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That first album was great! When’s the next one coming out?!?

Ever get that album from an artist that just floors you with its brilliance? That album that you just can’t stop listening to, ‘cause it’s like angel whispers tickling your aural g-spot? You swear it’s the best thing since sliced bread, and you can’t wait for the follow-up album. . . .then it never materializes? I know I can’t be the only one who’s had to deal with this. In any event, I was jamming to my iPod the other day, and had an itch to hear “Run 4 Cover” by Redman and Method Man. Along with the ubiquitous Ghostface Killah and Wu-affiliate Street Life, the track blazes from start to finish, and features one of the sickest beats the RZA has ever produced outside of the first Wu-Tang album. But as fun as it is to listen to, whilst emphatically nodding my head and making wild hand gestures on the subway, as commuters try not to stare, I can’t help but be reminded that in the nine years since its release, there’s been no proper follow-up to Redman and Method Man’s collab album, Blackout!.

When I actively become a fan of rap and hip-hop, Redman and Method Man were artists I gravitated to the most. Not that I knew nothing of the music, but I never made that much of an effort to seek it out until I started going to high school in Canada. I would borrow CDs from my classmates, and listen to the hip-hop music block on a radio station that broadcasted out in the boonies on a very weak frequency. But it was enough for me. I’d eventually discover Red and Meth’s “How High”, and I couldn’t believe how well the emcees worked together as artists. So imagine how happy I was when the pair finally released Blackout! in 1999. The album exceeded my expectations, and felt more like a gritty underground record than anything else. The combination of Method Man’s laid-back persona and Redman’s brand of Animal House-style gross-out humor was perfect. Tracks ranged from playful and silly to being downright sinister. Production from Eric Sermon, The RZA, Rockwilder, and others just made for a near-perfect musical experience.  So what happened?!?

It’s not as though the two emcees had a falling out. They went on to star in a moderately funny feature film, a tragically unfunny sitcom on Fox, and they still make guest appearances on each other’s solo albums. So what’s keeping them from blessing us with Blackout! 2? Not that I haven’t been happy with the rap music I’ve discovered over the years, but there’s just something I’ve been missing that I feel only Red and Meth can offer. And lord knows I can always go for seeing them perform live again. The first time I saw them in concert, it ended with female audience members joining their entourage on stage and either going topless or getting completely naked! Now that’s getting your money’s worth!