Method Man & Redman w/ 8Ball & MJG, Stay Tuned ft. Ichiban, Lily Fangz, High Five and Dirty Bong Water *** EARLY SHOW ***
Event on 2014-04-20 13:30:00
In the dark, womb-like sanctuary of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady studios in downtown Manhattan-a place that has birthed historical musical moments-sits the artist known as Iron Lung, Tical, Wu Brother #1, Johnny Blaze, and of course…Method Man. With a trusty, half-lit blunt by his side, he is lounging in front of white grand piano, his hands sweeping the keyboards, trying to remember a tune he memorized years ago.
Maybe the idea of one of hip hop's finest-and grimiest-emcees tickling the ivories sounds odd, or out of place, but Mr. Mef has never been the type to fit in. His husky, guttural voice is perhaps the most distinct in the game, his flow-dark and complex like the graphic novels from which he took his moniker from-can bury itself in cinematic tracks from RZA, complement the voices of R&B divas and or attack party tracks from Rocwilder. Whether he is trading verses with partner in rhyme, Redman, crowd surfing at a Wu Tang show, or stealing a scene in various television shows and films, Method Man is a true individual spirit. With his latest album, 4:21, The Day After, he is also focused on being a true artist.
Unlike some previous efforts-where Meth admits his priorities were different-on this new album, he says he's focusing on lyrics. After his last album, Tical O: The Prequel, he went through an especially rough time in his life-both personally and professionally-which provided him with a bulk of material. "I had a lot on my mind at the time and the second thing was, I decided to really talk about something and I had a lot to draw from and when the pen hit the paper it was like damn, remember this? And by the time I was done it was like shit, let's go." The result is his most personal and introspective work yet.
Doing the work behind the boards on 4:21, are Wu Tang mastermind and long-time collaborator, RZA as well as Scott Storch, Havoc, K1 and Eric Sermon. "With Eric, we did three songs in three days," Meth says with an amazed smile, "He just comes in with ideas of top. And with RZA, shit, I've watched him build tracks from scratch, so all I really have to do is put the pen to the paper". Eric Sermon provided the beat for Meth's first single, "Say", featuring Lauryn Hill. The track finds Meth addressing critics, fickle fans and haters for disrespecting him and his Wu Tang brethren.
"I've been venting about all this for years and [my manager] was like, 'Write about it, Eric has the perfect joint.' And, Lauryn Hill herself, she just had the raw emotion, the small things she said on the song was enough for me to push my pen and let myself be vulnerable." Meth says his ability to let himself be so open is in line with the entire concept of the album, and its title. "The national weed smoking day is 4/20, so I named my album 4/21 the day after. Because after that day, you have this moment of clarity when you're not high and you see things clearly." The Grammy-winner sighs and continues, a serious, determined look on his face. "You feel like you're not in on the joke, and everyone's laughing at you. I felt like no one was taking me seriously. I got real angry and I just starting writing."
Anger proved to be a great motivator, as the Ticalion Stallion wrapped up the album in a few short months. He says the creative process has been cathartic, and though his skin hasn't gotten any thicker, he's able to use his writing talent to inspire self-confidence. "It's real talk, I'm going to keep my spirits up and not let it get things to me. You know, if you start reading your own press and feeding into it, and you start questioning yourself, like, 'am I wack?' and you have to be like, 'No!' I learned to pat myself on the back, and that it's ok to pat myself on the back sometimes." We definitely agree.
You are now about to embark on a unique adventure where time, sound, and reality all have different meaning. No you won't be hanging with Pee-Wee Herman money, your guide for this ride is none other than Reggie Noble BKA Redman, and the place with all the bass just happens to be The Dark Side. There's no need to go into how Redman came on the scene housin' $ %&! right ? What! Your memory is failing you? Don't ask somebody, I'm about to school ya. After years tearing it out the frame doing classic freestyles across the Tri-state area, Redman burst out upon the Hip-Hop scene in 1991 by catching wreck with his gift of vocab on the EPMD tracks "Hardcore and "Brothers On My Jock."
Soon after he gained more props by releasing his first funky single "Blow Your Mind" off the now Gold debut album "Whut? Thee Album." It contained gem tracks such as "Time 4 some Akshun" and "Tonight's The Night." Besides that, Redman was also a powerful force in The Hit Squad, a crew in Hip-Hop so revered any mention of the name brought instant respect.But that was two years ago, and a lot has happened in between. In 1993 Redman was voted by The Source as the top rap artist of the year. And Now Redman returns to reveal "Dare Is A Dark Side", his highly anticipated follow-up on Def Jam Recordings.
The title for the new platter came easily as the mc has gone through a barrage of stress, trials and tribulations career wise, in addition to the everyday struggle of maintaining out in society. After a quick trip to the corner store for a couple of phillips, he broke it down to me, "My meaning of the dark side is deep and real. All that shit I was GOING thou, I was like "This don't make sense." So you know what? I may just let shit go on this album to the dark side. Everybody's got a dark side, but they don't let it come out by pretending and grinning up in your face, and when they get home, they're on a whole different note. It wasn't about no gimmick. It's strictly real. The shit is dark but it's still funky."
Ah yes, the funk. That word combined with Redman go together like rice and beans. "Dare Is A Dark Side" packs the same quality head-noddin' funk the Hip-Hop nation came to love about "Whut…", but it also contains if possible a heavier bottom groove on 17 tracks. For example the first single, "Rockafella" contains hypnotizing bassline that symbolizes traditional east coast funk, cleverly merged with snippets of samples that will undoubtedly bring mad love from the west. "Rockafella" is also a personal special jam as it's dedicated to his man Rockafella, who was tragically gunned down just before the process of Redman putting him on. Redman states, "He had mad songs and he gave 'em to me because I was trying to let people hear him and stuff.
So I was like fuck it, I can't do nothing but let the world hear him (on the intro). The track "Cosmic Slop" features Redman gettin' biz with his present Def Squad family members Keith Murray and Erick Sermon the only way they know how. "Can't Wait" is a padlock to be a favorite in the rides as it carries the same vein of the previous butter track "Tonight"'s The Night." The joint "Green Island" finds Reggie Noble flippin' lyrics over a Caribbean -type beat to be believed. Other dope tracks such as "Da Game" and "Slide And Rock On" spotlights Redman doing what he does best, rhyming his ass of while even more importantly, showing us his captivating personality that gets heads open. Not too many mc's can lift the choruses from "Hey D.J." and a Prince jam, and in a comedic fashion, flip them, and be talking about blunts, But the treats don't end there.
The funkadelic devil does a wicked duet with Hurricane G on "Werun N.Y." and every single person that dug the first album "Sooperman Luva." Redman has succeeded again on the production tip. He knocked five joints himself, while benefiting from the fly skills of the Funklord Erick Sermon and coming Funky Noble Productions producer Rockwilder who completed the package with him.
With a career that spans nearly two decades, Memphis, Tennessee rap duo 8Ball and MJG have done nothing short of that. And in an era where hyperbole is in no short order when it comes to the latest flavor of the month MC, these two veterans aptly wear their titles of living legends, because that’s what they are and that’s what they’ll continue to be.
Premro “8Ball” Smith and Marlon Jermaine Goodwin (dubbed MJG for obvious reasons) were both reared in households that championed the classic soul sounds of Al Green, Marvin Gaye and the like. They met at Ridgeway Junior High School, where they shared an affinity for hip-hop, but also played in the school band together. It was the early ‘80s, and the hip-hop scene in Memphis at the time was bubbling, infused with music and imagery that people were hearing on the radio, seeing on TV and in movies. “We were in the age of breakdancing; freestyling; Adidas jogging suits; Cazal glasses; donkey ropes and dollar sign finger rings,” says 8Ball, reminiscing. “It was a real hip-hop scene in Memphis for sure. Memphis was like ‘Beat Street’ or ‘Breakin’.”
Their union as a rap group was solidified during their senior year at Middle College High School, an alternative school for students seeking advanced education and college credit. It was around this time they started recording their own songs and becoming more ambitious about having careers as rappers. “We started throwing parties, doing shows,” says MJG. “We had a DJ partner, he used to build his own turntables out of the entertainment system you would have in your living room. DJ Squeeky from Memphis, Tennessee. We would record on whatever was available, instrumentals on wax, or if we had access to drum machines, we’d use that.”
8Ball and MJG initially met success locally, quickly attaining a reputation as a rising rap group. Concurrently, Tony Draper, an aspiring record business entrepreneur, had an upstart indie label based out of Houston, Texas called Suave House. A mutual friend of the group connected them with Draper, and within months they found themselves in Houston, living out of a hotel and recording their debut LP, Comin Out Hard, in the spare bedroom of Tony Draper’s baby mother’s apartment. “We produced the whole album, with records, actual wax that we brought from home,” 8Ball says. “We brought a suitcase full of records and created Comin’ Out Hard from that bedroom.” The project was released in 1993 and was successful in the growing Southern rap market.
Subsequent albums from 8Ball and MJG- On The Outside Looking In (1994) and On Top Of The World (1995)- sold well, and were met with critical praise, thus further solidifying the group as an emerging act in the Southwestern hip-hop scene. They rose along with UGK, The Geto Boys and from their own hometown, Three 6 Mafia. These projects also raised the profile of Suave House Records, a family-like label with a growing roster of artists, that was quickly becoming an independent powerhouse.
The group’s run with Suave House continued through their gold-selling 1997 LP, In Our Lifetime Vol. 1., and eventually a set of solo records for each member- MJG’s No More Glory (1997) and 8Ball’s double album Lost (1998). In 2000, they left Suave House and released Space Age 4 Eva independently through JCOR Records. “Through JCOR, ‘Pimp Hard’ and ‘Stop Playing Games’ were big songs for us,” 8Ball says. “The project we released was successful but the label made a lot of bad records that caused them to go out of business.”
By 2003, 8Ball and MJG were looking for a new recording home. They had multiple deals on the table, but one particular offer, from Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, who they’d had a relationship with dating back to the Mase-era (they appeared on “The Player Way,” from Mase’s Harlem World in ’97), seemed most promising. “We felt it would bring a more organized structure, and maybe better marketing,” explains MJG, of the group’s eventual signing with the Bad Boy South division of Bad Boy Records. “We were trying to take 8Ball and MJG to the next level. Not necessarily saying we’d be there forever, but do something new and keep it moving.”
The signing was met with much hype. It was seen as a strong acquisition for Diddy’s label in what was at the time an exploding Southern rap scene. 8Ball and MJG were considered, as their Bad Boy Records debut title alluded to, Living Legends. The album dropped in 2004, spawned the trunk-rattling hit single “You Don’t Want Drama,” and quickly went Gold. Things were looking up for the group.
It was only a few years later that everything went awry. Their second Bad Boy album, Ridin High, released in March of 2007, wasn’t promoted well by the label, and stalled out at roughly 200k copies sold. The group lashed out at Bad Boy in interviews, blaming them for the project’s failure. A year later they were amicably dropped. “It wasn’t like sh*t was over for us; it was just over for us at Bad Boy,” clarifies 8Ball. “I felt like it was love. Diddy’s reputation, he’s not known for letting a group like us go with no strings attached, which we did. We didn’t owe them anything.”
Dusting themselves off, May 4th, 2010, the Tennessee rap titans finally released their comeback project, Ten Toes Down, through a partnership with TI’s Grand Hustle Records, Push Management and E1 Music. Explaining the album title, MJG says: “Ten Toes Down means staying humble and true to what you do, to who you are. To reach forward, to reach for the sky, but keep your feet on the ground, and keep yourself firmly rooted to where you come from.”
The buzz single from the project is the Lil’ Boosie-assisted “Ten Toes Down,” which features the MCs planting their feet in the ground over Drumma Boy’s brass-infused production; the first official single is the festive Nitti-produced “DJ Bring It Back,” where Grand Hustle/ Push Management affiliate Young Dro rides shotgun. Other collaborators on the LP include Bun B on “I Don’t Give A F*ck,” Snoop Dogg on “Smokin, Chokin, Locin,” David Banner on “Where We From,” and a surprising cameo from one of the youngest in charge, Soulja Boy.
Despite the unequivocal respect they’ve earned, 8Ball and MJG are appreciative of their position within hip-hop- grateful even- but not necessarily coasting on their past achievements.”Living legends was one of them titles that was given to us,” says MJG. “But now we feel like we’re on the enterprise, only going where no man has gone before; into the unknown, going deeper and deeper into a career that we weren’t even sure would make it this far in the beginning.”
Formerly the trio ManeLine, including partner InkLine, Mane Rok and Deejay Tense changed the landscape of hip-hop music in Colorado forever. The group ushered in a new era of respect from media and venues using their unique style of hip-hop art.
In late 2009 after having opened for Gnarls Barkley and Bassnectar at the first SOCO Music Festival in Denver, they met an untimely road block with InkLine taking a prison sentence. The unfortunate news came at a time of the trio’s rise through the ranks, having just received Spin Magazine’s coveted “next big thing,” mention.
Mane Rok and Tense found themselves creating all new music in 2010, revamping the stage show and rebuilding a rep that seemed to be locked away with InkLine. After a few years, numerous projects and more than a few tours, the duo felt their brand recognition was more than solid. There was one missing piece to the puzzle, however, and it was the media’s understanding of Tense’s crucial role as deejay.
A turntabalist behind the wheels of steel, Deejay Tense is the
backbone of the live show. His dexterity accompanied by visuals and Mane Rok’s bone rattling flow, ManeLine evolved once more. This time into Stay Tuned, a fitting moniker for any artist who has fought for change, go through change, and are looking to change the game.
Stay Tuned.
– Nominated for the Westword Music Showcase 2005-2013 (Solo MC, Crew, Group categories thru the years)
– Nominated for Best Male MC 2013 – 5280 Urban Music Awards
– Nominated for Best Complete Project "Murder He Wrote" 2013 – 5280 Urban Music Awards
"Stay Tuned (comprised of Deejay Tense and Mane Rok) came on next and put on arguably the most impressive show and
certainly the most audacious set of the day. The act's performance was the first that included a visual component, but the elements were combined so expertly, it was not merely an audio show with visuals, it was a complete audio/visual experience.
Even without the video, though, Stay Tuned would have been impressive. With Mane Rok absolutely brutalizing the microphone with blazing cadences and powerful a cappellas and Tense providing scratching that was not only impressive technically but musically as well (plus a frenzied display of incredible skill right at the end), Stay Tuned was the perfect way to close an excellent night at City Hall."
-Noah Hubbel – Westword
Nominated for Urb Magazines Next 1000 (Group-ManeLine)2009
Chosen as Village Voice Medias Best Crew 2009-LIFECrew-Our conglomerate
When choosing a pseudonym to scribe on walls and other prohibited surfaces throughout the country, Mane Rok never once considered its reflection on his life.
Mane Rok. The first,a double entendre referring to hair, in particular that of the King of The Jungle and a throw to 'main,' as in "most important-principal." Rok, however unorthodox the spelling, the word embodies what he does, and what he represents, stability, and a solid nature, even in the face of mistakes.
Mane Rok learned the business from the ground up by working with his revolutionary group ManeLine, which also helped him receive the honor of sharing the stage with major acts such as Gnarls Barkley, Gza & Ghostface Killah of The WuTang Clan, Tha Pharcyde, De La Soul and many more. While being a part of the "best crew" (Westword Best of 2009 Edition-LIFE Crew) in Colorado, circumstance finds Mane Rok moving forward on his own, finally cultivating the solo career he promised himself
Mane Rok takes on the foundation of his music literally, "With this solo effort, the difference is the foundation lies solely with me. Song production is something I'm doing all on my own."
With the EP, the aim is to portray specific transitions in Mane Rok's life. When creating pieces of the song, more personal messages are translated through his writing. A sneak peak video of the lead single "Troubles" Dir By Eric Heights (Credits include music videos with Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, Aceyalone, Prince Po of Organized Konfusion and more,) has found its way on line at youtube.com/manerok and a second video which was created for Fox Sports Network entitled "A-Game" from the 3rd quarter EP release "En Stereo" with 3 The Hardway producer Es Nine is also available at vimeo.com/manerok
Formed in early 2012, High Five is a unique Denver based Hip Hop collective that finds it's roots and inspiration in the break beats and rhyme styling of Hip Hop's golden era. B Rex, Guidence, Question, and CriMseN provide the lyrics, while D.H. Lawrence and Notes share production duties, and Just Say PLZ handles the responsibilities of the DJ. From the funky loops and dusty samples to the fun loving and often thought provoking rhymes, the movement to bring real Hip Hop to the Mile High City is known as High Five!
at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
2637 Welton Street
Denver, United States