Hip Hop Chit Chat: Redman and Method Man - Blackout

I'll give this a go, time to switch up the vocabulary motherfuckaz... Keystyle (:D)

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When two MCs of the quality and esteem of Redman and Method Man collaborate it's always something everyone wants to hear. Each of them in their solo environment bridge the gap between lyrical verses and commercial club bangers to great effect. One thing that can be said is that no one is left disappointed - this is no exception.

The two complement each other flawlessly; Redman's metaphorical, bold style contrasted by Method Man's excellent tone and flow, which is most evident in charismatic opener "Blackout" and penultimate bonus track "Big Dogs" - which has to be noted as one of if not the highlight of the album, a clubbish beat with a flawless first verse where the two rhyme back and forth, topped off by a mindblowing solo finishing verse from Redman.

Production on the album is good, but you may have expected better, RZA and Erick Sermon doing most beats, but some, such as the "Maddd Crew" and "Well All Rite Cha" are a little flat, though DJ Scratch did a superb job on commercial banger and second release "1, 2, 1, 2", with the beat highlighting an otherwise uninspired track.

Influences from Erick Sermon, Boogie Down Productions (particularly KRS-One) and Rakim are clear to see, and refreshing in the sense that the new school of Rap is carrying through Hip Hop's fundamental elements and paying homage to the innovators. "Tear It Off" has the commercial, clubbish feel to it, but at the same time the style and lyrical content wouldn't have been out of place on an old school Hip Hop record, and the same goes for the fast-paced, catchy "Fire Ina Hole" (produced by Allah Mathematics).

Though it takes extensive listening to actually fully realise it, lyrically, the album is primarily just an amalgamation of cyphered verses thrown together with hooks thrown on the end. That shouldn't take away too much from what is lyrically a commendable record, especially in comparison with other works released at the time. Each MC switches up their rhyme schemes at suitable intervals, with several quotables/punchlines which land to good effect; quote Redman from "Big Dogs": "You can parachute off my slang and use my rhymes to toggle", and he continues to pull out such metaphors throughout the record, which gives him a slight lyrical advantage over Methodman, but put together they are as always an effective unit. The only real topical track "Cereal Killer" is a great end product, with a good story-telling narrative and great flow, and not ruined by a chorus, with the hook being kept plain and simple. Closer "How High" is the only track to really touch emotion, but it does so quite well, with Methodman shining on this track.

The successive tracks #12, #13 and #14 bring excellent lyricism combined with raw flow to the record. "Run 4 Cover" has an eerie sort of beat, with Street featuring and landing the best spot on the album, Method Man and Redman each coming with great material, and is let down strangely enough only by Ghostface Killah, who finishes it on a comparitively weak note. "?" is without doubt one of the best songs on the album, with the first two verses combining, Red and Meth come with excellent one-liners, flow and delivery which only get better with time. "Dats Dat Shit" has an old school feel to it, with Mally G featuring and he hits with a hard and effective rhyme scheme, Redman's verse here is pretty fillerish, but the final MC Method Man finishes on a topical and even slightly touching note "where the love at, when you're young broke an' black; it's over there, in the ashtray, who got a match?"

There are very few weaknesses to peg back on this, but the two cover "Maddd Crew", a KRS-One classic, with little positive effect, the hook is done awfully (which seems deliberate) and the beat lacks any drive, the verses themselves aren't bad, but definitely lacking, and the general tone is offputting. "Cheka" has a strange sort of beat, very hit-and-miss, it's a banger without doubt and works in that sense, but doesn't have enough to it really. "4 Seasons" sees LL Cool J show the world he's still here, both Red and Meth shine, and Ja Rule does the finisher, with probably one of the best verses he's ever written stylistically - not that that says much. "Y.O.U", "Mi Casa" and most popular release "Da Rockwilder" also have the banger feel to them and are all very hard-hitting and catchy. Hooks do ruin the album at times though, namely in "Tear It Off", "Maddd Crew", "Run 4 Cover", "Dats Dat Shit" and "Cheka". People will probably tell you this album is boring - they're mainstream addicts, and they're gay - don't listen to them.

4/5

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It feels so weird to type all posh about rap :/ well I gave it a shot. It was all off the top so some of it may sound weird, who knows... 1