In 1993, RZA's basement studio floods and the boy loses a hundred beats already made, practically one album for every Wu-Tang rapper, including an entire set for Method Man's debut. The production is redone quickly and roughly and you can feel the result still raw in these 44 minutes: the soundscape built entirely by RZA (4th Disciple and Method Man co-produce one track each) is minimal, tight, hazy and cold, with dystopian overtones, to support the raw lyricism of the MC in his battle raps with continuous references to weed and the previous Wu LP, delivering bars with a masterful flow. The guests are Wu-Tang Clan rappers Raekwon, Inspectah Deck and RZA, along with the Wu affiliates Streetlife, Carlton Fisk and Blue Raspberry.
Method Man comes from being the only guest on Biggie Smalls' album "Ready to Die" (1994), in the track "The What", an iconic, immortal, untouchable CD. In addition, he's one of the most prominent members of the New York supergroup, crediting several important contributions to "36 Chambers" including the solo song "Method Man". The rapper is the first to want to go back to the studio to record his album and gets to work with RZA while the Wu-Tang is on tour, for this reason the album has few appearances from the other members of the group and it feels rushed in every aspect, just looks at the cover. The title is in the middle of the artist's name at the top, Method Man's face is underneath and a phantom dick is coming out of the smoke, crazy. Also note the Wu-Tang logo upside down so that the W turns into an M (also cloaked in smoke, like the whole cover) and the fact that, for some reason, Wu-Tang's "N" is dazzled by a very bright light in the background. Something similar occurs in the cover of GZA's "Liquid Swords", where Wu-Tang's "G" is obscured by a chain.
1. "Tical"
RZA's genius can be seen in the details. The first piece, the title track, opens with a sample of Modest Mussorgsky's suite "Pictures at an Exhibition". Then skits from the kung-fu movie "Ten Tigers from Kwangtung" (1980) and in the background, while this skit is playing, you can listen to a short excerpt of a beat that Bobby Digital will use the following year in "Guillotine (Swordz)" for Raekwon's album "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx". Intro by Method Man, beat is excellent, smooth bass line, snappy hi-hat appeased in background, perfect tired slow drum, dark, dark rhythm, slow, elegant flow of the emcee.
2. "Biscuits"
Method Man in battle in this track, whose title is slang for "guns". The sample is beautiful, it comes from "Angel" by James Clarke and Brian Bennett. The drum is flawless, dry, hard, good bass line. Method Man, with an "exhaust" voice delivers with a good flow, however, isn't rewarded by RZA's mixing, the drum is "above" his voice, I fear more due to the still relative inexperience of the producer who would have honed his skills during the making of this record. The rhythm breathes half a minute at the end, deservedly so, it's great.
3. "Bring the Pain" (ft. Booster, uncredited)
While the boys are on tour promoting their record, the flood hits RZA's basement with the consequences everyone knows. Among the lost rhythms is also the original one of this track, which Meth obtained even before the release of "Enter the Wu-Tang". RZA recreates it from scratch and Meth completes it. The rhythm is something sensational. Samples from Jerry Butler's "I'm Your Mechanical Man", great bass, dry, hard, tight drum, a metallic, skeletal and minimal, extraordinary boom bap comes out, which manages to showcase Method Man's qualities. There's an interlude sung by Booster, a friend of Tical reprising part of the track "Don't Test the High Power" by dancehall artist Ninjaman. Highlight track of the record, great commercial success, fourth place among pop songs, first in rnb/hip-hop chart. Certified gold in January '95, platinum six months later.
4. "All I Need" (ft. Streetlife, uncredited)
The song also pays homage in the title to "You're All I Need to Get By" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The sample is splendid, amazing booming bass. Here comes the drum, dusty, dark, gloomy, perfect. Chorus performed together with Streetlife, Method delivers two verses in the original cut, in one of the most appreciated songs by the public. After the commercial success of "Bring the Pain", which arrives right before this one in the tracklist, Def Jam asks Johnny Blaze to make a song for girls that it can sell even more than the other one, and Meth comes up with this love song dedicated to his girlfriend. However, the Wu-Tang emcee does not want to put it as his second single from the album and takes a stand against the label, RZA supports him and the two manage to be right. Diggs decides to choose "Release Yo' Delf" as the second single, Meth is against this time too, but now he has to give in to the artistic dictator of the Clan.
Back to "All I Need", RZA gives in to the label: the executives convince Method Man to further promote what they believe is the strongest track of the first solo record by a Wu-Tang Clan rapper. A remix will be made, in pole position there are RZA himself, who wants to make a remix of his own song, and Puff Daddy. In fact, Mary J. Blige is called to sing for the remix and to get the featuring you need Puff Daddy's approval, she's under contract with Bad Boy Records. RZA wants to do the remix, Puff wants to do the remix. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" is released, a maxi-single featuring the two remixes, but Combs certainly wins: his remix precedes RZA's, but above all, it's better musically. "Razor Sharp Remix" is actually quite sleazy compared to "Puff Daddy Remix", a work that Puff Daddy presents only the name, because the beat is created by the Trackmasterz, who yes, at their best were more or less on the level of Bobby Steels (less, in hindsight, if you go look at what RZA did only in 1995).
The Trackmasterz invent a thunderous beat, crackling hi-hat, loud drum, bass that isn't good as that of the original song, sample that gives the rhythm a glossy and shiny appearance. Flawless rnb hook from Mary J. Blige, somehow Method Man's warm vocals inexorably roll through the track. Puff Daddy gets credit for placing a couple of Biggie Smalls lines from "Me and My Bitch," which are a great addition. The remix is promoted as the album's third single and featured as a bonus track on the European edition: it sells a million copies leading Method Man to have his first platinum single, and is worth the Grammy award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1996, the first for both Meth and Mary J. Blige, and also contributes to changing the rapper's audience from "vile assassins" (cit. Fantini) to people in shiny suits.
5. "What the Blood Clot!?!"
This is a diss against the Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man diss the other Wu guys. He writes this song while he's pissed at others. You can hear the beat of "Diary of a Madman" at the beginning of the track, the iconic song by Gravediggaz. The beat is untouchable, downtempo drum, tired, slow, dusty, dirty, rusty, fantastic. Sample from "Blind Alley" by The Emotion. Single verse, hardcore, his way. In the outro he thanks all of his friends, none of Wu's.
6. "Meth Vs. Chef" (ft. Raekwon)
Uncredited, Cappadonna's brother Lounge Lo introduces this historic battle rap track between two NY heavyweights. Friendly competition between the Wu brothers over RZA's haunting dark production, dry drum, splendid bass line, dark loop, Meth & Chef with great flows, energetic, eat the track, certainly among the highlights of both's discography.
7. "Sub Crazy"
RZA takes the drum off this Method Man tune and invents a beat that would fit in a horror movie, crazy. Meth eats the track with two verses, dominating over the booming bass. Co-production of 4th Disciple.
8. "Release Yo' Delf" (ft. Blue Raspberry)
The title is a tribute to "Release Yourself" by Aleem, electro hit. RZA chooses this as a single over All I Need against Meth's advice, which he ultimately has to accept. Blue Raspberry sings Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", Meth delivers tight and hardcore with some of the his best flows. Drum hard, dry, raw, haunting sample from Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass' "The Treasure of San Miguel".
9. "P.L.O. Style" (ft. Carlton Fisk)
The title is an acronym for Palestinian Liberation Organizations and refers to their tactics which Meth compares with his rap style. The only co-production of Method Man. Drum harsh, good bass, Al Green's sample seems to give a cheerful tone to the song, instead RZA flips it to give the song a dark tone. Meth delivers bars together with Carlton Fisk, good style at his debut on the circuit.
10. "I Get My Thang in Action"
Skit from "Ten Tigers from Kwangtung", booming bass, tight dry drum machine, two verses by Method Man over a thick sample by Bo Diddley that gives the piece a raw feel.
11. "Mr. Sandman" (ft. Blue Raspberry, Carlton Fisk, Inspectah Deck, RZA & Streetlife)
Mandatory Wu-Tang Clan posse track, inside two Wu like Inspectah Deck and RZA, affiliates Streetlife and Carlton Fisk and also affiliated singer Blue Raspberry. Introductory shrieks, if you don't listen to it carefully you can't figure out that those shrieks are provoked by a killa beez attack, Blue Raspberry sings The Chordettes' "Mr. Sandman" (hence the title) in a totally ominous way. One of the greatest drums in this LP, dusty, dirty, grimy, beautiful. This is the dopest bass of the whole album. Then The RZA spits out hardcore the way he likes it, rough, raw, shouting bars casually. Overwhelming in his own way, though his performance and this gothic beat seems to have just been plucked from his Gravediggaz album, where I think this piece would have been perfect.
After his verse, Rebel INS comes in with even more aggression, it's crazy, dope flow. Meth's album has been dark so far and it's a dark album in general, but it goes beyond that here. I don't know if you will listen to Inspectah Deck this much hardcore, brutally hardcore, in the future. Method Man hardcore, but not on the criminal level of the other two before him, then Streetlife delivers the fourth verse and precedes Carlton Fisk, that rips the joint with a narrative of a criminal heist and caps off what is the Wu-Tang's first posse on a solo album.
12. "Stimulation" (ft. Blue Raspberry)
One of RZA's last dark beats and for this song, Blue Raspberry sings the hook, Method Man flies for two verses over excellent beat, uptempo drum, dirty dusty strings and horns, great bass line, quality piece.
13. "Method Man (Remix)"
Remix of the single in the album Wu; last track of the album. Method Man is the first to hear RZA's original beat and spit something on top of it and his verse fit Bobby's beat and the boys kept it. The torture skit with Raekwon is a fun exchange between them, appropriately eliminated in the remix. Never better than the original.
Final Thoughts
Clifford "Method Man" Smith's debut, first solo album by a member of the Wu-Tang Clan after the founding of the Staten Island group. Before him, both GZA ("Words from the Genius", 1991) and RZA ("Oh, I Love You Rakeem EP", 1991) had released solo material on their respective labels. Meth signs to Def Jam and quickly completes his debut album while touring with the Wu-tang Clan, co-creating tracks with RZA immediately after concerts, delivering after hours of rapping and with a "scarce" voice, you can hear it throughout the album, though it's not to be underestimated one of the other components, the fact that the boy was addicted to angel dust much of the time when he was making the record. Except for RZA, who debuted on Scientifik's album ("Criminal", 1994), fellow guests Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Streetlife, Carlton Fisk and Blue Raspberry are in their rap debuts. Fisk impresses in "Mr. Sandman" alongside the Wu rappers, unfortunately, it's one of the few occasions where Fisk can be heard, almost in the nineties, because later he will have problems with the law that will keep him very far from the recording studios. Method Man comes to this record with audiences expecting another masterpiece after "36 Chambers" from its most popular exponent, despite everything, Meth is aware that anything he published would be eaten by fans. The album achieves great commercial success, it reached number one on the rap chart, fourth on the Billboard 200, was ranked in Canada, and went platinum the following summer, becoming one of the ten best-selling hip-hop records of 1995. Forerunner of the supergroup's first wave of releases, it's a good debut, despite not being at the same height as the other Wu-Tang Clan first LPs.
Highlights: "Tical", "Bring the Pain", "All I Need", "Meth vs. Chef", "Mr. Sandman".
Rating: 8.5/10.
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