Someday within the mid-’90s, Technique Man & Redman joined the ranks of issues that simply go collectively. Like Kobe and Shaq, the 2 blended their presents with preternatural synergy, maximizing their strengths. Nevertheless it took some time for his or her partnership to develop into official. Followers received previews on tracks like Tupac Shakur’s “Got My Mind Made Up,” LL Cool J’s “1, 2, 3,” and the hazily trendy “How High.” They lastly received the complete factor on Blackout! Launched in 1999, the challenge blended Meth & Pink’s kinetic chemistry with dynamic manufacturing for a showcase that bolstered their solo legacies whereas securing a brand new one as a premier rap tandem.
Blackout! is equal components mischief and mastery, with Meth & Pink’s technical wizardry matching their eccentric creativeness. Riddled with creative threats and somersaulting stanzas, “Mi Casa” feels prefer it belongs in a comic book e book. “Actin like bitches/Dirty Dick n****s look suspicious/Ain’t physically fit for the fitness,” Meth spits, flaunting a speech author’s phonetic management. The catchy two-part hook solely reinforces the electrical energy. “Cereal Killer” makes a ’70s disco pattern a canvas for a step-by-step homicide information; it’s a macabre idea, however you could possibly simply as simply see your grandparents two-stepping to it on the dance ground. The observe turns into a self-contained battle for absurdity, with Meth & Pink one-upping one another in successive verses.
Tracks like their “How High” remix injected the LP with among the weed-positive tradition they’d assist make much more in style in subsequent years. Their cadences are as diverse as their soundscapes; the 2 can jitterbug round mutated G-Funk (“Y.O.U.” ) or slice via increase bap (“Cheka”). The jittery dystopian bassline of “Da Rockwilder” seems like a transmission from the longer term, whereas Redman’s playful climax — “La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la”— stays one of the crucial thrilling moments of the document.
A long time later, Blackout! stands as an arrival and a victory lap for a reliable rap supergroup. It debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and acquired widespread important acclaim. It’s gone platinum. As a challenge, it stands because the uncommon partnership that succeeds with out compromising the parents at its middle. They dropped a sequel, Blackout 2, in 2009, and the challenge was additionally highly effective. However there’s nothing like the primary time. Unpredictable, electrical and trippy, Blackout! performs out like probably the most thrilling blunt-ride. As soon as the smoke cleared, Meth & Pink stood as one of the crucial indelible duos in rap historical past.
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