and a lesser quality-yet-highly popular follow-up (Tical 2000: Judgement Day), Method Man released his worst album ever, Tical 0: The Prequel, in 2004. Allegedly it sold enough copies to earn him a golden plaque, bit I highly doubt it, seeing as it sucked ass and all. (Not that something like poor quality has ever hurt anyone before, of course.). The story goes that Def Jam Records, his label home since the dawn of time, got all up in his grill about the beats: Meth (and, by proxy, Wu-Tang Clan fans) wanted The RZA to handle more of the production, whereas the label felt Puff Daddy should have more input (because of his amazing track record? What could have possibly caused this train of thought to leave the station? It couldn't have been a budget issue, because I would think that keeping The RZA happy would be much less expensive than paying for Puffy's entourage). As expected by everyone except the label brass, Diddy proceeded to screw everything up, so with his fourth album, 4:21...The Day After, Method Man was finally granted his wish, and The RZA was allowed in the building once again.
Hopefully this will hold up when compared to when I first heard 4:21...The Day After, retaining the Wu-Tang sound that we all miss, although considering that Ghostface Killah and GZA/Genius don't make any appearances on here, I somehow doubt it.
However, this quote from Meth, taken from dubcnn.com, is both fitting and funny: "This is just more RZA on production, shit like that. But some of the shit I couldn't do, because some of these producers were screaming out these n----s want a $100,000 for a track. Fuck that! Kiss my ass. I'm not paying nobody a $100,000 for shit, unless I can live in that mothafucka. Straight up. So that's what that is right there. But it's what I feel is the best I could do."
1. INTRO After a sound bite from an educational DVD about weed, Method Man takes over your mind, ripping shit over a sick RZA beat. The beat reminds me of “Buck 50” from Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele, which I suppose isn't that surprising, as they are both RZA productions. The song is too short, but who cares? It's still awesome.
2. IS IT ME Although Max wrote that he hated this song, I will go in the opposite direction and say that I loved it. Meth flows effortlessly over this Scott Storch instrumental, which sounds like a modern-day version of “C.R.E.A.M.” from Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). This may not be the old school Wu-Tang that we all love, but it's still nice. The hook is stupid, but you should expect that, since this is still a rap album.
3. PROBLEM The beat is classic Erick Sermon, but I haven't yet decided if that's a good or bad thing yet. Meth sounds good, sure, but the song is just boring.
4. SOMEBODY DONE FUCKED UP Havoc (of Mobb Deep) brings a string-laced instrumental, and I kind of liked it. Method Man sounded pretty good, and his lyricism and delivery was on point. His line, "There ain't no pedophile that could fuck with the kid", is funny and creepy: however, I'd like to point out that he reused it on Blackout! 2, which is just lazy.
5. SHAOLIN SOLDIER (SKIT) Whatever...
6. FALL OUT The instrumental is utter piffle, and even Method Man's above average delivery can't save this mainstream piece of shit. Sounds like a Soulja Boy Tell 'Em beat. Ugh.
7. DIRTY MEF (FEAT OL' DIRTY BASTARD) Erick Sermon and Mathematics (representing the Wu Elements) craft a simple beat around some old Dirt McGirt lyrics, and it works extremely well. Dirty's opening words ("Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!") are inspiring, to say the least, as they immediately set the tone for a burst of nostalgia from the 1990's. Meth rides the beat flawlessly, and compliments the late ODB very nicely. Straight banger right here.
8. 4:20 (FEAT STREETLIFE & CARLTON FISK) Yes! Another RZA production, and this one is even better than the first! The beat is perfect: eerie and awe-inspiring at the same time. Sadly, The RZA doesn't actually spit a verse, but Meth sounds amazing, and Carlton Fisk and Streetlife sound damn good as well. Hell, when even Max admits a song is perfection, then it is perfection. (I left that last line in there to stroke my ego, but I will say that this song still fucking bangs today.)
9. LET'S RIDE (FEAT GINUWINE) The beat is a little boring, which is strange, as I typically like Mr. Porter's production work. This track doesn't mesh with the overall flow of 4:21...The Day After, and for that reason alone, this is a skip. Also, the song sucks.
10. THE GLIDE (FEAT RAEKWON, LA THE DARKMAN, & U-GOD) RZA reworks a technically-unreleased Ol' Dirty Bastard beat (for "Skrilla", off of A Son Unique) and the results are fantastic. This Wu-tang posse cut is my second favorite on this album, and here's why: U-God spits an extremely good verse for being the worst member in the clan, Raekwon sounds awake for once, and Meth spits fire over an amazing beat. A fantastic cut.
11. KIDS (SKIT) Pointless, really.
12. GOT TO HAVE IT The sample is a little annoying, and the G-Funk, West Coast-ish beat doesn't fit Johnny Blaze at all. Nice try Meth, but it didn't work. Skip.
13. SAY (FEAT LAURYN HILL) Every rapper has their one mandatory track per album that addresses all of the haters: “Say” is Method Man's contribution. To his credit, Meth manages to sway my opinion and blame his last shitstorm of an album on Def Jam and not himself, so bravo for being overly convincing.
14. YA'MEEN (FEAT FAT JOE & STYLES P.) There was some controversy surrounding this song upon the release of 4:21...The Day After, because Meth didn't know that Joey Crack and Styles P were going to make guest appearances (apparently Def Jam forced it upon him). As for the song itself, the beat rocks my socks, Meth sounds fantastic, Fat Joe sucks, and Styles P. does that annoying thing where he talks in the background of his verse. Overall, Meth shouldn't have been that worried, as I've heard worse.
15. KONICHIWA BITCHES RZA provides a strings-laced beat for Meth to basically freestyle on, but don't expect anything like “Knowledge God” off of Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Johnny Blaze sounds pretty good on here even without the burdedn of following a specific theme. This was an enjoyable listen.
16. EVERYTHING (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK & STREETLIFE) Allah Mathematics provides the beat for this one and it is a banger, but I disagree with Max, as I feel "The Glide" is the better track. The hook sucks ass (Streetlife should hone his songwriting craft a bit), but the Rebel INS drops a quality verse, even though he claims that Masta Killa is alongside him when we never hear a verse from the guy. But hey, a Wu-Tang posse cut is a Wu-Tang posse cut after all, so its still a banger.
17. WALK ON (FEAT REDMAN) Reggie Noble never ceases to amaze me. He teams up with his “How High” partner for another fantastic collaboration, with RZA, Erick Sermon, and Versatile behind the board. Why they needed that many producers is beyond me, but hey, at least it worked out well.
18. PIMPIN' (SKIT) This interlude is actually pretty funny.
19. PRESIDENTIAL MC (FEAT RAEKWON & THE RZA) It's about damn time! A traditional Kung-fu sound bite leads into one of the most Tical-like beats I've heard from The RZA in a long while. The beat perfectly complements Rae's sleepy ass flow, and RZA and Meth rip this track to shreds. This song is flawless.
20. 4 EVER (FEAT MEGAN ROCHELL) Sure, this is the usual Def Jam radio friendly single-slash-contractual obligation, but the beat really isn't too bad for that sort of thing. The love rap happens to be Meth's forte, so he seems pretty comfortable with the subject matter. All in all, pretty good.
FINAL THOUGHTS: 4:21…The Day After is definitely not an old school Wu-Tang Clan album. However, the fact that it has any RZA production at all puts it above a lot of the group's output as of late. The second half of the project is much better than the first, but the production on the album as a whole is consistently good. Method Man sounds rejuvenated when he spits, making this pretty damn close to being a modern day Wu-Tang classic.
BUY OR BURN? Don't expect another Liquid Swords, but you should absolutely buy this shit. It's pretty damn good, and Wu fans will not be disappointed.
BEST TRACKS: "Intro"; "Is It Me"; "Dirty Mef"; "4:20"; "The Glide"; "Ya'Meen"; "Konichiwa Bitches"; "Everything"; "Presidential MC"
Wu-Massacre quickly jumped to the top of the list of Wu-Tang Clan projects that I actually wanted to hear. (Astute followers of HHID will notice that, as of this writing, I still haven't written about Ghost's Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry In Emerald City, the posthumous Ol' Dirty Bastard “album”, or Inspectah Deck's Manifesto. Just because I love the Wu doesn't mean that I need to go batshit crazy about every album, you know. I still haven't reviewed the first Afro Samurai soundtrack, either.)
And then the concerns started appearing.
First of all, Wu-Massacre was going to be released on Def Jam Records, a label that (a) has had issues in the past with marketing Method Man and Ghostface Killah albums (Raekwon is essentially an A-list indie rapper), and (b) sucks balls today, with its emphasis on artists such as Rick Ross. But that was still workable, because Def Jam is still a major, and that just means that there may be more facings of Wu-Massacre on store shelves at Best Buy. This could still work.
And then the tracklisting leaked. Wu-Massacre only features twelve tracks, two of which are (what I assume as unnecessary) skits. Ten tracks total. Well, that isn't a big deal, right? Put our three hosts on every track, with the occasional guest (names such as Deck and (ugh, really?) Cappadonna were thrown about), and ten tracks could stretch out fairly easily. It's better to have Wu-Massacre half short and twice strong, right? All killer, no filler?
When I read about who would be contributing beats to Wu-Massacre, a sinking feeling started to seep in, because the only person I actually wanted to see on the fucking album, The Rza, only handled the beat on one song. I realize that the guy is busy, but if music is his first love, one would think that Bobby Digital would have some extra instrumentals lying around in the lab that he could hand over to the guys he broke through with. But, sadly, even this is something I can work around: it isn't as if The Rza is known these days to handle an entire album that isn't his own.
Man, Wu stans can rationalize everything, can't they?
Excitement on the Interweb reached a boiling point when the album artwork leaked, as it is fucking badass. Comic book fans especially were thrown for a loop, as Wu-Massacre now held the promise of being the comeback Wu-Tang Clan album that fans have been waiting for ever since the disappointing (to everyone else, maybe, but not me) 8 Diagrams dropped. Even with Def Jam leaking single after single to various blogs, I remained as amped up for Wu-Massacre as I was for the Slaughterhouse album. There was no way that this album could be a complete fuck-up, right?
And then Wu-Massacre rushed out of the faucet. And mixed in with the praise of Meth, Ghost, and Rae's latest opus were some very detailed criticisms of the project.
And then Method Man apologized for Wu-Massacre, saying that Def Jam rushed the final product (which is weird, since it was originally supposed to drop back in December but was pushed back to today) and that he, Ghost, and Rae didn't get to make the album that they wanted. Meth also told whoever would listen that there wasn't a time when all three rappers appeared in the same room together while creating Wu-Massacre, as they were all busy with other commitments (Rae, in particular, was too busy pimping Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II). It was also revealed that our three hosts for the evening had nothing to do with the promotion for the album: the label took the reigns and handled it all, implying that they also had no input on the cool-as-fuck artwork and that Wu-Massacre, as a whole, was a Def Jam construct more so than an actual album.
Fuck.
1. CRIMINOLOGY 2.5 I remember when “Criminology 2” (or “Criminology '09”) first hit the Interweb as a way to promote Raekwon's last album Return To Relevancy. I even mentioned in the comment box (back when I still had one, before it just became ridiculous to maintain) that I was underwhelmed. Today, I still am, but the funny thing, is, this is an entirely different song. While there isn't any way to top the original (from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...), a good effort would have, I don't know, actually included Raekwon, since it's his fucking song and all; instead, he appears to have gone A.W.O.L. on the very first track on Wu-Massacre. (Which is even weirder when you consider that Ghostface Killah is speaking directly to the Chef at the beginning of the track.) For the record, “Criminology '09” adhered very closely to its predecessor's formula, with BT's beat trying its best to not flat-out copy The Rza's handiwork, and the original “Criminology 2.5” that Def Jam leaked to Blogland was “Criminology '09” with a Method Man homage to the original track tacked onto the end: the version that actually made the final cut retains Meth's verse, erases Rae (that's right, regardless of how it reads on the back cover, the Chef fails to appear on this track), and alters Ghostface entirely: instead of his original contribution, his verse from Rae's “The Badlands” (a European bonus track from Return To Relevancy) opens the album instead. What the fuck? The fact that all three stars now fail to appear on the very first fucking song on Wu-Massacre concerns me more than a little bit.
2. MEF VS. CHEF 2 For the most part, the Wu-Tang Clan don't do well with sequels. (I'm talking about sequels to individual songs, not album titles.) So kicking off Wu-Massacre with two follow-up tracks is uncharacteristic at beat. The appeal of the first “Mef Vs. Chef” (from Tical) was the lyrical battle that sounded as though The Rza recorded the two participants inside an actual boxing ring, as Meth and Rae went toe to toe, bar for bar (at least, until Rae flubbed his lines and threw the fight, a curious goof that Meth included on the album anyway). The Mathematics beat doesn't even try to approximate Prince Rakeem, meaning that both artists (Ghostface Killah, seemingly upset that his name isn't in the title of the song, rightfully sits this one out) are stuck passing the mic back and forth over a truly shitty instrumental, rendering all of their rhymes inconsequential. So far, this album is making my soul cry.
3. YA MOMS SKIT Entirely unnecessary. Oh, I get it: they're trying to recreate the feeling of listening to the skit that preceded “Method Man” on Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) for the first time. It just isn't funny.
4. SMOOTH SAILING REMIX (FEAT SOLOMON CHILDS & STREETLIFE) After finishing the sandwich that he picked up from a street vendor during the last track, Ghost tags Raekwon out and spits over a Ty Fyffe instrumental that he sounds custom built for. I'm not sure where the original version of this song ended up, but this remix would have worked better has Solomon Childs been erased from the master tapes, since his chorus is altogether terrible. Meth's boy Streetlife, who makes his obligatory appearance because this is, in fact, a Method Man album in some fashion, also performs an embarrassing verse, attempting to drop the names of all of the Wu members in a clever way, coming across as a mentally retarded follower of The Game. Dude, you've been rhyming since Tical: there's no excuse for you to sound like a fucking rookie now.
5. OUR DREAMS Finally, Wu-Massacre supplies listeners with a song that features all three of our hosts: fittingly enough, this is where The Rza puts in his only work behind the boards, flipping Michael Jackson's “We're Almost There” (are MJ's younger recordings less expensive than his post-Off The Wall output? Would this song have even happened had Jackson not passed away last year? Who knows?) into what I believe is one of his most boring beats ever. (Some would call this the work of a more mature Wu-Tang Clan. To that I say: who in the hell wants to hear a more mature Wu-Tang Clan?) Ghost, Meth, and Rae all mesh with the dull instrumental fairly effortlessly, though, so that counts for something. But this shit did absolutely nothing for me. Okay, I lied: the video for this song actually made me laugh, as its homage to David Fincher's Seven (which still holds up, by the way) has absolutely nothing to do with the subject matter.
6. GUNSHOWERS (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK & SUN GOD) Digem's awkward, intermittent beat might have worked for a hungry mixtape rapper, but not for these established veterans. Rae takes yet another nap (I hope he gets his narcolepsy treated very soon, as I'm getting worried for his well-being) while Meth channels the late Russell Jones on the hook. Ghostface Killah suffers through a cold or something: his verse sounds as though it was performed by Cappadonna. Sun God tries yet again to earn his father's respect, but Ghost pays no attention, of course, because he was nursing the sniffles. In a shocking turn of events, Inspectah Deck atones for the crappy The Resident Patient 2 by actually sounding decent. But when you do okay work on a shitty song, does anybody ever truly hear it?
7. DANGEROUS Right now, I'm upset that all of the tracks Def Jam leaked to the Interweb from Wu-Massacre implied that Meth, Ghost, and Rae would appear on every song. I'm considering filing a lawsuit against Def Jam for false advertising. It would be one thing if this was a Method Man solo album “featuring Ghostface Killah and Raekwon”, but they all share equal billing, so what the hell, man? Anyway, this song is pretty awful. Apparently, the Wu-Tang Clan that I've grown up with has been badgered into recording material that the label thought would result in more sales, regardless of how well they fit into the Wu canon. Suckers! Nobody buys Wu-Tang Clan albums in 2010!
8. PIMPIN' CHIPP In what is a bad sign for the trio but a good look for fans of Ghostface Killah, Tony Starks rides for dolo on yet another of his patented storytelling film treatment raps, one that doesn't sound quite as good as his past work, but is still quite enjoyable, as it probably would have fit in well on The Big Doe Rehab. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to discover that Wu-Massacre was made up solely of outtakes from the solo albums of our three hosts. The coda on here threw me off, but the tale itself was alright.
9. HOW TO PAY RENT SKIT (FEAT TRACY MORGAN) What the fuck?
10. MIRANDA This sounds as though it was dropped from the final tracklisting of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II. The Mathematics piano loop does not grow annoying over time, and Rae, Ghost, and Meth all shoot the shit about women (or possibly the same girl). This was actually pretty ill: easily the best song on Wu-Massacre thus far. Hell, this will probably end up being the best song overall, seeing as though there are only two songs left.
11. YOUNGSTOWN HEIST (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD, SHEEK LOUCH, & BULLY) In what is probably another leftover from a Ghost solo project, Pretty Toney leaves Method Man and Raekwon stranded on the side of the highway while his friends from the old neighborhood plan a robbery. There's nothing inherently wrong with this track, aside from the fact that it betrays the concept of Wu-Massacre: in fact, I found it kind of entertaining. I'm led to believe that a collaborative effort between Ghostface Killah and The Lox may prove more fruitful, relevant, and profitable than this album, though. Come on, you know you two have thought of the same idea before.
12. IT'S THAT WU SHIT Wu-Massacre ends abruptly not with a posse cut or a sound bite from a kung-fu flick, but with a track that sounds the least like a Wu-Tang Clan song in the group's lengthy history. Ghost and Meth attempt to throw listeners some lyrical darts, but end up cowering in fear behind the oppressive Scram Jones regime of a beat. I believe that there is no worse way for this album to have ended, and I've listened to a lot of garbage because of this blog. I actually feel betrayed.
THE LAST WORD: What the fuck have I just suffered through? When Method Man, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon announced their Wu-Massacre project last year, I admit my expectations may have been raised artificially higher than they should have been (I was still riding the high from Raekwon's comeback project), but the only thing that these three manage to massacre is the idea that anybody in the Wu-Tang Clan is still capable of recording a quality piece of work. Almost every single song on Wu-Massacrefucking sucks: every track sounds as though it was patched together in a hurry (which, admittedly, they were), as though Def Jam was putting together a mixtape to advertise a future joint album between these three, but no, this is the actual final product, and man, is it fucking disappointing. Having an “album” of this magnitude come in at less than thirty minutes in length is very fucking questionable. The idea of limiting yourself to only ten tracks is admirable only if most of the songs click. It seems that Def Jam put more thought into the (awesome) album artwork than it did the actual music on the plastic disc within the jewel case. Raekwon only appears on four out of twelve tracks: that may prove to be the smartest move he has made in his entire career. The brunt of this travesty is handled by Ghostface (nine tracks) and Method Man (eight tracks), which makes sense when you consider that these two are actual Def Jam employees, but they clearly were not entirely focused on what they were doing. Wu-Tang Clan fans will snatch this up anyway, but I'm here to warn you that you will not enjoy it. (Remember, nobody purchases albums just so they can have the artwork.) All Wu-Massacre has done is piss me off. All I can hope is that Rae, Meth, and Ghost atone for their misdeeds very soon, preferably on an indie label that won't fucking rush the product.
I realize that a large number of music critics are jumping aboard the Wu-Massacre bandwagon, possibly in an attempt to trick consumers into actively supporting artists who actually deserve the attention. While that is an admirable reason, and while I would love to see Wu-Massacre move more than one million units (as it may convince Def Jam to release more of these type of projects), I can't recommend that you two actively seek this album, as the path will lead only to sadness. Sigh.
WISHFUL THINKING: Since we've seen the worst of what the Wu has to offer, the next logical step would be to try this concept again, but this time with Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and Gza/Genius. Not only would a collaboration between these three be easier to pull off (none of them are signed with a major anymore), it could also reignite interest in the unsung heroes of the Clan (yeah, I'm merely including Deck in that category because of his past work and not his current output). They could even use the Three The Hard Way crew moniker that Meth, Ghost, and Rae were going to originally call themselves. If they take their time and hire quality producers (I'm realistic, so not every track needs to be handled by The Rza, but the Clan's leader should do more than just one fucking track) and convince the other group members to stop by and drop a verse or two, they could create a companion piece to Wu-Massacre that could eradicate the memory of what I just listened to and reinvent the Wu-Tang Clan at the same time. Just a thought, fellas.
I'm still digesting Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II (and, to a much lesser extent, The Blueprint 3), so I'm filling up today's space with a Japanese-only Wu-Tang Clan import that you couldn't buy even if you really wanted to. Yeah, I know, but that's how it goes.
Similar in feel and design to Ol' Dirty Bastard's O.D.B.E.P., Method Man's Tical: The Alter Ego Remixes is a compilation Def Jam Records put together to make a quick buck in the Wu-Tang stan market that only I seem to populate these days. Ostensibly, this is supposed to be a collection of singles, all stuffed onto one disc for your listening pleasure, but it doesn't include every single Clifford Smith released during the Tical and Tical 2000: Judgement Day years. There are also an inordinate amount of club remixes on here, giving me the impression that Def Jam was really trying to win over the rave demographic.
Well, at least the cover art's kind of cool.
1. I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU/YOU'RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY (RAZOR SHARP MIX) (FEAT MARY J. BLIGE) This is the classic remix of the song (originally taken from Tical) that earned Meth and Mary J. a Grammy. Clifford allegedly received a new car from Def Jam Records in exchange for agreeing to remix this track for mainstream consumption. Although he has now essentially disowned this song, I think it was a fair trade: The Rza's production straddles the fine line between commercial acceptance and grimy, just like Method Man tends to do himself. As such, the 'Razor Sharp Mix' plays out as a musical version of Clifford's general demeanor at the time, and adding Mary J. Blige was a great choice.
2. RELEASE YO'DELF (PRODIGY MIX) I first heard the clean version of this track on the soundtrack for the Samuel L. Jackson film 187. Both The Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers were doing big things with electronica when the original songs they remixed were recorded, so their inclusion on here isn't much of a surprise (unless you live in the United States, where electronica music was a non-factor, although I liked it). For their part, The Prodigy take an already dark song and destroy all of the light fixtures, all while beating the shit out of your parents and stealing your identity. Somehow, that statement is meant to imply that this was a good remix.
3. METHOD MAN (REMIX) A questionable inclusion, as this song actually appears on the Tical in the exact same form.
4. HOW HIGH (REMIX) (FEAT REDMAN) Not the version that appeared on the soundtrack to The Show, but the version that they shot a video for. I prefer the original, mainly because it features many more bars from Reggie, but this still sounds pleasant.
5. JUDGEMENT DAY (TRICKY REMIX) Tricky remixes this song into something that's appropriately dark, given the title: Method Man had produced the original track himself, and while it wasn't bad, this version makes even a misspelled judgment day seem like something you should be legitimately afraid of. In other words: nice!
6. BRING THE PAIN (CHEMICAL REMIX) (FEAT BOOSTER) The Chemical Brothers provide a beat that is energetic enough to dance to, but Meth's lyrics don't fit into this puzzle. An aural mess and a disappointment, since I quite like the early work of the Chemical Brothers.
7. JUDGEMENT DAY (SUPER JUPITER REMIX) Can my European readers tell me if they ever danced to this shit in the club? Seriously, between this and those godawful dance remixes that rounded out U-God's Dopium, someone sure seems to believe that the Wu-Tang Clan and rave beats go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Well, this song tastes fucking terrible.
8. JUDGEMENT DAY (RONI SIZE REMIX) This sounds exactly how you think it would, after reading in the title that it was remixed by Roni Size. Which is to say, this drum-and-bass track isn't very good. Meth's vocals are also slowed down to balance out the schizophrenic drums, to poor effect.
9. BREAK UPS TO MAKE UPS (DJ KRUSH REMIX) The Trackmasters produced the original song, and Timbaland even remixed it at one point (it's kind of odd that Timbo's version isn't anywhere to be found on here), but for me, Japanese producer DJ Krush provides the definitive version of Meth's love song. It's still not as good as the Mary J. Blige/Method Man collaboration, but this is one of those hidden treasures in Clifford's catalog.
10. I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU/YOU'RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY (PUFF DADDY MIX) (FEAT MARY J. BLIGE) In contrast to the Rza's remix, Puff Daddy reaches out to the radio and turns this love song into something one could fucking dance to if absolutely necessary. Puffy's made worse songs than this, but I still never cared for this shit. Why, Meth, why??!!
11. RELEASE YO'DELF (PRODIGY MIX) (INSTRUMENTAL) Plays exactly as it reads.
12. BRING THE PAIN (CHEMICAL MIX) (INSTRUMENTAL) Plays exactly as it reads.
13. JUDGEMENT DAY (RONI SIZE DUB REMIX) The title is dead on. What, no instrumental for the Tricky remix?
14. BREAK UPS TO MAKE UPS (DJ KRUSH REMIX) (INSTRUMENTAL) See track number 12 for description.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Tical: The Alter Ego Remixes is not essential listening, unless you're a Wu-Tang stan like myself. That said, fans of Method Man may appreciate these excursions into an alternate universe in which Meth, apparently, runs shit in the clubs. Notice that I said “appreciate” and not “like”. Some of these tracks you've heard before (especially the one that copped the Grammy), but this singles compilation is otherwise on par with the O.D.B.E.P. in that most of these songs weren't officially released in the United States for a reason. Some of these tracks are gems that deserve to be discovered, but only if you're a fan of the Wu or abso-fucking-lutely love electronica and drum-and-bass.
BUY OR BURN? Burn this one, as it's a Japanese import and I couldn't recommend you buy this one even if every track was a banger. (We're in a recession, people!) Consider this one a curiosity piece, but before you make a decision, you should check out the songs listed below.
BEST TRACKS: “I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By (Razor Sharp Mix)”; “Judgement Day (Tricky Remix)”; “Break Ups To Make Ups (DJ Krush Remix)”; “Release Yo'Delf (Prodigy Mix)”
-Max
RELATED POSTS: Method Man has released a ton of material. Here's some of it, reviewed for your reading pleasure.
I know, Max ran out to pick up a Wu-Tang Clan-related album the week of its release? How shocking! But you all saw this coming, anyway, so you two just need to play along.
Ten years after releasing their original collaborative effort Blackout!, Method Man and Redman (finally) bring us the long-awaited, awkwardly-exclaimed Blackout! 2. Unlike the first album, which at least pretended to be a Wu-Tang Clan/Def Squad presentation (with the ball falling into Reggie's court more so than Meth), Blackout! 2 doesn't include any Rza involvement at all. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if The Rza wasn't aware of this recording until he walked into Best Buy yesterday morning on his way to the grocery store to pick up some more honey to dip his blunts in.
Anyway, Def Jam Records reintroduces Clifford Smith and Reggie Noble, two elder statesmen of hip hop, into an environment where nobody really gives a fuck about either rapper. They have their fans (like myself), but they reenter a rap climate that has changed drastically in the past decade (which was also my complaint regarding Eminem's Relapse). This may help explain why Def Jam's marketing department decided to release three singles from the project at once: "Mrs. International" (the song for the ladies), "City Lights" (the track for the stoners), and "A Yo" (the song purportedly for "real" hip hop heads, featuring production from Pete Rock, himself a hip hop elder as well). The liner notes all approach My Bloody Valentine 3-D territory, which I don't really mind, since that movie was hilariously awful, but the fact that, underneath the CD tray, the label markets the fact that you can buy ringtones of all of the songs involved on Blackout! 2 scares me more than a little.
Fingers crossed!
1. BO2 (INTRO) Red and Meth spit a verse apiece over this Allah Mathematics beat, making this the only semi-Wu instrumental on all of Blackout! 2. Good to see they got it out of the way. Reggie outraps his smoking partner, as he usually does anyway, but Meth sounds rejuvenated, excited by the prospect that his rap career may actually pick up again, and his attitude is contagious.
2. I'M DOPE N---A I thought the stupid title was going to foreshadow a horrible song, but guess what? I loved this shit. Havoc's beat is the best thing I've heard from the non-imprisoned half of Mobb Deep in a long time, and both Red and Meth rip it to shreds. This would make some dope entrance music for either rapper. Or even for myself.
3. A-YO (FEAT SAUKRATES) The Saukrates hook leads me to believe that Nate Dogg, an obvious influence, was simply unavailable. Upon its release, "A-Yo" never really impressed me, regardless of the pedigree of Peter Rockingham behind the boards, but within the context of the album, I still don't like it.
4. DANGEROUS MCEES Standard Erick Sermon instrumental work, although it still sounds good. The hook sucks (seriously, whenever I wrote about a rap song, which is about 90% of the time, you should just assume that the chorus is terrible, unless I say otherwise), but it's good to hear both Red and (especially) Method Man ripping shit as if it were still the mid-1990s. Ah, those were the days.
5. ERRBODY SCREAM (FEAT KEITH MURRAY) I give credit to producer Swiff D for trying something different, but no matter how hype the lyrical delivery of the three emcees sound, the slowdown during the hook is unsettling. Anybody else think it was a bit awkward for Def Jam to acknowledge Keith Murray (he of the "allegedly assaulting the Def Jam street team" infamy) and his contribution?
6. HEY ZULU I liked this song, up until the lame-ass chorus. Reggie and Meth sound energized, though. With this kind of hustle, they may just get How High 2 greenlit yet, regardless of studio involvement. At least the soundtrack would probably be decent.
7. CITY LIGHTS (FEAT BUN B) Sounds very much like Big Boi's "Kryptonite (I'm On It)": it took me a bit to separate the memory of the old song with the existence of this one. Especially since they're both about the same subject matter. Method Man sounds entirely out of his element, which will make listeners uncomfortable, but Reggie manages to adapt well, and Bub B (from UGK) is right at home: the contributions from those two help negate Clifford Smith completely, making for an enjoyable listen. Pimp C, rest in peace.
8. FATHER'S DAY Method Man clearly had something to prove on Blackout! 2, as he pulls the rug right up from under Reggie lyrically. This song starts off sounding like an out-of-place interlude, but everything falls into place rather nicely. As long as they don't shoot a video dressed up as Robin Williams and Billy Crystal, we're good.
9. MRS. INTERNATIONAL (SKIT) (FEAT TANISHA GREEN, MICHELLE PINCKNEY, & SAUKRATES) Kind of goofy, but like all skits involving Reggie Noble, I can see this becoming less funny with each listen.
10. MRS. INTERNATIONAL (FEAT ERICK SERMON) Maybe I'm just not remembering correctly, but I don't recall the original Blackout! requiring a song for the ladies. I don't know whose idea it was to have Erick Sermon (a) not produce the track, and (b) actually sing on the hook, but the gamble works. This is wholly pleasant, in a "I probably wouldn't listen to it often, but I wouldn't change the station if, somehow, Meth and Red pulled off the impossible and managed to get on the radio in my neck of the woods" kind of way.
11. HOW BOUT DAT (FEAT READY ROC & STREETLIFE) Did Icarus and Redman have a falling out that I'm not aware of? That's the only reason I can think of that justifies Ready Roc's new position as go-to weed carrier and kidney donor alongside Meth's longtime candle warmer Streetlife. This is not to say that he sounds bad, though: this shit is actually pretty enjoyable, thanks to the focus of all four rappers involved. The hook is a bit corny, though. I laughed out loud when Reggie shouted "I'm the boss!", though, thanks to the goddamn Lonely Island CD. Come to think of it, Blackout! 2 would probably go nicely with a bottle of Santana DVX.
12. DIZ S IZ 4 ALL MY SMOKERS I picture an all-star pothead remix of this laid-back track, performed possibly to raise funds to post bail when Tommy Chong eventually gets arrested again. The sudden change of pace during the hook is jarring, but otherwise, this isn't bad.
13. LOCK DOWN (SKIT) (FEAT DJ KAY SLAY, C.O. ELLIS, & READY ROC) ...
14. FOUR MINUTES TO LOCK DOWN (FEAT RAEKWON & GHOSTFACE KILLAH) The only song on Blackout! 2 to feature other members of the Clan and they couldn't even find a leftover True Master beat to rock over? This was kind of majorly fucking disappointing. The rappers all lack commitment, Raekwon's narcoleptic ass especially. (Anyone still looking forward to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2? Because, sadly, I still am.) Meth's line "next to Rza, ain't no n---a bigger than the group" is interesting, especially since he makes that point on a song featuring two members of his group who publicly complained about The Rza during the recording of 8 DIagrams (an album I still like today).
15. NEVA HERD DIS B4 Once again, Reggie refers to himself as the "eleventh member of [the] Wu-Tang [Clan]". It must be an honorary title, kind of like the "Ph.D in Bloggerology" I received from Arizona State University last year. Let me tell you, that thing gets you out of maaad speeding tickets, yo.
16. I KNOW SUMPTN (FEAT POO BEAR) Redman is one of the few rappers I like who can attempt a club banger and not have to compromise his flow. (Even when he works with Christina Aguilera, with a song that is a guilty pleasure, and not just because of her assless chaps, he still comes off as Reggie fucking Noble.) King David's beat fit the man like a glove, and Meth sounds, well, at least he saw fit to show up that day.
17. A LIL' BIT (FEAT MELANIE RUTHERFORD) Good to see Reggie throwing his Gilla House studio singer some work. The production proves that hip hop hasn't really been missing Rockwilder's sound (he co-produces this track with Chris n Teeb, two other producers that you'll probably never hear from again), This is easily the worst song on Blackout! 2, but considering the fact that this is also the last song on Blackout! 2, the pain subsides faster than you would think.
THE LAST WORD: I'm not sure who Def Jam thinks the audience for Blackout! 2 is, but this album is deserving of one. It's nowhere near as consistent as Blackout!, but it hits many high points, thanks to the professionalism of both Redman and Method Man. One wishes the production was on par with the talent that Reggie and Clifford still possess (today's rappers could learn a lot from these two stoners: maybe all the weed keeps them focused?), but even still, I enjoyed this throwback to a golden era more so that Relapse. This disc is destined to be overshadowed by Marshall Mathers, but you should still go to the store and support the arts. There's a two-disc version that includes a DVD or something: that version was sold out when I hit the stores, so I couldn't tell you what appears on it, but either way, Red and Meth have garnered enough goodwill in the past two decades to earn your money.
Method Man's third solo album, Tical 0: The Prequel, was met with some of the harshest criticism in the man's entire career. The disc was trashed six ways from Sunday, with complaints ranging from the horrible beats, poor (and odd) choice in guests, and sheer laziness on the part of the artist. However, it wasn't in Method Man's nature to give up completely. (Besides, he was still under contract with Def Jam: they wouldn't have let him go so easily, even if he wasn't making the money for the label that he used to.)
So, Method Man set about recording and releasing his fourth opus, 4:21... The Day After, named after the day after April 20, or 4/20, which is the national weed smoking day in certain circles. (No word on why the title of the album seems to be about a certain time of day rather than date.) Per Meth, the day after April 20th usually coincides with a moment of clarity, and it was in this mindset that he recorded a disc that had the Interweb bloggers throwing around the word "comeback" like a Nerf football.
4:21... The Day After almost seems to be the polar opposite of Tical 0: The Prequel, with many more contributions by The Rza (both behind the boards and on the mic) and some stepped-up lyricism from Clifford Smith himself. However, although a number of tracks were met with praise after leaking to the Interweb, none of the singles managed to chart (I can't even recall if Meth shot a video for any of these tracks), and the disc bombed almost as badly as Ishtar, although Def Jam was primarily to blame, since there was hardly any marketing budget utilized (remember, this was released around the time Jay-Z was still president of Def Jam).
Oh well. Maybe next time.
1. INTRO When I went to that advance Pineapple Express screening I wrote about in May, the theater was playing the same documentary ("Marijuana", from The Educational Archives: Sex & Drugs, which was narrated by Sonny Bono in the most obvious case of court-ordered community service I've come across this week) that is sampled during the beginning of this rap album intro. (If you can track it down, the documentary is funny as hell, especially when you're stoned.) Meth then segues into an actual rap song, where he sounds as comfortable behind the mic as he did when the first Wu-Tang album dropped. This shit is just nice.
2. IS IT ME And then we're quickly presented with this shit. Granted, this Scott Storch-produced turkey could have been a lot worse, but as it is, it won't ever be anybody's favorite Method Man song.
3. PROBLEM I wasn't that impressed with this Erick Sermon-produced cut, either. I'm starting to question why I ever felt that 4:21... The Day After was a decent comeback vehicle for Johnny Blaze in the first place.
4. SOMEBODY DONE FUCKED UP Havoc, of Mobb Deep, brings Meth an instrumental that is significantly lacking, but Meth's lyrics return to prominence (while he was never the best rapper, he's always been a good writer, and his delivery is undeniable when he's inspired). My favorite line, regardless of how fucked up it sounds, is "There ain't a pedophile that could fuck with the kid." Since "the kid" is obviously himself, this shit is hilarious. Also, creepy as fuck.
5. SHAOLIN SOLDIER (SKIT) ...
6. FALL OUT Sounds like a rejected song from Tical 0: The Prequel. Which, considering how poorly that album sounded, means that this song is fucking awful. I'm talking Meth's-Jamaican-accent-in-The Wackness terrible here.
7. DIRTY MEF (FEAT OL' DIRTY BASTARD) I always found it weird that both Erick Sermon and Wu-Element Mathematics share production credit on this track. Together, the two, along with Meth, work around some previously recorded Dirt McGirt lyrics (which also appeared on Dirty's Osirus, his posthumous mixtape, albeit in an incredibly fucked up fashion), and the end result sounds like a song that Dirth and Meth did together in the first place. The energy level is infectious, and Dirt's lyrics sound so much better over some name brand production.
8. 4:20 (FEAT STREETLIFE, CARLTON FISK, & THE RZA) This shit is fucking epic in scope: it's easily the best song on the album, by far. It contains just the right amount of creepy (Rza's distorted vocals at the beginning and on the hook) and awesomeness (Rza and Kinetic's beat, which recalls early Tical; the guest spots from Streetlife and Carlton Fisk, which also recall Meth's debut album; Method Man's lyrics dancing around your ears like fucking Axl Rose). Hell, everything about this song is perfection. Yeah, I said it.
9. LET'S RIDE (FEAT GINUWINE) I'm starting to believe that this album was sequenced by the order these tracks appeared on the engineer's iPod in 'shuffle'. How else can you explain the placement of a shitty love rap right after a hardcore weed song? Especially one with as generic a title as "Let's Ride"? Come on, Meth, you fucking know better.
10. THE GLIDE (FEAT RAEKWON, U-GOD, & LA THE DARKMAN) The Rza reworks his own beat for the unreleased Ol' Dirty Bastard track "Skrilla" (off of the as-yet-unreleased A Son Unique disc), and almost as if he were throwing in an aside to the Wu-Tang fanatics, he lays in some ODB crooning onto the track itself, although the crooning didn't actually appear on "Skrilla". Anyway, while this isn't the best Wu-Tang posse cut on here, it still sounds good, as it should, since Wu-Tang posse cuts are traditionally the high points in these write-ups. Raekwon sounds slightly cognizant of his surroundings (read: he sounds awake), and La the Darkman handles hook duties, but the best part about this song has to be the fact that U-God has a short verse, but fails to receive any credit in the liner notes. He's not mentioned at all. Hilarious! Seriously, though, were things that bad between him and The Rza that Golden Arms would get fucked out of his publishing?
11. KIDS (SKIT) ...
12. GOT TO HAVE IT Meh.
13. SAY (FEAT LAURYN HILL) I never cared for this song when it originally leaked to the Interweb, and nothing has changed since. This track (produced by Erick Sermon) doesn't really feature Lauryn Hill: her vocals are taken from one of her lesser-known songs, "So Many Things To Say", not unlike what Kanye West did with the original version of "All Falls Down". Method Man seems to have reached a new level of bitterness, and yet, he is completely in the right: when you listen to his lyrics, you'll find yourself agreeing with his point of view more often than not. Except for when he tries to defend Tical 0: The Prequel. He'll probably lose my two readers after that point.
14. YA'MEEN (FEAT FAT JOE & STYLES P) This song sounds like it would never appear on a Wu-Tang solo album under normal circumstances, and it turns out there's a reason why: shortly after 4:21... The Day After was released, Meth revealed that he never intended for there to be guests on this track, but after the disc was mastered, he found out that Def Jam had placed both Fat Joe and The Lox's Styles P onto the track without his permission. (Remember when artists used to collaborate in the studio, and not through the mail? Yeah, me neither.) Fat Joe tries to channel Eminem, of all people, for the majority of his verse, which is more than a bit unnerving, since Eminem isn't that great of a rapper anymore. Holiday Styles, however, manages to not embarrass himself, which is nice.
15. KONICHIWA BITCHES A pretty uninspired Rza track serves as a verbal playground for Meth to fuck around on, with pretty decent results. The title, which was borrowed from one of the Gza's lines on Chappelle's Show, is hilarious, and remains so, even though Swedish pop singer Robyn had already used it as a title for one of her own songs prior to the release of this album.
16. EVERYTHING (FEAT INSPECTAH DECK & STREETLIFE) This Wu-Tang posse cut works better than "The Glide", but it still isn't the best posse cut on here. Streetlife's hook is almost insulting in its stupidity, but the combination of Meth, Deck, and Street on verses make up for it in a big way. Curiously, in Deck's second bar, he seems to promise an appearance by Masta Killa, but Elgin never shows. I wonder what happened to his verse. Meth, any answers?
17. WALK ON (FEAT REDMAN) Although it has happened in the past, Method Man and Reggie Noble rarely disappoint, and "Walk On" is a step in the right direction. Oddly, it took three separate producers to get this song to work (The Rza, Erick Sermon, and Versatile): considering the sound of this track seems to be pretty basic, I'm not sure why there were so many cooks in the kitchen (unless Rza and Sermon simply recorded their respective group member's lyrics and Versatile did the rest). Reggie, unsurprisingly, does not walk off with the song, since he has a tendency to see posse cuts as a group effort whenever he's working alongside the Wu or his Def Squad brethren.
18. PIMPIN' (SKIT) I actually found one of Meth's lines on this otherwise useless skit pretty funny, See if you can guess which one.
19. PRESIDENTIAL M.C. (FEAT THE RZA & RAEKWON) Now that's more like it! Rza provides yet another Tical-esque backdrop for Meth, (a sleepy) Rae, and himself to rip shit over, and the results are beyond outstanding. Where is that Method Man solo album that was supposed to be fully produced by Prince Rakeem? You know, the one that was allegedly completed but then Def Jam went in another direction for Tical 0: The Prequel?
20. 4 EVER (FEAT MEGAN ROCHELL) This song has the stink of "Def Jam contractual obligation to be met prior to any consideration for an album release" all over it. The radio-friendly elements of the beat contrast greatly with the overall darker tone of the track, with disastrous results, but for what it is, it isn't bad, since Meth was always pretty decent with the love raps anyway. Hell, the guy won a Grammy for one of his love songs, so I guess he's comfortable with them.
FINAL THOUGHTS: 4:21... The Day After is not quite the return to form for Method Man as the Interweb may lead you to believe, with a pretty fucking awful set of songs during the first half, and Meth's propensity for making weird production choices doesn't help. Unlike his last failure of an album, though, 4:21... The Day After picks up on its second half, and there are enough genuine bangers on here (along with a couple of classic Wu songs that deserve their place in the canon) to help eradicate the memory of the bad ones. Overall, this was much more entertaining than his last disc. You can go ahead and call it a comeback.
BUY OR BURN? While it is far removed from the Wu-Tang sound of old (save for two songs), this shit is actually worth your money. There are a good number of songs on here that are worthy of a listen, and Method Man would surely appreciate the Def Jam residual checks.
BEST TRACKS: "4:20"; "Presidential M.C."; "Walk On"; "Everything"; "The Glide"; "Intro"; "Dirty Mef"; "The Glide"; "Konichiwa Bitches"
When Method Man announced his third album, Tical 0: The Prequel, he teased it by stating The Rza was going to play a much bigger role than he did on Tical 2000: Judgement Day. As such, Wu-Tang stans like myself became excited about the possibilities. I know I was personally thinking that if this disc was anything like Tical, Meth's debut solo project that I think is much better than most folks give credit for, then I would be happy.
Then Def Jam, Meth's label, revealed that Sean "Puffy" Combs was lined up to executive produce the disc. Ostensibly, this was done in order to move units, but I don't recall Puff Daddy being that much of a huge seller in fucking 2004. Wasn't this in between the rap and pop portions of his career? I mean, the chicks in Danity Kane hadn't even been born yet in 2004.
And then The Rza revealed that he had only two songs on the album. (One of which, "This Thing", which featured The Rza and La the Darkman, I believe, was eventually cut from the disc altogether, and although it can be easily found on the Interweb, I don't recommend wasting your precious time.)
And then "What's Happenin'", the first single, was released to radio and video outlets, sparking almost no reaction whatsoever, although I always thought it was funny that Meth specifically shouts out the music video director Little X even though its video was actually directed by Diane Martel, who also did the clip for Meth's breakthrough single "Bring The Pain".
And then Tical 0: The Prequel actually hit shelves. Sure, it sold over one million copies, but I don't know anybody who would admit to owning this album besides myself. Even Method Man himself has disavowed all knowledge of this album, claiming that Puffy's executive production caused him to go places that he wouldn't normally have gone if he were making the disc he wanted to make.
And then it was revealed online that The Rza had actually supplied the majority of the production for the first cut of Tical 0: The Prequel, but Def Jam vetoed every single fucking beat. You know, because Def Jam knows best, and nobody wants to hear Method Man, a Wu-Tang Clan member, rhyme over beats created by The Rza, the primary producer for the Wu-Tang Clan, right?
Seriously, what the fuck?
1. INTRO (FEAT THE RZA) Sure, having The Rza present your album in its intro is a good idea, if the Rza actually had shit to do with your album. This just angries up the blood.
2. THE PREQUEL (FEAT STREETLIFE) Streetlife's brief appearance includes an ultimatum for Meth: "Third LP/better be tight!". Sadly, Method Man was distracted by a shiny object, and as a result, was unable to comply.
3. SAY WHAT (FEAT MISSY ELLIOTT) Missy goes two for two in terrible Wu-Tang collaborative efforts. This song is so bad, I'm almost positive Meth deliberately leaves it off of his resume, not unlike actors when they know one of their past flicks was fucking lame.
4. WHAT'S HAPPENIN' (FEAT BUSTA RHYMES) So are we ever going to see a song without any guests? Meth did his best to bring back the "Bring The Pain" vibe by setting the video for "What's Happenin'" in a subway car, but overall this track does not work. Of course, the fact that it keeps popping up on the soundtrack for Def Jam Fight For NY didn't help much. Oh yeah, Busta's on here, but I don't give a fuck, and neither should you.
5. THE MOTTO This song wouldn't be so bad if the instrumental were more engaging. Oh, and if the rhymes were different. Oh, and if the song never actually existed. It would be much better that way.
6. WE SOME DOGS (FEAT REDMAN, SNOOP DOGG, & DENAUN PORTER) Not even Reggie can save this song. A while back, when Meth and Red announced a follow-up collaborative effort after the success of Blackout!, they hinted that a third pothead rapper would be brought into the fold, and Snoop was rumored to be that pothead. If this was supposed to be a dry run, then these three don't even make it to the goddamn track.
7. THE TURN (FEAT RAEKWON) The lone Rza production, and it isn't even any good. Raekwon, in full-on narcoleptic mode, is completely wasted, as is Meth, who comes off as if he has never rhymed to a Prince Rakeem beat in his life. This is just sad. I once took the title of this song and appropriated it for one of my short film scripts, though. Not that you care, but I do, and that's all that matters.
8. TEASE (FEAT CHINKY) Seriously? The fuck is this shit?
9. RODEO (FEAT LUDACRIS) I imagine that the sound engineers, Meth's weed carriers, Luda's mother, and even the guy that delivered the pizzas to the studio all advised Method Man that this song was a horrible idea. I feel it may be time for an intervention.
10. BABY COME ON (FEAT KARDINAL OFFISHALL) I have to admit, I was not expecting Kardinal Offishall as a guest. I am concerned with Meth's obsession with women on Tical 0: The Prequel, though. You know, there are other topics to rhyme about, man. Tell Puffy to get out of your ear and come up with your own fucking ideas!
11. WHO YA ROLLIN' WIT (FEAT STREETLIFE) Speaking of which, if Biggie were still alive, I have no doubt that Puffy would have tried to strongarm him into rhyming over shitty beats like this. So you should look on the bright side, which, to make it easier for my two readers, if whichever side this album does not appear on.
12. NEVER HOLD BACK (FEAT E3 & SAUKRATES) This song isn't very good, but it is intriguing for two reasons. For one, if anybody else besides me is amused whenever Redman refers to himself as the tenth member of the Wu-Tang Clan, as he is prone to do these days, Meth returns the favor by shouting out Redman's crew Gilla House repeatedly on this track's intro. Secondly, Meth's claim that Def Jam doesn't create stars, "they just sign them", is the second such reference I've heard in song in the past few months, and I think it's funny that Meth has the balls to bash his label on his actual album, as opposed to a mixtape. (Redman mentions that "Def Jam lost its soul/They forgot how to build an artist" on "Saga Continues" off of that Ill At Will Volume One mixtape I reviewed a while back.)
13. THE SHOW Well, at least it's short.
14. ACT RIGHT Um...no.
15. AFTERPARTY (FEAT GHOSTFACE KILLAH) There really is no point to this song, but it's funny and enjoyable (to a point), so by default "Afterparty" is the best song on this bullshit album. Which isn't saying much, I know. But at least U-God isn't anywhere to be seen.
16. CROOKED LETTER I (FEAT STREETLIFE) I have nothing to say about this piffle.
17. RIDIN' FOR OUTRO (FEAT BLACK ICE) Oh goody, a spoken word outro. Max loves those.
FINAL THOUGHTS: There's a Depeche Mode song called "Useless" (off of Ultra) that sounds almost note for note like a Garbage track. I had to check the liner notes to make sure Butch Vig didn't produce the song. It's so note perfect, Shriley Manson could cover the song live in concert and everyone would just probably think it was one of their B-sides. And just like that Depeche Mode song, Tical 0: The Prequel is fucking useless.
BUY OR BURN? Are you kidding? I want both my time and my fucking money back.
In 1994, the marketing minds at Def Jam promoted October as the "Month Of The Man", ostensibly to market two separate artists with the word "man" in their names, but it also served as a cost-cutting measure, since one ad in The Source to promote two separate albums was less expensive than taking up two ad slots. The problem with this idea was that it indicated "Month Of The Man" was the name of an actual album by Reggie Noble and Clifford Smith, which left hip hop fans confused. Considering that, at this point, Meth and Red hadn't even collaborated once together, it was a leap of imagination for anyone to consider a collaborative effort, but after the soundtrack to the hip hop documentary The Show hit the streets, fans took a second look at the ads and demanded an album by America's Most Blunted (their words, not mine).
I remember seeing these ads in The Source myself, and I don't recall there being any mention of the actual albums being promoted, Tical and Dare Iz A Darkside, two albums that, on first listen, sound completely different, but after a few spins connect very nicely with their lighthearted raps and dark production. Def Jam pulled off a very savvy move; it essentially promoted an album five full years before its release, and let the momentum build, with their "How High" from The Show, and then with guest appearances on both their own albums and on other people's records. This partnership would prove lucrative for the two artists, who are actually good friends in real life, and that friendship is what made How High (the movie), Meth & Red (the TV show), and Blackout! believable and entertaining.
Blackout!, their first (and to date, only) collaborative effort (the soundtrack to How High doesn't count), sold over one million copies in less than three months, paving the way for the movies and TV shows, and inadvertentlykilling their solo careers for the short term. The next albums by both rappers both sounded awful, and their sales and marketability suffered; were it not for their collaborations with their respective groups (Wu-Tang Clan and Def Squad, for the uninitiated), they may as well have fallen off of the face of the planet (and in the Def Jam offices, they actually did fall off the planet, or at least, off of their release schedules). The instant success of Blackout!, followed by their defeats (poor album sales, Meth & Red being cancelled), brought everything into full, albeit hazy, focus for the two biggest potheads in rap, and this newfound focus allowed them to create new, critically acclaimed albums in 2006 and 2007 that, once again, failed miserably on the charts, but now the rappers are in the position of living legends who have earned their respect in the game. And that's always a good place to be.
A word of caution: Red and Meth decided to fuck with consumers inside the album booklet. All nineteen tracks are listed with their credits, but they are all out of order. The tracklisting provided below is in the correct sequence. I bring this up because I just noticed that my Windows Media Player is listing the tracks in the order they appear inside the booklet.
1. A SPECIAL JOINT (INTRO) Rap album intro. Yawn.
2. BLACKOUT! A better way to introduce your album, with a bouncy Erick Sermon beat and imaginative lyrics.
3. MI CASA The camera sound effects integrated in the beat sounded goofy in 1999, but now they sound alright. Too bad the chorus sucks.
4. Y.O.U. I actually really like this song, with the so-called "Electric Relaxation" vocal sample (actually from an interlude between "Electric Relaxation" and "Clap Your Hands" on A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders) and the bouncy beat from E-Double. By the way, that Erick Sermon production thing? Pretty consistent throughout the album. I know, right?
5. 4 SEASONS (FEAT JA RULE & LL COOL J) The only way I can rationalize why James Todd Smith and fucking Ja Rule appear on this album is that (a) they are both Def Jam artists, just like Red and Meth, (b)as such, Def Jam probably forced them to promote both Ja and LL, and (c) Erick Sermon had produced tracks for all four artists involved at some point. If you skip Ja Rule's verse (which is conveniently placed last), the song isn't horrible. Mr. Smith proves himself admirably.
6. CEREAL KILLER (FEAT BLUE RASPBERRY) Funny. This doesn't sound like a Rza beat, but it's right there in the credits. Huh. Redman's first verse is freaking hilarious. You just have to hear it to understand; just typing the lyrics wouldn't do justice to his delivery. Meth being outshined by Reggie over a Rza beat can't be a good thing for the suits at Wu headquarters. Take that however you like.
7. DA ROCKWILDER The song that jump-started Rockwilder's career as a hip hop producer, which lasted for exactly twelve minutes. (Where's he at now? Did that Christina Aguilera song kill off his buzz? Because that song wasn't horrible.) I still love the shout-out to Cypress Hill at the end of this short track, as Cypress have passed their blunt torches to the Cheech and Chong of rap, and disappeared from relevancy. (Where are they at now?)
8. TEAR IT OFF I believe this was the first single, which sounded like every other Erick Sermon-produced track in 1999, so back then I pretty much ignored it. Listening to it now, it has a nostalgic late-nineties feel that is sorely lacking from any Erick Sermon track released today. Vanglorious.
9. WHERE WE AT (SKIT) Redman's solo albums always come with multiple skits, so why shouldn't Blackout! do the same? I guess cassette tapes were still readily available in late 1999, sice Reggie introduces listeners to "side 2" of "the Blackout! tape" here.
10. 1,2,1,2 E-Double tags in DJ Scratch and sits out this round. With this opportunity, Scratch produces a track that could easily be confused with a Sermon beat in a Pepsi Challenge. And wow, that Buddy Lee reference is dated. Does anyone even remember those commercials?
11. MAAAD CREW Not content with sitting on the sidelines, Erick Sermon returns for an 'encore' of sorts, before sitting out the rest of the album (the final three tracks are Erick Sermon productions, but they are all taken from previously released albums.) Probably the weakest Sermon track here, and Meth doesn't sound especially good over slower tracks like this.
12. RUN 4 COVER (FEAT GHOSTFACEKILLAH & STREET LIFE) A depressing listen, in that the second of two Rza productions adopts his "digital orchestra" bullshit sound instead of dusting off some beats from the 36 chambers. To the amazement of nobody, Reggie proves he is able to rhyme to almost any beat, even something by The Rza, so he comes off well here. And Meth should receive kudos for finding a way to get his weed carrier Street Life on this album. Oh, and Ghost is on here, too.
13. THE ? (FEAT MISSY ELLIOT) Redman decides that he can produce his own fucking songs, thank you very much. Missy's appearance isn't much more than her saying "Hey!" once, and Reggie looping it into the beat. Not bad, but I could have done without the Ja Rule vocal sample, since now I want to slice my ears off with a potato peeler.
14. DAT'S DAT SHIT (FEAT JAMAL a/k/a MALLY G & YOUNG ZEE) Former child rapper Jamal (formerly of the short-lived duo Illegal, with Mr. Malik) turned Def Squad weed carrier appears along with Cheech and Reggie on a Mathematics beat that sounds more Wu than any Rza track here. An uncredited Young Zee (of The Outsidaz, a/k/a Rah Digga's baby daddy) provides the hook, and since I've liked Young Zee ever since his appearance on The Fugees's "Cowboys", I actually like this song, even with the same word misspelled twice in a row in the title.
15. CHEKA Reggie's boy Gov Mattic provides a great beat for Red and Meth to spit over. Meth sounds reinvigorated here, providing his best vocals for the entire album.
16. FIRE INA HOLE Meh.
17. WELL ALL RITE CHA This song is actually a loaner from Redman'sDoc's Da Name 2000, a solo album which I haven't gotten around to reviewing yet. If Def Jam's idea was to take a track from both Red and Meth that featured the other artist, I would have personally gone with "Do What Ya Feel" from Reggie's Muddy Waters, which is a better song, even if it is produced by Pras (of all people). Taken as is, though, this song is catchy enough.
18. BIG DOGS Conversely, this song is borrowed from Meth'sTical 2000: Judgement Day. I already wrote about this track in my review for that album, so I'll just say this: I've heard better from Meth, and Reggie steals the show as always.
19. HOW HIGH (REMIX) The album credits say "remix", but this is really just the album version taken from The Show soundtrack. Remember when I wrote about The Show, and complained how the version of "How High" on the album wasn't the same as the video version? Yeah. That song. Still a good song, though.
FINAL THOUGHTS: For a Wu-Tang solo album, Blackout! is fucking awful. However, for a Redman album, it's not bad. Wu heads were angry upon this album's release because it sounds more like a Def Squad album then they believed it should. Well, nearly half of the tracks were produced by Erick Sermon, so you shouldn't really be surprised. I was disappointed that The Rza only saw fit to provide two tracks, neither of which sound like Wu-Tang, but if you look at this like a Redman side project and not one for Meth, you'll walk away a better person for it.
BUY OR BURN? Redman lives up to his self-professed "eleventh member of the Wu-Tang Clan" moniker, so based on that alone, you should pick this album up. If you're a bigger Method Man fan than Reggie, you'll be shocked to learn that you'll switch sides after a few listens.
BEST TRACKS: "Y.O.U."; "Cereal Killer"; "DaRockwilder"; "Blackout!"; "Cheka"; "Dat'sDat Shit"
