June 03, 2004 @ 9:00 pm

Method Man - Tical O: The Prequel (Def Jam)

Damien Lemon

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Maybe he's just burned out, but lyrically, Method Man does not bring the pain on his latest album, Tical O: The Prequel. The once standout Wu-Tang Clan member, who got heads open in '93, sounds stuck in a rut.

Maybe he's just burned out, but lyrically, Method Man does not bring the pain on his latest album, Tical O: The Prequel. The once standout Wu-Tang Clan member, who got heads open in '93, sounds stuck in a rut. Weak lines-such as, "I'm the new era like ball caps," or "#1 like P.E. or Tracy McGrady"- plague the album. The disc's saving grace is its cohesive production. On "The Prequel," Rick Rock offers pounding drums over a writhing bass line, while P. Diddy and Dofat provide the djembe drum-fueled explosion "Say What." On the other hand, the CD's numerous collaborations are hit-or-miss. Ghostface injects some much needed Wu chemistry on "Afterparty", while Busta Rhymes and Meth deftly go back and forth and the lead single, "What's Happenin'," where Johnny blazes: "I'm just a boy in the 'hood with furious styles." Yet both the Ludacris-assisted "Rodeo" and "The Turn," featuring Raekwon, sound recycled and dated. "My career is like somebody put gum in your chair, and now you're stuck with me," Meth spits on "Act Right." And that sums up this album, for better or for worse.

Article tags: Method, Man, Tical, O, Prequel, Def, Jam 

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