1999 Rewind: Remembering Method Man & Redman’s Blackout!

Are y’all ready to party like it’s 1999? We all love the 90s here at Soul In Stereo, so it’s only right to revisit albums that are marking 25 years in 2024. 1999 Rewind looks back at all your old faves and see how well they hold up.

1999 was full of surprises – among them we received a collabo album from two of hip-hop’s most respected (and hilarious) MCs! Blackout! was one of the most pleasant surprises of the year, and 25 years later remains some of the best work either have produced. My boy Ronald Grant returns to talk about the Method Man and Redman’s joint venture.

Let’s go back 25 years! Talk about your first memories of this album.

Ron: Now Ed, playa to playa, I’m sure we can agree that this was a HUGELY anticipated album in the nine nine, what with Red and Meth both being top tier solo artists at that time. As insane a year that 1999 was for music, it was even crazier because I remember Def Jam being at one of the pinnacles in its history as a label. At the time, its roster was absolutely stacked with the likes of Jay Z, DMX, Ja Rule, LL Cool J, Red, Meth and a slew of others dropping memorable projects one after another. But even with all that going on, Blackout! was still a standout because we were finally getting the undeniable chemistry displayed just a few years earlier in a full album. Everybody wanted to see what Red and Meth would cook up together!

Edd: I have really fond memories of this one, thanks to my younger brother. Although this dropped at the end of September, I got it a month later as a birthday present from my brother (along with Ja Rule’s debut).  There was one little problem – he bought the CDs from Walmart. For the young’ns in the house, Walmart did not sell albums with the infamous parental advisory sticker, which means all their albums had EVERY naughty word bleeped out. That’s quite the listening experience for a late 90s rap album. In his defense, the albums looked just like the uncensored version – same album art, no big label saying WARNING: NO CUSSIN’ HERE – so it was very easy to get fooled into purchasing a clean album.

But it didn’t matter. It was always special getting music from my brother, as he knew my tastes better than anyone in that era, and he knew I’d love the union of Red and Meth. After I got over the initial squeak-clean shock, I rocked it regardless. I played that cuss-less album for years and I still have that very CD today.

What’s your selection for best song?

Ron: “Y.O.U.”

What’s funny is that I don’t remember it being so hard to choose the best song off Blackout! But giving it a fresh listen, I was reminded that there are a good number of contenders! Still, I’ll go with “Y.O.U.” It’s fast-paced, it’s lyrical as hell, it’s a prime display of how effortless the connection between Red and Meth is, and it’s the perfect combination of being laid-back and nonchalant, but also a frantic East coast club banger. Reggie and Cliff definitely zeroed in on something special with this single in particular.

Edd: “How High (Remix)”

I agree with Ron – it was very hard ranking the songs from this project as they’re almost all equally great. That’s probably why our lists are so drastically different – when the quality is this strong across the board, it just comes down to personal preference. And speaking of preference, I know, I know, my No. 1 probably feels like a cheat. It’s a bonus track that was recorded half a decade prior. But it’s still THE quintessential Red and Meth track, the song that spawned this album in the first place. Prior to that song, It never crossed my mind that Doc n’ Tical should team up. After it, I couldn’t believe hip-hop survived without it. A true classic song.

(Also, the album calls this song “the remix” but nope, it’s the same original version from The Show soundtrack.)

What was the best video from this project?

Ron: “Da Rockwilder”

No brainer right here. It’s “Da Rockwilder” without question. Now that we know the story behind it, it truly seems like the throwaway song-turned-classic that nobody expected anything would happen with, and quickly turned into the duos’ signature tune. The video just adds to the mystique by being quintessentially 90s with its hilariously Hype Wiilliams-esque effects and Red and Meth stomping and spazzing around in the baggiest of baggy jeans, untied do-rags and throwback caps like rappers possessed, and I absolutely love it to this day! How can you not?

Edd: “Da Rockwilder”

No contest. I mean, what the alternatives? The goofy wrestling match in “Tear It Off” is cute I guess and “Y.O.U.” is just Every Late 90s Rap Video Ever. “Da Rockwilder” surpasses both in creativity and memorability. Red and Meth bouncing around what looks like one of the ships from Alien is that blend of bizarre dopeness that has become their hallmark.

Which album cut should have been a single?

Ron: “1,2,1,2”

“1,2,1,2” is my pick for this category. I personally judge a song as to whether it could be a single based on whether I can see a video play out in my head for said song. That said, this could have been a dope sequel single and video to follow up “Y.O.U.” and probably could have been played on 106 & Park and TRL endlessly. It’s not like the singles from Blackout! needed any more help, but I could have easily seen “1,2,1,2” as a huge single first on NYC radio and later throughout the country.

Edd: “Fire Ina Hole”

Ron probably won’t feel me on this – he threw this banger at the bottom of his list for some insane reason – but I could absolutely see FIRE IN DA HOOOOOOOOOOOLE being a successfully goofy single. Yes, the hook is laughable but the verses are no joke. Add a silly video with Red and Meth in fatigues literally blowing up the spot of their enemies on the battlefield and this would be a ton of fun.

What’s the most underrated song on the album?

Ron: “Run 4 Cover”

It’s a funky, slippery, silly and fun romp that deserves more credit. True, there are a few tracks that are better overall songs, but from Street’s stellar opening verse that opens the song, to Redman’s shouts of “Bass!” on the first chorus, to Ghostface closing out the track with his signature slang-ridden verse, I think Red and Meth were striving for a sleeper hit, and they got it. I think a lot of the album cuts on Blackout! have more replay value than those on other hip-hop albums, and “Run 4 Cover” makes a good case for itself as one of the main ones.

Edd: “Run 4 Cover”

We agree! “Run 4 Cover” never gets mentioned (and frankly I kinda forgot about it until I revisited the album for this post) but there’s a lot to love here. I adore a good posse cut, and everyone comes loaded for bear. The production is some of the album’s best (more on that later) and the energy is at an all-time high. A supremely underrated track.

We heard a lot of strong production on this project. Which beat went hardest?

Ron: “Mi Casa”

I’ll give it to “Mi Casa,” another joint that feels like it has next single potential. It’s the perfect lead-in to one of the albums actual singles, “Y.O.U.”, but I truly feel like it can stand on its own. Then again, I feel like that about several songs on Blackout! But specifically, “Mi Casa” has that pulsating, deep throb of a beat that does even more to establish how effortlessly Red and Meth trade bars and consistently set each other up for the layup time after time, song after song. And, not for nothing, I also imagine a world in which Fat Joe and Big Pun appear on a “Mi Casa” remix. That would have been insane!

Edd: “Run 4 Cover”

Yep, “Run 4 Cover” wins again. RZA was behind the boards to deliver a track that sounds like a modern-day wild-west shootout. Or better yet, the backing for a big showdown in a Tarantino flick. There’s a subtle epicness to it that makes it tailor made for a big ol’ posse cut. RZA raises the stakes expertly and all four guys go in.

What’s the best verse from someone other than Red or Meth?

Ron: Streetlife on “Run 4 Cover”

My vote goes to Street on “Run 4 Cover.” I get it: This is a surprising and maybe even controversial choice with guest spots by Ghostface, LL, Ja Rule and Missy. But Street has arguably the strongest opening verse on the whole album next to Meth’s opener on “Da Rockwilder.” No, Street doesn’t have the distinctive, gravelly voice of Ja Rule or the re-energized bravado of LL, both of whom appeared on the stellar “4 Seasons”. But as he effortlessly rides the beat, his verse is crisp, distinct, and lands the right punches in the right places every time.

Edd: Ghostface on “Run 4 Cover”

Aight, last time I gas “Run 4 Cover, “ I promise. But Ghostface’s verse takes it. I totally agree with Ron on Streetlife – I remember him being all over Meth’s Judgement Day album and being instantly impressed by him. But even he can’t top Ghostface’s wild imagination on this track. One minute he’s talking about Oliver North masks, then he’s playing the PGA Tour with Jack Nickalus. Does it make ANY sense? Not really, but it just sounds incredibly dope when it come from Pretty Toney’s lips. He sits through the biggest storms and hands out turkeys!

Red vs Meth: Who had the most memorable moment?

Ron: That’s a tough question, mainly due to that natural chemistry I was talking about earlier that, at times, makes Blackout! feel like it could pass for a solo project. Both emcees have tons of memorable bars and hilarious moments off this album, but I’ll give a very slight edge to Meth. And that’s considering that Red has my favorite bar on the entire album on “Maaad Crew” because I’ve always thought that “fire hydrant” bar was so ill! But Meth takes it because along with of all his lyricism, charisma and wittiness, there’s the moment at the end of “Run 4 Cover” where he parodies the ending of “The Blair Witch Project” that is pure comedy gold.

Edd: Another impossible question but when I think of this album, I think of Meth’s opening verse on “Da Rockwilder:”

Microphone checka, swingin’ sword lecture
Closin’ down the sector, supreme neck protector
Better warn them kid, Mr. Meth’s a boiling pot
About to blow his lid from the pressure, too hot for TV
Fo’ sheezy, too many wanna be hard be easy
It’s all n’together, going all out together
It don’t take much to please me

Reading it doesn’t do Meth’s flow justice – listening to him glide so effortlessly over such an unorthodox beat is a masterclass in rap delivery.  Both men bring their A-game on this project but I’d put this verse up there with Meth’s iconic contributions like “Bring the Pain” and “Triumph.”

Which two artists today do you think could have the chemistry for a project like this?

Ron: WHEW! Another tough question. To pull off a project like Blackout! these days would be a major feat because you need to have not only the chemistry between the two artists, but also a certain level of silly-yet-dark humor, pop party anthems, mischievousness and a delicate balance between unabashed confidence and self-deprecation. However, I’m thinking of two duos I think could possibly pull off a 2024 Blackout!, one much more possible than the other. The first would be Doja Cat and Rico Nasty. “Tia Tamera” was a pop rap sensation, and I think the two of them together can find that fine balance between being weird, lyrical, hilarious and dark to create a joint album that at the very least would be hella entertaining, even with Doja being as weird and sus as she sometimes is. The second duo is just me spit-balling: Tyler the Creator and Vince Staples. It would never, EVER happen, but just imagine the potential of how strange, off-kilter, surreal and hilarious a joint album by them could be if both artists fully committed to the buddy movie trope.

Edd: YO, that Tyler and Vince collab is such a perfect response that I want to change my answer now! They definitely would be able to provide that frantic energy and impressive wordplay that the OGs brought to the table. My original pick – Megan thee Stallion and Glorilla – is fine (I’ve been impressed with their work all calendar year) but Tyler and Vince is just too ideal to ignore. Somebody make this happen!

(I know, it’s never happening.)

Is Blackout! better than any Meth or Red solo project?

Ron: Even with Meth being one of the greatest of all time, I’ve always had trouble getting fully into his solo projects. So, personally, I enjoyed Blackout! a lot more than Tical, Tical 2000: Judgement Day and others, for example. As far as Red’s projects, I put Blackout! just a wee bit behind projects like Muddy Waters and Doc’s Da Name 2000 but a good deal ahead of albums like Malpractice and Red Gone Wild. Blackout! holds a supremely special place in both their catalogs and is one of the albums that made 1999 such a standout, colorful and fun year in hip-hop.

Edd: As much as I love Blackout!, I can’t say that’s true. Meth may be an undisputed rap legend, but his solo run is very spotty at best. Still I’d put his debut over Blackout! And I think all three parts of Red’s original trilogy clear Blackout! It’s not either of their best work, but it may arguably be their most fun, and cemented them as one of rap’s greatest duos. And I came to that conclusion listening to the clean version of the album, so you know it’s real.

Are you a Ron or Edd guy? Are you a Red or Meth guy? Let us know who you’re riding with below.