Review Summary: Method Man's irresistible flow and RZA's dark party beats mix for classic results.
Method Man’s 1994 debut album Tical was released as part of a wave of bona fide classic records by Wu-Tang Clan including both its group and solo efforts. Among these recognized classics are Wu-Tang’s Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and GZA’s Liquid Swords. Compared to these efforts, Tical has not enjoyed as enduring a legacy, but is nevertheless an outstanding work by one of the Clan’s most versatile emcees. On Enter the Wu-Tang, Method Man described his rap persona as having “mad different methods to the way I do my ***.” Surely enough, Meth’s verbal skills are second to none in the hip hop world, combining an ear for quality rhymes, a bizarre sense of humor, and a unique ability for changing the accents within the meter by typically delivering a multi-syllabic rhyme before or after the listener expects it. These talents are on display at their finest on Tical, and this trait along with stellar hypnotic beats by the RZA, with samples ranging from Marvin Gaye to Modest Mussorgsky, make this album a must-hear.
The magic of Tical lies in its ability to simultaneously make the listener want to dance and fear for their life with a series of demented party jams. This is thanks primarily to the dark but groovy production by the RZA, who in 1994 was right in the middle of the best streak of his career. This is heard prominently in “Bring the Pain” where we hear an eerie vocal sample and dissonant keyboard pedal tone beneath Meth’s rhythmic and irresistible flow. Similarly, the posse cut “Mr. Sandman” features a simplistic but groovy bass loop coupled with various terror-inducing vocals. This song should also be noted for containing a truly great verse by fellow Clansman Inspectah Deck. Overall, there is nothing lacking from the beats on Tical, with each song bringing its own unique understated funk.
Additionally, Method Man’s lyrical dexterity is on display in every track on the album. It is difficult to pin down exactly what makes Meth’s flow so appealing, but it is undeniably based in his ear for rhythmic accents and overall contrast. Often Meth will use a half-sung half-rapped style that is similarly employed by another Wu-Tang rapper, Ol’ Dirty Bastard. We hear an excellent example of Method Man’s ability to play with accents on the song “Biscuits,” where he raps “Whatever, smokin’ on a Spike Lee joint/Hey I’m mo better, I’m hopin’ niggas get the point/Cause they could never stop the veteran, word to God/When I’m severin’ the head of a mental vegetarian” (Rap Genius). Here Meth distorts the established sense of metrical accent implied by the typical rhyme scheme of the verse. Specifically, the words “never” and “severnin’” place emphasis on the downbeat of the measure when the rhymes had typically been falling on the fourth beat of each measure. This technique is also featured prominently on the title track “Tical”, but it is rare that Method Man writes a verse without incorporating some derivation of this style. It is this aspect of Meth’s lyricism that makes him such a compelling artist both in his own songs here on Tical, or as a featured hook-master on songs such as Raekwon’s “Ice Cream” or ODB’s “Raw Hide”.
One criticism of Tical is that the overall character of the songs on the album is a bit one-dimensional, and thankfully for this it does not run overly long. While Method Man has a talent for manufacturing energetic and charismatic verses, the content of his lyrics lacks an element of narrative or imagery that fellow Wu-Tang emcees such as Ghostface Killah or Raekwon do so effortlessly. Where these emcees come off as street poets in a sense, Meth’s style is more about using language as an instrument to bring groove to any beat he touches. His unique verbal dynamism gives Meth a glowing charisma that makes Tical a certain classic despite what it lacks in other areas. Ultimately, Method Man has created a powerful atmosphere that holds together very cohesively on Tical, so remember to bump this album and join the twisted underworld party.
