Aging is never easy to do. Growing old in the public eye is even harder. As Hip Hop’s OGs enter their 40’s and 50’s, some have faded away, opting to spend time with their families rather than cooped up in a studio. Others have been less inclined to pass the mic, staging career revivals and making new music for diehard fans that have yet to give up on their favorite rappers. Staten Island spitter Method Man of the notorious Wu-Tang Clan fits into the latter category.
At 44-years-old, M-E-T-H-O-D MAN has returned with his fifth studio album – his first since 2006 – The Meth Lab, a 19-track, feature-filled project sure to draw listens from the Shaolin faithful. But what does The Meth Lab add to the career of the rapper-turned-actor? Leaving his signature raw energy to a number of Staten Island up-and-comers and longtime friends, The Meth Lab is a series of hardcore Hip Hop tracks strung together by drug references and proclamations of greatness that fall short.
On “Straight Gutta,” the album’s second full track, frequent Method Man collaborator Streetlife raps: “The body never lie, call me the mortician / Every death has a story to tell, so pay attention.” The dark imagery is a calling card of the Wu-Tang and their affiliates, just as storytelling is a crucial element of the genre, but what story does The Meth Lab tell? Waiting until the track’s fourth verse to make his appearance, Method Man drops the line, “We getting buku skrilla / My brothers on their grind / Not another Columbine, call me new school killa.” For all the talk of beating down today’s emcees, the statement lacks tenacity, a rarity even for a more laid back rapper like Meth, especially when following a Redman verse.
It isn’t that these lines are particularly weak – Meth still drops jewels like “Had a couple of scuffs, I ain’t saying I’m perfect / I ain’t cursing on the rhyme, but I wrote it in cursive / Quote the verses, boy I flow with a purpose / Get that prometh and a soda, come with the purchase” – but The Meth Lab feels like a chance for the elder Wu-Tang member to coast along, allowing his partners in rhyme to carry the load for him as he plays the role of ringmaster. He’s assembled a nice cast, including Mack Wilds, Cory Gunz, Redman, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa and more, but fails to assert himself as the star of the show, perhaps on purpose to give artists like Eazy Get Rite, Kash Verrazano and Chedda Bang a boost.
That’s not to say that Meth doesn’t have a place on his album. Slower production on tracks like “50 Shots” allow his relaxed flow and poignant lyrics to shine, making his proclamations that much more believable. The back and forth chorus he shares with fellow rapper/actor Mack Wilds also seems to strike a positive chord as the album’s BPM temporarily winds down with “The Pledge,” “2 Minutes of Your Time” and “Worldwide,” a string of highlights before Meth makes a Call Of Duty reference on “Soundcheck,” bringing the album back down to earth.
Even with mentions of hashtags giving the track a more modern feel, “The Purple Tape,” one of the project’s hits featuring fellow Wu-Tang members Inspectah Deck and Raekwon, also shines through. “Hey, lace your boots up, tracks get looped up / The chocolate deluxe gets scooped up / All my pigeons is cooped up, Wu’s up, w’s up / If you ain’t with us, chuck a deuce up and let us do us / Break a promise but not my group up,” raps Meth on the opening verse, his lyrical prowess still tough when called upon, but also serving as a reminder of the album’s inconsistency.
The Meth Lab may be Method Man’s return to solo work, but without a true connection between the tracks the album feels more like a mixtape than an album, a string of songs that range from uninspiring to a reminder that Method Man was once one of Hip Hop’s elite.
Great Album before The Long Awaited “Cristal Meth” !
I mean come on! When I read this I was like what? I have forgiven this website time and time again for the ridiculous ratings for some of the more questionable albums…for example Future’s DS2. A 4/5? Really? Then Young Thug’s Barter 6…again a 4/5 for a album you can’t even hear what he is even saying? Then you turn around a give Method a 3 because there isn’t a cohesion to the album? What were the cohesion to these albums? Drugs? I’m not saying this album is great nor even really good but a 3 isn’t enough. I have an idea on how you should rate these albums. Instead of showing how well you can read a dictionary, give us readers a review standard on how you review albums. Because this album should not be rated behind a rapper who kisses men in public and a doped up auto tuned singer (T-Pain did that better anyway)
DS2 was a much better album than this. I love Johnny Blaze but, this only has 2 or 3 tracks that are ever gonna get any play from me.
I don’t know I’ve been listening to this album for a few days now and while it’s not perfect, it does stand out amongst other releases this year with their more “modern” sound. I enjoyed the “old school” vibe, it felt like a breath of fresh air
method man is so good, why the fuck i gotta listen to 3 other assholes before i get to his short ass verse?
Redman’s an asshole?
Who? Ain’t nobody checkin for this old black man!
“Ain’t nobody” is a double negative. So you’re saying people are checking for him..
Straight dogshit, this was supposed to be a garbage Method Man presents … though WHY he’d want to present THESE fuckinh bums and beats is a Mystery… Dude has NOTHING to say either washed up lazy ass clowning himself.
I agree with the rating if he had less features I probably would of gave it a 4 but a 3 is in no way a bad score its a good album just not great which is a sham considering he can do way better.
Despite it’s flaws this is Mef’s 2nd best album. Production is solid and he goes in on the mic. Some really spotty guest verses but overall this is a solid album.
3.5
i think the album is dope nice flow delivery, the punchlines were on point the bar game definately showed maturity he truly showed why he is one of the og’s the album i would give it a 3.5 production was not up to par but the album definately is worth the listen to all the real hip hop heads
Dope album. I must admit it was way better then I expected with all of the features. I actually thought the album was very cohesive and 13 of the 17 songs are bangers IMO.
I would say a 3 or 3.5 fits this album. There are probably about 5 great songs that I’d listen to on repeat, about 5 decent songs and the rest don’t really appeal to me. I’ll listen to the songs on this that I like. Good effort by Meth. I hope Crystal Meth is better and that it is released somewhat soon.
I am a huge Method Man fan but this album is just features of other rappers that are garbage…. I want to hear Method Man not other people….Huge let down… Back to Tical for me. peace. beats are not that good either.
Good to see one of the GOATs still putting it down #Salute to Meth
2nd best album???!!!! you must be on bath salts then because if you know Meth’s music, then you know Tical is the best by far, and then it was str8 trash and garbage all the way up until that album 4:21 The Day After…..that shit was str8 lava……If you think any different I could give 2 shits less, that’s how it is……
Tical 2000 has a bunch of bangers…just way too many skits and a lack of cohesiveness imo.
Best rap album released for this year 2015 the legendary still stacking trophies that’s my word!
The minute you start a review off with age references you lose all credibility. What the fuck does age have to do with music?? When Meth announced this lp, he said it was going to be more of a collabo effort to put other Staten Island emcees in the spotlight who he feels deserve more attention. You list mention this as a solo album when it clearly and admittedly isn’t. I listened to this cd front to back a few times already and you are way off. The beats (besides a couple) are crazy. Did you listen to this on a system or on your laptop speakers? The sub bass knocks the fuck out! Meth spits his best bars in yeeeeears! Hanz On is real nice with it and tbh..this cd made me wish for a Carlton Fisk/Streetlife lp. They both murder this project. Sometimes I think they should leave veteran reviews to veteran reviewers who have been there and understand the music. This review is horrible. Any 16 on this lp would body ASAP Rocky for instance, and he’s one of the better young cats. Reviews like this are what is ruining up DX overall. Sad.
Co-Signature on everything you just said boss!!!!!
I peeled that for myself (the age reference) and thought to myself, why the age reference? I notice people are acting too gay nowadays.U got so called straight dudes worryin about another niggas age etc smh
Every review from CNN to Camp Lo to now Method Man talks about age the whole time. Corny shit. Learn how to review music for what it is, not for what the current trend is that you might feel they should be following but aren’t. You’d think these guys are in their 80s or something the way they bring up age. lol Either way Wu still killing shit. Respect to Meth for putting his people on…looking forward to the final cd ‘Crystal Meth’..this was an incredible warm up just like he said it would be. Hip-Hop lives
stylé !
5/5
Too much Streetlife. Too much Hanz On. I get he was trying to give them shine but damn those guys were on nearly every fucking track. And I wasn’t into em. Made me not listen after the first go through.
agree…Meth, imo, perhaps has had the most disappointing hiphop career of all the Wu. He was battering ram in the beginning though, fantastic lyricist. Lyrically he hasn’t aged well.
Man look…when wanna hear Method Man I wanna hear Method Man…no a bunch of new fools I never heard of…OG ‘ Z on the album I fuck with but every fucken track with the same dudes on there. Should of just made it a fucken group or compilation album…good thing I didn’t buy it. Smh
man this album his tight as hell! wtf are y’all talking about? are y’all listening to the lyrics? I don’t care who he has on the album…they brought heat too! and the criticism of his lyrics is weightless….lyrics are top-notch. But hey, just my opinion!
This easily should be a 4/5 FOH
Wow, not expecting this. Some old type Wu bangers here.
That is cd is layered with hard lyrical content. The beats are on point well with the wait.. $alute
Definitely a must own and I hope we get Crystal Mef by early next year.
I agree Hiphopdx often rate pretty bad but in this case i must say the Review was ok. 3 is a ok rating and this album is definitely not better than a 3. If 36 Chambers is a 5 which it is, then this mediocre album mos def aint better than a 3 rating.
The problem with dx i agree with others here is that they rate shit albums very high that fucks upp the credibility, but in this case i thought it was ok.
Sorry 4 my bad european English. Peace.
oh…and one more thing. Those of you who says this is the album of the year? I strongly recommend you give Joey Badass – B4 Da Cash, Lupe Fiasco Tetsuo & Youth, Statik Selektah- Lucky and Apollo Brown- Grandeur Another listen.
This album slaps, and the features stood out. Great album, Method Man spit some verses worth reciting.
“… Method Man was once one of hip hop’s elite.” WAS!!?? Are you retarded or what?