I bought this when it came out and wasn't really impressed. Now I can appreciate it more because rap has gotten so bad. This was a Def Jam album but it feels more like current indie stoner hip-hop. Method Man juggles the same 3 topics across every single song: sex, smoking weed & how underrated he is by critics. Now that I'm older, the sex and weed jokes do nothing for me (even though they're as clever as can be) and its the bars about feeling "washed up" that are the most poignant and relatable. Each track is serviceable but the 3 or 4 stand outs are just above-average. He does best when reunited with Wu members. Raekwon appears twice and delivers much harder verses both times and RZA might have the best verse on the whole album. The beats are cool but nothing crazy. I read on Wiki that Method Man didn't feel like spending much on production and it shows. There are some great producers but you can tell Meth bought their most affordable, lesser beats.

The album feels like a solid mixtape and not an album. The whole thing is poppy and commercial but nothing seems destined for radioplay. The hooks are pretty simple and there are no cleaver song concepts to match the clever lyrics. Each song is just Meth riffing on pussy, weed & his skills. Its so obvious to me now that LL Cool J is Meth's biggest MC hero. Its at least more enjoyable than dark songs about hoes, drug dealing, murder & money. Meth keeps it light, funny and mostly respectful.

This was Meth's last project for 9 years and his last for Def Jam. It feels contractual and uninspired but still a decent listen front-to-back. Its not as random and diverse as Ghost and Redman's albums from the same period and I wish the beats and song topics were as stoned and clever as the bars but Meth was probably low on ideas since this was only made only 2 years after his previous album.

6.5/10