Method
Man and Redman,
Outsidaz
Roseland
Theater
8 NW 6th Ave., 224-2038 9 pm Saturday, April 8
$29
Jammin' 95.5
FM will broadcast Saturday "RAW" live from the Roseland
Grill during the show, 9 pm-2 am. Admission is $10, $5 with
a Meth/Redman ticket stub.
whip--(n.)
a car
Redman's albums:
Whut? Thee Album; Dare Iz a Darkside; Muddy Waters;
Doc's Da Name: 2000
Method Man's
albums include Tical and Tical 2000: Judgment
Day
Last year's Hard Knock Life tour featured four of the top
commercial hip-hop artists of '98, blessing the nation with
the dopest live rap show of all time. One of the joys of
watching Jay-Z, DMX, Method Man and Redman do their thing
at the Rose Garden was remembering their days as underground
champs.
The majority of the millions who purchased these four cats'
smash albums probably don't recall the days when Jay-Z rocked
the mic with Big Jaz in the late '80s, or when DMX was known
strictly by word of mouth. Virgin hip-hop listeners aren't
likely to know the details of Method Man and Redman's résumés
either, making this Saturday's Roseland appearance by this
gritty duo essential for all who want to be educated about
the culture.
The legendary duo EPMD introduced Redman to the Hip-Hop
Nation in the early '90s. Heads quickly fell in love with
his steez. The brother also known as Reggie Noble made it
known he was a big weed smoker, riding funk beats like no
other while drawing rib-shaking laughter with his wild-ass
lyrics: "I scored 1.1 on my SAT and still push a whip with
right and left AC."
The single "Method Man" fanned the Wu-Tang Clan's flame
into a roaring fire. Meth rocked the underground with his
melodic baritone on the track and quickly gained a rep for
having unlimited styles and changing his cadence many times
in a single song. He deftly combines aspects of pop culture,
street life and metaphysical theories into poetical masterpieces,
icing the cake with methodical, varied deliveries.
And of course, like Redman, he constantly confesses his
love for Mary Jane.
When the two combined for singles "How High" and "Big Dogs,"
there was a cry for more. Their energetic set at the Hard
Knock Life concert made an album collaboration all but necessary.
Last fall, Red and Meth satisfied fans' appetites with Blackout,
their first full-length project. With production handled
primarily by the Def Squad's funk maestro Erick Sermon and
the Wu-Tang abbot RZA, the album appeals to commercial audiences'
need for party music while providing gritty lyrics for the
heads.
The singles from Blackout have enjoyed mad radio
play, and the videos are shown love on both BET and MTV.
The deep funk of "Tear It Off" and "Y.O.U." moves the crowd
on the dance floor. "Da Rockwilder" hypes up Trail Blazers
Jermaine O'Neal, Damon Stoudamire and Rasheed Wallace before
games. And the album's raw tracks for hip-hop lovers give
respect to the culture with references to Run DMC, A Tribe
Called Quest, Cypress Hill and X-Clan.
Fortunately for those who missed Redman and Method Man
during their previous visit to Portland, the two are going
to tear the roof off the Roseland this Saturday. If you
don't own Blackout, go cop it and memorize all the
hooks so you can be an active participant in the show. Inactivity
might cause you to blackout from the contact high
you're sure to catch.
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Willamette Week | originally
published April 5,
2000
|
