In a not so distant past, Wu-Tang Clan ruled the land and Method Man was its crown prince.
The year was 1994, and the Wu were taking the rap game by storm. It was a time of oversized hoodies, Carhartt, and Timberland. bu*ter leathers, army fatigues, and skullies. Bubble gooses, Five-Percent Nation, and gold fangs. Hip-hop's "Golden Era" was coming to a close, and the music was preparing for its global commercial dominance that would take shape a couple of years later. Those special years of '94-'96 have been described as a "Silver Era," hip-hop grappling with its own identity and coming to terms with the delicate balance of art and commerce that all underground music movements inevitably go through.
In retrospect, the oversize clothing of the era can be viewed as a metaphor for the larger-than-life theatrics of its legendary storytellers. Unlike today's rappers who have the luxury of access, MCs of yesteryear were still fighting to be heard and it sometimes took outsized personalities to deliver the message. With Superman-like stamina and verbal agility, Method Man emerged from this endless sea of rhyme spitters like a phoenix from the ashes.
Fresh off the success of their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Wu-Tang members RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty ba*tard, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, Ghostface k**ah, and U-God were all uniquely positioned through a landmark deal with Loud Records to pursue solo success. With an eponymous breakout single, "Method Man," and a blazing hook on "C.R.E.A.M," the charismatic Method Man quickly set himself apart from the rest of the crew. Easily the group's most visible and popular member, Meth had hip-hop heads thirsty for his solo album and logically became the first Wu member to go for self.
Released in November of 1994, Tical is a certifiable hip-hop cla**ic that showcases Meth's linguistic versatility and always entertaining, at times brilliant, wordplay. Meth has since remarked that the album was recorded during an unfocused period of his life, but that just illustrates the remarkable lead he had on the the rest of the rap pack at the time. Two decades later, the album continues to impress. With Meth's smooth delivery and deep vocal tone perfectly complimenting RZA's rough, rugged, and raw esthetic, Tical stands out as one of the more intimate Wu projects of the period.
Produced exclusively by RZA - save for "Sub Crazy" and "P.L.O. Style" which were co-produced by 4th Disciple and Method Man, respectively -- Tical is a dark, brooding effort that mixes deep soul wails and rumbling ba** with eerie synth lines and Kung-Fu flick dialogue. The result is an uncompromising, and surprisingly cohesive, set that sounds as if it was recorded in a hyperbaric chamber. Meth effortlessly slides into the sound, his husky, yet dexterous vocals bringing a sense of urgency to the tracks that speak to the spirit of the era. This is not hip-hop obsessed with playing nice and searching for approval, especially not on its own terms.
Its title an ode to both a sweetened blunt and Meth's sobriquet, itself an homage to his love of weed, Tical is a smoky, hazy affair that lives up to its name. The album's first single "Bring the Pain," built on a meditative and menacing soulful vocal loop, delivers on its promise of Meth's verbal a**ault. His fast-paced delivery and effortlessly nimble flow is on full display here, exhibiting a linguistic dexterity unrivaled among his peers.
The album's final single, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," was in fact a remix of Tical's "All I Need" featuring Mary J. Blige. It scored Meth a GRAMMY® and sealed his fate as the reluctant heartthrob of the crew. He and Mary were hip-hop and R&B royalty, and the track serves as an early example of the "sensitive thug" ethos many rappers are still following today. RZA opens up the track for the remix, giving Mary room to soar over the driving beat and tiny flourishes of keyboard work that appear throughout.
While the singles drove the album to gold sales, it was the strength of stand-out album cuts like "Meth vs. Chef," "P.L.O. Style," and "I Get My Thing In Action" that sealed the deal on the album's cla**ic status. Revealing the competitive nature of the Wu camp, "Meth vs. Chef" featuring Raekwon pits the two rappers against each other as they trade verses in pursuit of the belt. It was common for RZA to make the Shaolin MCs battle it out for ownership rights of a beat, and the track serves as a historical document of the process. It's safe to say this one went to Meth, both literally and figuratively.
Twenty years ago, hip-hop was in a much different place. Method Man's Tical is testimony to an art form still finding itself, searching for its identity in an increasingly commercial music landscape. While today's fantastic tales of luxurious living bear more resemblance to Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Meth revealed a reality more befitting of the Poor and Dangerous. More nightmare than fantasy, Tical demands attention with a grit and honesty rarely heard any longer and will always remain one of hip-hop's high water marks.
ANDRE TORRES
Editor-In-Chief, Wax Poetics