Method Man - Tical (November 15, 1994)

Finally, I get to one of the two guys who introduced me to hip hop! (exhausted groan)

You know, for a guy whose popularity was unstoppably skyrocketing at the time of this shit's release, Cliffy Clifford Smith bka Method Man from the Wu-Tang Clan sure hates the spotlight. And he hates that sex symbol status he's been stuck with even more. Whatever makes you sleep at night, Mef.

I've already went to length regarding how Mef introduced me to hip hop in general, through his stellar showing on the Monstars Anthem, a song that I still friggin' love. Him & B-Real stuck with me for the longest time during my days of hip hop aloofness, especially in their roles in the one entertainment medium I truly love more than any other, video games. Various Method Man appearances in particular came my way through his participation in the Def Jam-AKI gems and on radio stations of both GTA: Liberty City Stories for the PSP and True Crime: NYC for the PS2. Had I been more attentive to Protect Ya Neck at the time, I would've began my Wu journey much sooner than I have. But I guess it was meant to be as it happened since I already read a review of their 1998 game, Shaolin Style, that very same year and still didn't connect the dots. A fact that's still funny as shit to me. Anyways, on my various PSP rampages through Liberty City, I've always been drawn to Mef's appearances on the Liberty Jam, the hip hop station,  in which two songs he absolutely smoked were chosen: One was the forever-underrated Do What Ya Feel off of his cohort Reggie Noble bka Redman's classic Muddy Waters.

The other is much more relevant to this post, as it is the album cut of All I Need. This song is one of the select few tracks that effectively cater to hardcore hip hop heads and couples who don't know shit about hip hop simultaneously. This might be the only song your wife might enjoy with you if she's utterly disgusted with this thing you're constantly listening to and reading about online. (And somehow refusing to comment on these posts, even after 10 fucking months!) I'll talk about the song more in the proper review, but for a year and a half these two songs were all I played from Mef's entire discography. That is until YouTube and Wikipedia changed that shit forever. I was taken into the 36 Chambers, following which I properly began my twisted journey into Wu-stannery. So, after regrettably skipping the Gravediggaz classic N****mortis/6 Feet Deep for a short while, I immediately jumped into the next step: Tical.

Before that, let me take you to a time when Robert "RZA" Diggs was still concocting his plot for Wu domination. 1992, specifically. Even though he had every Wu member on board by then, he conceded that he didn't yet have a proper business plan to initiate his takeover. The other members then wisely advised him that not every business move they made needed to be original, just enough. Somehow, this made sense to ol' Rizzy so he made the choice of replicating the business moves of the most influential hip hop group up to that point, EPMD's legendary Hit Squad.

Just to put things in perspective, the Hit Squad had been the first group with all four acts under its banner experiencing both critical and commercial success. Definitely nothing to be scoffed at. EPMD recognized everyone's talents and assigned them the proper position for them. Take the aforementioned Redman for example: EPMD assigned him the position of "punchline guy", even though Das EFX were both equally proficient therein. (You don't listen to Das EFX for the punchlines, though. Right?) To this date, his solo success has eclipsed that of his fellow Squadmates because of that particular decision. Not one to miss details that important, RZA adapted the whole plan hook, line and sinker, and chose Shaquan aka Mef to be his Redman. No, really. That's how fellow DMD member Raekwon explains it on a particularly interesting Combat Jack Show interview. All Bobby needed to add to that melting pot now was the element of concept and the rest would be history, which was what happened sure enough.

So since it's now established that Method Man is the resident punchline expert (even though guys like GZA and especially Inspectah Deck have quite the repertoire of zingers themselves), Bobby needed to surround him with the right beats that fit the aesthetic he wanted Mef to go for. And since witty wordplay and clever use of flow is the most basic form of this shit we love, it was only right for RZA to use beats that were grimier than his last major showing on the boards. I'll leave it to the review to decide if he accomplished that goal. Now from Mef's point of view, it is a very huge plus that the man solely responsible for his group's entire aesthetic was now focusing on making his album sound like that of the chosen torchbearer, a position given to him not just by RZA, but the rest of the Wu members as well. Did this next step in the overall gamble pay off? Well, from a commercial standout, Tical was an undisputed success, selling a million copies in the US alone. But what do bloggers like myself think about this shit twenty two years later?

Mef's debut, people:

TICAL
Leave it to RZA to start off a punchline hip hop album with the opening notes from the classical piece Pictures at an Exhibition. Anyways, a very competent beat dissolves into the distance after a quick display, making room for an equally crafted beat with extra doses of I'ma fuck you up. Mef makes his mission statement very clear: to blow your socks off with his punchlines. And blow my socks off, he did. This album's off to a rocketing start, with this monster of a song segwaying directly into...

BISCUITS
Where RZA steals Mef's thunder big time. The crafting of the instrumental is absolutely genius and the punchlines are beyond inspired, and yet I still have a major problem: I can't hear what the fuck Mef is spitting. Bobby takes full blame for this, as Mef's lyrics are actually really fucking good. Shame, that.

BRING THE PAIN (FEATURING BOOSTER)
The lead single, and a good choice at that. Dear God RZA's digging deep with these samples, looping an unrecognizable Jerry Butler voice bit that lasts less than a second and milking said loop for all its worth. The result is winter sewage levels of grimy boom bap, which is apparently the type of beat the star attraction's most comfortable performing over. And you bet your fucking butthole, he lets you know what time it is. Mef brings it all, baby: Wordplay, punchlines, flow, you name it. Dancehall aficionado Booster quotes some patois from troubled reggae artist Ninjaman after Mef finishes his lines, an act which neither added nor detracted from the overall end product so, yay? This song is a home run, no doubt.

ALL I NEED
May I present to you a main factor in Cliffy Clifford Smith's sex symbol status enduring to this very day, and the very first solo Mef song I've ever heard. Apparently, Mef never wanted this song on any type of album. However during their promotion of their group's classic debut, RZA noticed that Mef was getting a little extra attention from the ladies. Because he had eyes, you see. What he also had was a brain. So, as soon as he caught wind of these lyrics, he aggressively begged Mef to record them on wax. RZA plays the notes from a Marvin Gaye 60s classic and couples them with, once again, some Synthetic Substitution. Upon hearing the result, Mef flies into his dedication to his significant other in a manner he typically reserves for some hardcore shittalking. And therein, my fellow lonely soul, lies the importance of delivery in our chosen genre. Because otherwise, the lyrics to this shit would've completely derailed the track. Instead, we have arguably the greatest love song in hip hop history. Further begging was needed when RZA suggested to Mef that this shit be his third single. And that's how Method Man ended up with a Grammy, folks. Another common mistake is that Sean John Combs, known on this site as the revolting Comby, produced the Mary J. Blige-assisted remix of this song that won the Grammy while in truth: The highly-superior-to-both-cuts Razor Sharp Remix, of RZA's making, is the real culprit. I liked where he hilariously placed some opening notes from a corny Earl Klugh song as a prelude to that particular beat, as if to say: "That's not how we do love songs over here." The shit also featured Blige, of course. Furthermore, the Comby remix wasn't even Comby's own work. It was done by the Trackmasters (According to Trackmaster Poke, anyway), who admittedly did an interesting job, even though they looped the Marvin Gaye trademark sample wholesale (which was per the status quo at Bad Boy HQ). And the vocals for the Trackmasters version were redone by Mef, losing the earnestness of his original performance along the way. A problem the RZA remix never had because he smartly used the original take. I vastly prefer the RZA remix, as you can tell, but the album cut's fine by itself.

WHAT THE BLOOD CLOT
Mef switches up the lyrics this time by mixing a dash of thuggery with his usual dose of punchlines, which works better than you'd think. Apparently, Mef was royally pissed at his fellow Clansmen after an argument on some plane, after which he fired up All In The Mind by Erick Sermon on his Walkman and wrote the bars you hear here dissing the hell outta them! All set to another RZA recipe from the leftest of left fields. I guess I ended up feeling a bit disappointed that this track is merely a one-verse wonder followed by Mef contracting RZA's shoutout virus. Impressed that he snapped out of shoutout zone quicker than his Wu brother, though. I'm also particularly cracked up that RZA still found a way to throw in some shoutouts of his own. Anyways, this song remains infinitely more significant than that new 2 chainz/lil wayne collabo album you're waiting for, which is the least amount of praise I can give it.

METH VS. CHEF (FEATURING RAEKWON)
There's that beat from the intro again! Bobby, what're you doing? Let Mef tear that beat a new digestive system, already! Of course the beat is cut off, never to be heard on this album again, and we get a spacey beat from RZA set to a famous Joe Tex drumline. RZA chooses this moment to include a battle he recorded in the studio between Mef & Chef. (Kudos to that title, seriously.) Rumor has it that this track is why Mef was the one who received his eponymous solo outing on the group's debut, the only one besides GZA's Clan In Da Front, and not the others but I don't believe that for a second. Mef & Rae impressed, but Rae's fuckup slightly detracts from the experience. Still a very good song, though. Side note: Rae. When it comes to punchlines, never fuck with Mef again.

SUB CRAZY
RZA presents his weirdest production up to that point, assisted by a certain Selwyn Bougard bka 4th Disciple. He's really attempting to surprise everyone listening to these records with his choices as much as he possibly can. Most surprising of all, the beat still works! Mef responds by playing his imagery card this time, while still giving you his regular serving of punchlines. He also experiments with wordplay for three bars in the second verse and succeeds ingeniously. I friggin love this song!

RELEASE YO' DELF (FEATURING BLUE RASPBERRY)
The second single. I never cared for Blue Raspberry's interpolation of I Will Survive, especially in the intro to the track. Everything else on here elevates this song to being my absolute favorite Method Man solo performance on this album, bar none. The Herb Alpert trumpet loop with the sped up Make It Funky drum sample, previously used on the Wu's classic 7th Chamber, combine beautifully act as the perfect punching bag to Mef's lyrics, which he gifts to you via his loudest delivery to date. This shit tops his performance on the aforementioned 7th Chamber, trust me. Mef presents the listener with two beautifully venomous verses filled to the brim with everything a Wu stan likes from him. The reasons why I cherish this track are uniquely similar to Bring The Pain's, yet I edge this song out as the superior one because I enjoyed Mef's delivery and RZA's beat here much more than their work on the preceding single, even though Booster's choice for interpolation far exceeds Blue Raspberry's. I am of the opinion that this song as the lead single would've made that much more sense, even though Bring The Pain is perfectly fine. Moving on.

P.L.O. STYLE (FEATURING CARLTON FISK)
The lone remaining co-production on this album, and it's RZA and Mef in a repeat of their efforts on Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit. I've always dug how the slowed Al Green sample (with, again, the Joe Tex drumline) now sounds straight out of a kung fu flick. Mef introduces George Cooney who goes by the rap name of Carlton Fisk from Inspectah Deck's weed carrier group Housegang (Note that they were called that before every rapper in Slaughterhouse began their fucking careers. Shoutout to Slaughterhouse, though) In fans' minds, Fisky here would forever be associated with Mef instead because of his showings on this album. Translation: He sounds fulfillingly good, with his thuggery complimenting Mef's braggadocio. Next up...

I GET MY THANG IN ACTION
RZA brings the listener back to the grimy side of his nature behind the boards, and Mef is all too excited to unload a year's worth of punchlines on the resulting beat, incinerating it to kingdom fucking come. Adding insult to injury, Mef simplifies his flow enough to make his bars catchy as shit. The Bo Diddley drums sampled here really elevate the adrenaline pumping through you during this experience. Tied with the title track as my second-favorite solo track.

MR. SANDMAN (FEATURING RZA, INSPECTAH DECK, STREETLIFE, CARLTON FISK & BLUE RASPBERRY)
A rendition of the Chordettes' famed classic as a hardcore hip hop posse cut? Genius! Why do I keep distinguishing solo tracks from posse cuts, you ask? Because the Wu have forever made me a posse cut fiend, that's why. Thanks to them, I will always favor good posse cuts to good solo joints, no matter how varying the quality of the beat is. Just so happens that the beat for this track here is my absolute favorite on the entire album.  When a sampler alters one second of a Lyn Collins classic interpretation to sound like theme music to a swarm of bees, you know you're dealing with someone gifted. RZA certainly proves he's precisely that, yet he doesn't stop there. He also sets shit off with his verse brimming with imagery that'll leave marks on your psyche for days. That is, until Deck swoops in with a blistering verse that ruins any chance the remaining MCs have in stealing his thunder.  You have to appreciate the frequency in which the Rebel was accomplishing this feat, especially during the 5-year plan. Not to say Mef and the remaining weed carriers don't leave their mark, hell no. Mef reverts to punchline mode, which is always welcome and Carlton Fisk and a debuting Streetlife impress you enough to give a shit about them when they turn up on future Wu albums. Although in Fisk's case, you had to wait a long-ass fucking time. Fisk would get locked up for at least 10 years shortly after dropping a dope-as-shit freestyle which went by the name Common Denominator with two of his co-stars on Mr. Sandman: Streetlife & the Rebel INS, with Mef conducting the shit. Yes, the one where INS drops the deleted verse he adlibbed bits from on 2Pac's Got My Mind Made Up. May I add how fucking awesome Blue Raspberry is here with her creepy falsetto rendition of the Chordettes' household chorus. By far my favorite track on this album. Scratch that, by far my favorite track of Mef's entire solo career. This shit's that friggin' good.

STIMULATION (FEATURING BLUE RASPBERRY)
You absolutely can NOT top the previous track. No matter what you do, the following tracks will come up short, which is why I'm pissed at Bobby for not ending the album with Mr. Sandman. I will admit though, the speeding up of the opening violins of the Sarah Vaughan record throughout is nifty and very nicely done. Mef's lyrics make this song pitch perfect for a live audience, which is why the fact that he never performs this song live in recent years puzzles me to no end. Maybe it's because of Blue Raspberry's smelly-ass performance of Stimulation's horrid hook. How can you top possibly your best career performance immediately with one of your absolute worst?! Shit's not computing, boo. Other than that, I'm perfectly fine with this song.

METHOD MAN (SKUNK MIX)
My opinion of this song has not changed since I reviewed it here. I will say that RZA completely blew the tracklisting of the last two songs. Everything prior was copacetic.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This album's status as the first solo album from the Wu camp was a master move. It accomplished every goal it was intended to make. Allowing Mef's talent to be noticeable by mainstream entertainment in general by selling a shitload of copies? Check. Exposing everyone debuting on this album to a much wider audience? Check. Cementing RZA's growing reputation as a producer? Check. Most impressive of all, these two did it on their own terms. That's right, I said the two of them. For I think it's essential that this album be identified as a collaboration (Y'know, just like the rest of the Wu solos during RZA's five-year-plan.) more than a true solo album, where all final decisions are the artist's to make. I love the fact, though, that this album is a strong candidate for most consistent Wu solo ever. Ingenious, unorthodox production choices came in droves, the punchlines struck the right balance of quantity vs. quality and there was not a single radio-friendly track in sight. Even the "ladies song" had to be remixed while adding Mary J. friggin' Blige to the proceedings for it to win the dreaded Grammy. And it was the grimy-ass RZA remix that did it, not the polished Trackmasters version. Oh. you thought I was gonna credit Comby? Yeah, and I eat raw camel liver for my daily source of protein.

WORTH IT? Go get this shit, and if you see RZA these days: Shove this album in his face, tell him to stop fucking around with Kanye's diva finger-free ass and let him know that this is what we need to hear from him in the present.

TRACKS TO TRACK DOWN:
THE RIDDLER
I'm a Jim Carrey stan, I admit it. There's something about his 93-04 slapstick movie performances, even when stealing the scenes in movies as shitty as Batman Forever, that resonates with me on a corporeal level. Naturally, I never bought the movie's soundtrack because I was too busy reciting his lines from the movie word for word or staring at Nicole Kidman's then-fine ass through my teenage-hormonial-raging-hardon-influenced eyes. As I got into the Wu much later I discovered that the flick's OST contained a theme for Jim Carrey's Riddler by Mef that was not included in the movie, so I had to hear the shit. I was blown away by the beat, in which RZA interpolates the corny '66 Batman cartoon theme into a demented hymn fitting Jim Carrey's performance like a glove. Delighting in the resulting music, Mef immerses himself completely into the mythos portrayed in the movie by filling his first two verses with imagery befitting of the subject then dedicating the final verse to a story depicting him as the Riddler during a crime-filled night in his life. The verse ends with the Batman hot on his heels. I find this shit worthy of my time and definitely of yours.

NO HOOK (SHAQUILLE O'NEAL FEATURING RZA AND METHOD MAN)
Since I'm not likely to review any Shaq album anytime soon, I'll highlight this track of his that he did with Mef and RZA. I may do this with other artists in the future, depending on the significance of the song to the review. In this case, this song was surely recorded during the Tical sessions so it fits the bill. RZA crafts another grimy self-made beat around a famous Labi Siffre drum sample, then starts off the song by spitting a verse that is damn underwhelming. Fortunately though, Shaq and Mef pick up the remains admirably with Mef predictably coming out on top as the best of the three. I really did not expect to write the following words: Shaq lyrically trumped RZA on a track. Still a fine song, though. And we're done.

The Wu saga continues here, and the rest of Mef's solo shit is here.