I would like to start this write-up by explaining that I'm currently experimenting with different methods of reviewing. I'm still doing track by track every time, but my readers may have noticed that some of my reviews recently have been a bit longer and more detailed, and then at the same time I've done others that don't cover every aspect of a song necessarily, and instead just point out stand-out moments. I think it's good to keep things varied anyway, so I'll probably keep switching things up for the moment just based on whatever album I happen to be covering. Anyway, enjoy the review!
In late 1998, Def Jam Records released albums from two of their flagship artists at the time who both featured on each others albums, and who both seemed to have a fairly good working relationship when it came to collaborative tracks - these would be Jay-Z's Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life and DMX's Flesh Of My Flesh Blood Of My Blood. Then, they realised that they had a decent amount of marketing budget left over, so they decided to chuck out the solo efforts from Redman and Method Man too, both of whom actually did a lot better sales-wise than one might imagine given the pair's generally not radio friendly musical choices. Despite them both having fairly terrible album titles, Doc's Da Name 2000 and Tical 2000: Judgement Day managed to both sell platinum, and this may well have been helped by some of Def Jam's promotion for the projects. See, on Meth's lead single "Judgement Day", the b-side was a collaboration with Redman titled "Big Dogs", also from that same album, and inside the record this track was listed under the labelling "Month Of the Man Part II". Hip-hop historians may have remembered that back in 1994, the label promoted Meth's "Bring The Pain" and Reggie's "Rockafella" on a double vinyl single also called "Month Of the Man". And if that callback wasn't enough, they did the same on Red's "I'll Bee Dat!" single, with the b-side "Well All Rite Cha". The primary difference was that this time the songs being promoted were actual collaborations between the pair, and since their albums were coming out at the same time and being promoted together, word started to go round that we might have been in for a collaborative album between the pair, if we were very, very lucky.
And that's exactly what we got.
Blackout! (exclamation point and all) was released through Def Jam records to the hip-hop audience in September of 1999, around the same time that everyone was just about giving up hope with anything Wu-Tang related - Deck's solo, GZA's sophomore, ODB's sophomore and U-God's album were all met with lukewarm reception, and we hadn't even got to Immobilarity yet. However, the Meth & Red album was sort of held apart from the rest of these releases - after all, Reggie was still one of the best rappers in the world at the time (despite his propensity to try and be overly funny on his solo records, and not always succeeding), and Meth wasn't even due another solo record. This was just to be a fun side project for both Wu Stans and Def Squad listeners to enjoy, without the lofty expectations of solo records. An album where two of the most charismatic MC would go bar for bar over production from some of the greats of the industry. Out of everyone, the general hip-hop audience (without bias to one specific crew) were probably the most hyped for this thing, especially after the Wu-heads heard that E-Double would be handling the majority of the album, and only about a quarter of it would actually be done by Wu producers. Shit!
The project included features from Meth's buddies Streetlife and Ghostface Killah, Red's friend Jamal, and even two MCs on the same caliber of popularity as the hosts at the time - Ja Rule and LL Cool J, both of whom showed up on the same exact song. And, as all you Wu-Tang heads out there must have feared, Erick Sermon handled the majority of this project, with the Wu producers being limited to RZA (2 tracks) and Mathematics (2 tracks). Oh, and we also got beats from Rockwilder, who wasn't quite the club specialist he would come to be at that time, Gov-Mattic (another Reggie affiliate) and DJ Scratch, who's actually pretty damned underrated if you ask me. This line-up was exciting, then, but most importantly, we finally had a proper team up of two of the best rappers in the game, and even though the Wu-Tang Clan fanatics probably weren't chomping at the bit to rip this packaging off due to their crippling depression at the time, everyone else in the hip-hop world were ready for and anticipating something quite extraordinary.
So were they happy with the result? Well, yes - the reception was quite good - but more importantly, do I like it? Well, that's what I'm here to tell ya.
1. A Special Joint (Intro) (prod. Redman)
One thing you will notice when inspecting the credits in this booklet (that is if you still get CDs) is that they're all in the wrong order, which is made even more confusing by this intro being listed first anyway. No idea what the point of that was, but I guess Red and Meth are a unique couple, so it makes a tiny bit of sense. This is also one of the best rap album intros in existence - the music is funky as hell, and Red and Meth prove to be as goddamn hilarious as they've always been, perhaps even more so. No idea why Meth refers to himself as the "phenom" on here, but otherwise this is as good as a goofy spoken intro is going to get.
2. Blackout (prod. Erick Sermon)
Pretty much exactly what one would want from a Meth & Red song. After a fantastic transition that makes for one of the dopest beat drops I have ever heard, the pair of them spend the song talkin' shit, being bloody hilarious, and occasionally coming with a ridiculously contrived bar about murder or other unmentionables that you can probably expect from these two by this stage in their careers. You head through Red's opening verse, and Meth's follow up, thinking that they're never going to be able to top the personalities conveyed, only to then fall into the final verse were they drop 8 bars each in the best moment of the whole song - "I scored 1.1 on my S-A-T, and still push a whip with a right and left AC". I mean, it's just so dope. Red kinda outshines Meth here, since this high-energy instrumental works more in his favour, but let that not be a shot at Clifford - he performs amicably too. Oh, and the Fat Boys-aping chorus is just a wonderful cherry on this tasty-ass cake. This is an absolutely brilliant way to open the record up.
3. Mi Casa (prod. Erick Sermon)
The instrumental on this one is quite a bit less intense and dark than that on the last song, and this proves to be just the perfect thing, as on this one both MCs feel quite a bit more up-front and aggressive, since they don't have an equally manic instrumental to keep up with. This beat is still pretty great, mind you, and provides a guttery, airy atmosphere which is in keeping with this album art. This song is pretty short, as Meth and Red deliver one verse each, but it provides just enough breathing space for it to still stand out - Red starts with some of my favourite lines ever from him ("What, you crazy?? Since a buck tooth baby, Doc is like: straight "Fuck you! Pay me" like Jay-Z"), and continues the trend of excellence throughout his verse. Meth's flow is also impeccable, and he's a lot closer to his partner than he was on the previous cut. The hook that interpolates a line from Meth's "Method Man (Remix)" is also dope as hell. This is an excellent second track.
4. Y.O.U. (prod. Erick Sermon)
5. 4 Seasons (feat. Ja Rule & LL Cool J) (prod. Erick Sermon)
By this point, you're really getting into the vibe of this album, and this track helps with that by bringing an instrumental with pretty much exactly the same vibe as the last two songs, and also an opening verse from Red that is full of the boasts and humorous lines teamed with a priceless delivery that really just defines the man's music. His verse is great, but in surprise of the damned day, he doesn't have the best performance here - no, that honour belongs to Cool James, who absolutely rips this instrumental with one of the best verses I've ever heard from the man - apparently he felt he had something to prove here, as not only does he have the longest verse on this cut, but he also delivers it with a monstrously aggressive tone to enunciate those excellent lyrics properly. From the opening bars of "I'm the sultan of the ghetto, the homicidal aficionado. I empty niggas out like Cristal bottles", this verse just keeps on delivering. By the time Meth comes round, you've already made your decision about Cool J winning this one, but Tical does his thing too as you'd expect. But, man did LL Cool J murder this - that's one of the craziest verses you'll hear from the man.
Oh, and I know Ja Rule's on here, but I think it's best we forget about that harrowing fact.
6. Cereal Killer (prod. RZA)
Erick Sermon has left the studio for a coffee break, and so Meth has had to catch a bus from Jersey to Shaolin to collect a couple of RZA's leftover digital orchestra ensembles - he treads quietly, mind, not wanting to wake Diggs from his beauty sleep. On the way back, he listens to some of his random picks, and notices one that's quite incredibly spooky - and the perfect thing to change the tone up a bit on an album that's so far been quite fun and upbeat. And so is born "Cereal Killer", a song oddly introduced by a skit that involves Meth and Red praising the women at their concert - that doesn't come with any dark connotations. The instrumental on here is pretty dark and creepy in comparison with what we've heard so far, but it still contains enough of a funky flavour to work in Meth & Red's favour - this shit sounds nothing like the Bobby Digital In Stereo album, I'll tell you that much. Meth and Red pretty much just do what you'd expect from a song with this title - rap from the perspective of murderous serial killers, and the results are pretty darn great to say the least. This is probably the first song where I really prefer the Meth performance, which makes sense since the dark, horror core stuff is much more in his lane than Reggie's, who's comedic tales and vocal inflections don't paint him as the most disturbing character (accidentally shooting at a birthday party being a perfect example of this). Still, this song is fucking great, and it's nice to see the pair bring their signature funk and humour into a different field of hip-hop. And that Blue Raspberry singing performance is nice.
7. Da Rockwilder (prod. Rockwilder)
8. Tear It Off (prod. Erick Sermon)
9. Where We At (Skit) (prod. Redman)
Less a skit, and more of an interlude that uses similar music to that on the intro, only it's a whole lot more energetic this time. On this one, Red screams profanity at the listener all the while happily welcoming them to the second side of his "tape" - I found this part especially odd, as one would assume CDs would be the media of choice in 1999. This interlude is a bit obnoxious, but the "The bri- the bricks- Shaolin!!" parts are pretty entertaining, I will say.
10. 1, 2, 1, 2 (prod. DJ Scratch)
While re-listening to this song today and loving it as much as everything else here, I came up with a pretty good analogy for this project (if I do say so myself). This album is like a bag of peanut m&ms (or whatever sweet you fancy most, really). They all taste pretty much the same, but each and every one is as enjoyable and exciting as the last. And that's like this. This song right here doesn't do much to distinguish itself from a "Tear It Off" or a "Mi Casa" - even DJ Scratch's instrumental doesn't sound like his usual unsettling work, instead opting for some off-kilter synths and a strange bassline - but it's still just as damned excellent, and not once am I bored during this cut. And how could I be, when we've got a pair of fun, charismatic, and excellent MCs rockin' the mic with bars such as "get out your car, sucker: this ain't yours! Robbed you with a gun that's filled with paintballs"?? Also, Funkmaster Flex makes a cameo appearance at the end here, which was mildly interesting.
11. Maaad Crew (prod. Erick Sermon)
Surprisingly, this is only the second song here to include an intentionally misspelt word in the title (the first being "Da Rockwilder") - I guess with Meth and RZA (listed as an executive producer) around Redman was restrained from too much ridiculousness. This track is, oddly, the least "maaad" up to this point, with the slow-tempo instrumental sounding like something that could have shown up on Muddy Waters, only a lot cleaner. Still, this beat is dope as hell, with an excellent bassline that compliments the drums perfectly - the only downside being that it's not as energetic as a lot of the surrounding beats. On this one, Red & Meth are forced to slow themselves down a small amount, but I don't mind that, as they adapt to their new surroundings with the necessary attitude - rap about the same sort of thing, only do it slower and make it a bit darker. This song includes talk of murder, ghetto life and the obligatory metaphors, and it all comes together to make for another great cut. Hook is nice too.
12. Run 4 Cover (feat. Ghostface & Street) (prod. RZA)
Meth heads back to his drive of "borrowed" RZA beats whilst Erick Sermon goes off to do a line or two in the studio toilets, and he comes up with this intense banger that's just as good as the last RZA instrumental, only a lot more Wu, which I'm sure listeners were pleased to hear. Sensing the atmosphere, Meth acquires weed-carrier Streetlife and fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah to spit alongside himself and his buddy. Of course, Def Jam didn't deem either guest's stage name worth printing out in full, hence the credits I listed above - nice foreshadow to The Pretty Toney Album era, I suppose. This track is straight crazy, with the instrumental providing a creepy atmosphere that's absolutely perfect for the Wu members (and b-teamers) present, but also even works for Reggie too, despite him not sounding 100% comfortable over it. Red even starts his verse with a bit of a Wu-Tang shout-out, that being "when it comes to the darts, I throw 'em" - a great line. My favourite verse on here might belong to Ghostface, though, which makes sense as he was in his Supreme Clientele era at this point, and if you don't know what that means then you might want to get to seeking it out. This track is phenomenal, and easily one of my favourites here - if the Wu fans weren't happy with the Def Squad-ishness of this project, they at least had this banger to take away.
13. The ? (prod. Redman)
Sometimes when I go back through these albums for these reviews, I'll discover a gem that I realise I've been overlooking all these years - that's the case here. I always knew I liked this one, but going back into it it's honestly one of the better cuts here. The production, done by Redman himself surprisingly, is absolutely impeccable, with what I think is a Missy Elliott sample helping along the dark drums and bass, which Meth and Red just flow over impeccably. I suppose some may be turned off by the chorus, which utilises a Ja Rule sample (from Hov's song "Can I Get A...") as well as a Beastie Boys one, and voice overs from the hosts - it's way too cluttered to come across as "enjoyable", even though it does give the song an amateur feel to distract listeners from the fact that this came out on one of the biggest labels in the hip-hop industry. Still, despite the dodgy chorus, the production and rapping on this song is excellent - who knew Reginald was so multi-talented?
14. Dat's Dat Shit (feat. Mally G) (prod. Mathematics)
A collaboration with Reggie's weed carrier Mally G (more commonly known as Jamal) to go alongside the earlier "Run 4 Cover" - strange how he couldn't get a fellow Def Squad member on the track too - where was Keith Murray at? Oh yeah - in prison. Never mind that then. Anyhow, Red does get an underground affiliate from the Bricks to provide some hook vocals here - that being Young Zee of the Outsidaz, who if you remember also showed up on the last album, on the posse cut "Close Ya Doorz". It's odd, then, that it's a Wu affiliate who shows up for production here - Mathematics is behind the boards for this cut. That should be a good thing, as by this point in time his name tends to excite me more on a release than that of the RZA anyway. Mally G starts things off well here with a dope verse that does oddly utilise the made up word "hazadarious", but it's Reggie who steals the show, with some great and hilarious bars such as "chocolate Thai showers got Doc cookin' minute rice for five hours". Meth does his thing too, at least until the bar "undress a kid properly" shows up, which will probably throw any self-respecting listener off for just a second. The verses on here are all dope, but unfortunately this is the first song here to suffer from a weak hook and slightly aggravating instrumental - that "ooh-woo" sample is way too distracting. This isn't bad, but it is the worst track here.
15. Cheka (prod. Gov Mattic, co-prod. Redman)
Thankfully, the instrumental on this one improves significantly from the last - odd, considering it's provided by someone no-one's ever actually heard of, except for Reginald fans like me (R.I.P. Gov Mattic, by the way). This beat isn't exactly "straight from the gutta" like a lot of the other work on this album, but it still does it's job at providing something that Red and Meth can use to experiment with their flows on - and man do they do a great job. The rapping on this cut is phenomenal, with the flows being very engaging, and the rhyme schemes being incredibly impressive too, especially with bars like "stickin' ya, rippin' ya for all ya funds" and the like. This isn't exactly the best song here, but it's certainly a dope one nonetheless. No idea what the army chanting at the end is about, though.
16. Fire Ina Hole (prod. Mathematics)
This record ends in a similar way to how it started - with a high-energy joint that involves some of the best production, hookwork and rapping on the entirety of the record. This song is phenomenal, and if someone were to ask me on the spot, I'd probably go ahead and list this as my favourite cut on the whole album. Mathematics makes up for his annoying production on "Dat's Dat Shit" with a great beat that's intense and very rich, and both Doc and Hot Nix supply us with aggressive, murderous rhymes that are definitely some of the best they have ever kicked. There's so many quotables on here it's insane, and these are arguably overshadowed by the hook - has something so repetitive ever sounded so damned good? This track is a wonderful way to end the album. "Fire Ina Hooooooleeee!"
The following three songs were listed as bonus tracks:
17. Well All Rite Cha
18. Big Dogs
19. How High (Remix)
Unfortunately, these do not actually consist of any new material, except for the transitions between them being different to fit with the vibe of this album. You'll probably remember the first two titles from the introductory paragraphs - those songs were taken from Red and Meth's 1998 albums respectively, and are the collaborations with the other. As for the third song, it's a supposed remix to "How High", the pair's classic first ever collaboration, from 1995's The Show soundtrack. To make things even better, it's not actually the remix but the superior original - no idea how that mistake got made, but it could be to do with the actual remix being more popular, so they decided to swap titles. Anyhow, I'll cover these songs elsewhere (well, the first two I already have), but I do appreciate them giving us these collaborations on the same disc as well, even if "Do What Ya Feel" is superior to "Well All Rite Cha" in my opinion.
I'll admit that there may be a notable amount of nostalgia bias within my verdict on this collaborative record, but oh well - I still think that this is one of the best collaborations in hip-hop ever, and perhaps the best between two previously established artists (therefore discounting Gang Starr, OutKast, Mobb Deep etc. for all you about to explode out of your tight shirts with rage). This shit is straight up fun, and it's all the better for it - I mean, what did you expect from a collab between Red and Mef? Firstly, we have the production. I've seen some people say that this record is let down by a lot of the more minimalist production, but I don't really see it - sure, these beats aren't astonishing, but I think that's actually to our benefit - not only do they provide a rough, rugged and oftentimes slightly haunting atmosphere, but they also give a hell of a lot of breathing space for the hosts - you won't need to pay attention to the beats as much as on a wonderfully produced album. Obviously, I love production, but it's good enough on here to not detriment the project at all - instead, it enhances it. And that's not to say all of the beats are like this - the title track, "Fire Ina Hole" and "Cereal Killer" all have some of my favourite beats of the late '90s, and that's just to name a couple. And as for the rapping on here - it's truly astonishing. I can say with confidence that every verse here is stellar except one, that being Ja Rule's on "4 Seasons". And who actually thought Ja would be good anyway? The bars from Meth and Red throughout this album are simultaneously clever and hilarious, and their wildly contrasting deliveries (Meth's low-pitched gruffness, and Red's extravagant, bassy, almost shouty vocals) make for consistently entertaining back and forths - it helps that we get ad-libs from them all over each others verses too. Even the features deliver - especially Ghost and LL, the latter of which provides a true stand-out moment on the record. Yes, this album isn't perfect - the lyrical content doesn't really offer much in the way of substance, and the production isn't always the most rich or layered. But as a whole this is one of the most entertaining experiences you'll have in hip-hop, regardless of what aspect of the genre you like, and regardless if you were disappointed by a general lack of Wu-Tang style beats. If you don't already own this, get to digging the stores - this LP is a classic, and a collaboration that will go down in history as one of the most perfect in the genre. Excellent album.
Best Tracks: Blackout, Mi Casa, Y.O.U., 4 Seasons, Cereal Killer, Da Rockwilder, Maaad Crew, Run 4 Cover, The ?, Cheka, Fire Ina Hole
Worst Tracks: Dat's Dat Shit
Catch up on the Redman Rite-ups (see what I did there?) here, and for the Method Man write-ups, head over there.
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