Album: The Meth Lab
Release Date: Aug. 21, 2015
Quick Review: While The Meth Lab boasts 17 songs, there are 13 with two or more guests - and two that are completely missing Method Man. It makes sense that the word "mixtape" is never too far from the mention of this album.
But it's actually a pretty good record. Hanz On and Streetlife appear regularly throughout The Meth Lab, so it isn't like some other albums where too many collaborators leave you wondering who the hell is in charge and where the album is going (N.A.S.A. or Handsome Boy Modeling School's White People, for example). On the contrary, having such a consistent trio (including Meth) on board, coupled with the Breaking Bad-tinged theme of the album, helps with its consistency in the way that Raekwon and Cappadonna helped Ghostface along on Ironman. We've even been familiar with Streetlife since he appeared so often on 1998's Tical 2000. I do kinda wish Meth had a bigger share of the album, but since he spent most of 2014 saving A Better Tomorrow I think we can forgive him splitting up duties with his collaborators.
Hype for the album started with the video for "The Meth Lab," which featured Method Man cooking in an RV a la Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, but "Straight Gutta" is the early favorite for me, with Redman dropping a phat hook as our main cast of characters rhymes over it. Streetlife sets it off right and is followed by Hanz On, then Meth. It's a bit indicative of the album's nature that Streetlife and Hanz On both bring 16 bars and Meth just eight, but that's my last word on the subject. Things move right along with the unique flow setup on "Bang Zoom" and the chilled nature of "50 Shots," again with the help of Streetlife and Meth's brilliant opener "Y'all don't get the picture before we focus / Facts, look who back, crooked like scoliosis." The second line is as tight as anything he's done in years with its double entendre - "Look whose back is crooked like scoliosis" or "Look who's back (and I'm) crooked like scoliosis." Good shit.
"Water" is also great, with mysterious piano backing up Mr. Mef's rapping ("Ridin' dirty got a Luger in your lap / Black suit, 7:30, couple shooters from the trap"). "Purple Tape" (with Raekwon and Inspectah Deck) and "Intelligent Meth" (with Masta Killa) are instant classics, which is no surprise since they focus on Method Man and other Wu-generals. "Purple Tape" has an amazing charging beat, too, with big bass and fast piano. Raekwon sounds like he recorded the same day as some of his hottest verses from Fly International Luxurious Art because his energy and flow is off the hook; Deck represents with the same fury as he's had for 20 years which is amazing. On "Intelligent Meth," guest iNTeLL brings the urgency and last-word-emphasis of Phi Life Cypher before giving way to Method Man, who's much more relaxed. Masta Killa still has it too, proving that "Return of the Masta Kill" wasn't a fluke earlier this year.
There are quick skits at the end of songs, with a woman asking Mef where the meth lab is and so on. Killa Sin makes a surprise cameo on "Symphony," then "Another Winter" is a killer track (although Method Man's amazing verse is weirdly missing from the lyrics booklet). Guest Dro Pesci brings Deck-influenced rhymes on "Rain All Day" and the album ends with "So Staten," which is all good except for a criminally awkward hook by Hue Hef.
The Ticallion Stallion has killed it so much lately, it's easy to see why he'd make The Meth Lab more of a team effort. Some of the tracks are a bit lukewarm, but the bangers go a long way in saving the record. "The Purple Tape," "Straight Gutta," "Intelligent Meth" and "Another Winter" are good for offsetting my least favorite tracks like "What You Getting Into" and "Soundcheck." In the outro, Method Man kicks everyone out of the RV/meth lab and promises that "Crystal Meth is comin' real soon," which lends credibility to some critics' complaints that this is more of a mixtape/segue between records, but there's plenty on The Meth Lab to love.
...Bitch.
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