Method man and Redman - Blackout! 2

When did the rap game become nothing more than a product to sell? How did the old school get trampled upon by the feet of the new school? Is the rap game even a game anymore? To quote Guru "we had the right idea in the beginning. We just need to maintain our focus. What we do is update our formula's with the times. " Method Man and Redman try valiantly to keep their focus and because of that this album is worthy of a listen. With that said this album doesn't touch the first Blackout but yet has quick glimpses of the classic album.

There isn't another dynamic duo that treats rap as a game more then Red and Meth. Like Batman and Robin, Meth and Red have different abilities but come together strong with how well they flow together and play off each others rhymes. There is obviously a better superhero here though. Method man (batman) has the skill, the flow, the voice, and the hard core nature that reminds us of that 94 east cost rap. However like batman needs robin, Meth needs Red to keep him level headed and to help him keep it real and fun. Red has his corky rhymes that make us laugh like in the song Dangerous Mcees "even Herbie Hancock knows where to rock it." But its Method Man's raps that make the album for example on the song Neva herd Dis B 4 "These niggas want to be biggie, niggas want to be tupac the only problem is you not."

In the song Four Minutes to Lock Down we defiently hit the high point of the album. we here the closest thing to the old Wu-tang Clan as we will ever get. Ghostface Killah and Raekwon join the two and add great versus to the track. Rea rips up the track starting off with "Before all the cussing and the gunfights Don't wanna run Nikes, yeah, scramble when it sunlight" classic wu if you ask me. However the album does have some filler (Mrs. International, I Know Sumptin) and seems to me that Method Man and Redman will never return to what they once were. But if that's the truth its great to hear them still trying to do what they do best, playing the game.

1. Listen start to finish - 13
   
2. Listen again within a week - 13
   
3. Originality - 11
   
4. Advancement - 11
   
5. Remorse - 12
   

Total Album Rating: 60

p.s. lets hope Crownsdown saves us all!