Method Man and Redman – Blackout 2
Ever since seeing their performance at Rock the Bells last year, I’ve held Method Man and Red Man in high regard in terms of chemistry and synergy. The new collaborative album by the Wu-Tang emcees, Blackout! 2, reinforces this idea pretty succinctly. Backed by tracks put together by the likes of Erick Sermon, Reggie Noble, and DJ Scratch, Meth and Red show why they’re still revered within the rap game.
Unfortunately, in between the guest appearances, the swagger, and the bass, the dudes keep it relatively vanilla in terms of paradigms and lyricism. Oozing with cannabis references, dolled up with images of glamorous women and ambiguous weapons, the Men are “so 2005.” This, however, does little to take away from the addictive hooks (what else does mainstream hip-hop have?) on songs like “A Yo” and “City Lights,” the latter featuring a chopped chorus with UGK’s late Pimp C.
Blackout! 2 gives fans what they want from the duo; an equal dose of both emcees with tried and true topics and beats. Anyone new to the pair would do well to delve into their discography before trying to enjoy what is otherwise a just-above-mediocre album in an increasingly hard to please market. A well-done album not quite suited for the annals of history.
