“After The Smoke Clears” – Method Man’s 4:21
GENERAL By TC on April 21, 2009 at 11:24 pm
When you’re young and reckless, having fun is generally the prime agenda. But as the years roll by, you tend to see the error of your ways and a heightened level of maturity mirrors everything you do. Three years ago, Method Man actually used his ashtray for once and let clarity dominate the course of rhymes to deliver his best joint to date 4:21…The Day After.
Comprehensively speaking of course. Few will argue that the buzz circulating his first release, Tical and most recent offering were created equal. In fact, 4:21’s biggest promotion device was it’s non-promotion all together. In 2006, unless your name was T.I. or you slung ringtones out of your trunk, chances are you help lay the foundation for the mansion of Billboard bricks that debut every Tuesday. Despite boasting big production from RZA, Scott Storch and top shelf cameos from Redman, Fat Joe and several Wu-Tang members, Def Jam put the lid on the album’s celebrity before Meth even finished recording. Nare nadda video and barely a peep of radio play, the biggest exposure came courtesy at the hands of Nick Cannon of all characters when Meth performed “Say” on an episode of MTV’s Wildin’ Out.
But coincidentally, the lyrical strength of the album held up even when the production ranges from great (RZA’s bong-banger “4:21″,) decent (“Konichiwa Bitches“,) to bland (the dry radio attempt “Let’s Ride” featuring Ginuwine). Ever the wordsmith, Johnny Blaze dropped jewels as heard on Havoc’s adrenaline rush “Somebody Done Fucked Up,” with darts like “Man, these fiends know my past work/held a monkey until they back hurt/Money talking/wonder what that’s worth/And MCF, means Cash First shit,/picture the kid/On the beach in Hawaii/minus the grass skirt…” in case you wondering if the well went dry.
Because most of the album’s subject matter did revolve around the relevance of his character opposed to what critics and the media have said about his past work, you’re favorite rap publication may have given the album just a so-so review.
Whatever.
Meth released his most cohesive album without radio play or the backing of his Def Jam. “Fall Back” was the tunnel banger that never happened. But with today’s southern club music takeover, who knows if it would have got spins in the first place. “Presidential MC” was the “wu-banga” everybody screamed for but didn’t know existed. While all the lonely stoners dwell on the memories of yesterday’s high times, Method Man moved forward and made a creative leap simultaneously.
How’s that for Detox?
Download — Method Man – 4:21…The Day After
Posted in GENERAL, MUSIC, REVIEWS, SMOKE BREAK, STRAY SHOTS — Tags: 4:21...The Day After, Method Man, Redman
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30 Comments
METH!
ima check it out on the strength
To this day I have never listened to this album….
Of course it’s because I never knew that it existed…
Then after there was no promotion for it, I figured it was the equivalent of dirty diapers.
I’mma give this a listen in the morning.
this album is criminally slept-on…nice lil write up/reminder TC…that is all.
I’mma go back and re-listen, but as far as I’m concerned Meth fell off harder than a fat girl on a motorcycle after Blackout!
This album is dope
I actually bought this one. Still gets spins. Very underrated and highly recommended. The first 4 or 5 songs are a murderers row of bangers.
totally agree… 4:21 was dope, played it on constant rotation when it came out… like dude said it was/is criminally slept on
the track w/ Rae = fiyahhhh
I don’t think I ever heard of this….
wait, wasn’t this when def jam dropped a few dope albums that no one knew about? didn’t this drop the same day as a roots album or something? And the Redman album that came out was dope too
Yes. This came out the same day as Game Theory. Wonder where Meth’s promotion budget went…
And Patrick M. was around for that Redman album.
This album does have a lot of great songs. Not sure if I’d take it over Tical though. “The Glide” is my jam though.
A little something that is going on in the AUC next week….
http://www.hiphop2020.org/conferencebrochure.pdf
i agree, this album is more than well worth a listen.
The Styles P & Fat Joe track was an opportunity wasted. Otherwise, a more strict editing would have turned the album into a near-classic. Still, half the tracks rock hard.
Bought this when it dropped, didn’t like the production and i still don’t
I forgot how dope this album was…def was one of the best of that year. Real hip hop!
yo i agree with you 100% percent, i like 4:21 more than tical
This album is fucking dope!!! I bought it the day it dropped, well worth the money. Co-sign to Jesse H, that “Glide” track is my joint.
This album is dope as hell I still pull it out from time to time I got it when it came out I hate how much it’s slept on
I REALLY liked Tical, so I think that its gonna be hard for any of his albums to beat that one… but if it’s better than T2: Judgement Day (which I liked as well, but not nearly as much) then I’ll be happy.
dope album, never left rotation. always thought it was funny that “Say” was the only single and in it meth pretty much called that this album was gunna be slept on lol.
Also, funny/interesting quote from the wikipedia article:
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In regards to RZA’s contributions to the album, he said:
“RZA was the first name I said when I spoke to Jay-Z, when he signed off on the album budget. I’m happy with the outcome, but I think RZA could have had a little bit more input, but he was busy at the time.”
This is just more RZA on production, shit like that. But some of the shit I couldn’t do, because some of these producers were screaming out these niggas want a $100,000 for a track. Fuck that! Kiss my ass. I’m not paying nobody a $100,000 for shit, unless I can live in that mothafucka. Straight up. So that’s what that is right there. But it’s what I feel is the best I could do.
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This album is dope as hell I still pull it out from time to time I got it when it came out I hate how much it’s slept on
___________
give punctuation a try. period.
Im gonna cop this album! U kno Judgement Day wasnt bad , matter fact of fact it was hard like a criminal! Meth is a top flight MC who is hard to outshine on a track. Also , Im feelin how u went back to “re-examine” a record that was under-promoted and went copper. There are so many copper-certified albums (The Pretty Toney Album,bothof Cee-Lo Green’s solos) that knock so hard but mainstream fans talk down on them cuz of what they did in the stores. Dope post.
I picked the album up in the bargain rack @ circuit city a year and half ago; this is his best album. The fact Def Jam let this album disappear is one of the reasons the music indusrty is in the trouble it is in.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, trim off a little bit of the filler fat and this is a solid album, start to finish.
Konichiwa Bitches!
Dat 4.21 : The Day After, was cleary DOPE !!!
but his next solo album Crystal Method
WILL BE DAMN… can’t wait but must…cuz
The Blackout 2 !! iz On the Way right Nowwww
I Got to Have it, Konichua Bitches & tHE Glide
>
Great look, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this one since it dropped and it had at least a couple of potential hits in it had Def Jam gotten off its ass. Too bad about that generic-ass cover art, but then again I don’t think Meth has ever had a good one.