You probably know him as Wu-Tang’s most prominent clansman. But with the 24 years in the business, many have come to see Method Man transcend beyond being ‘just a musician’.
The man we have today isn’t just a Hip-hop artist, not just comic personality, nor an on-screen actor—In many aspects, Method man has earned the justice of becoming both a well-known and well-respected icon for pop-culture.
Although rather cliché to say, every artist has their share of applause and criticism, Method Man was by far no stranger to both. However, exactly ten years ago, August 29th 2006, Meth dropped a controversial album that featured a struggling musician striving to rise above unmerited hate.
But perhaps the most profound ingenuity in Method Man’s 4:21… The Day After lies in his implicit allusions to the true essence of Hip-hop: Sending a message that deserves movement, and not merely an effort to appease audiences.
“The national weed smoking day is 4/20, so I named my album 4/21,” explained Meth, “Because after that day, you have this moment of clarity when you’re not high and you see things clearly”.
The party’s over, the lights are all out, the album speaks of Meth realizing that. But that image, along with Meth’s satirical metaphor simply prove that intoxicating highs only last for as long as the night goes, and it takes clarity—a defining moment—to identify where the road goes from here. The album is Meth’s answer to the latter question.
Despite numerous criticism, Meth’s fourth studio album earned Billboard 200’s #8 spot and held strong at # 4 for the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Although many esteem the applause to the myriad of artists involved in its production, it doesn’t take excruciating observations to identify Meth’s lack of desire nor sense of urgency to utilize them as props to overwhelm.
At the core, the album flaunts an unfamiliar more-serious persona as opposed to Wu-Tang’s playful frontman, the seriousness perhaps implying Meth’s vehement passion towards his craft and the message he seeks to send through it.
Perhaps every artist nods to Method Man’s Parable of Weed Day, because truthfully, every individual (not literally of course) either has faced or will face the whole “5 minutes of fame” high, only to find themselves at a crossroads, and it takes a moment of clarity to perceive the path of true artistry.
It’s been ten years since 4:21—a decade since Meth’s own moment of clarity. It doesn’t take much research to see where “the road less travelled” has taken him. And that deserves recognition.
By Jods Arboleda for RAPStation.com
