Blackout! is the debut album by hip hop

Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

 artists Method Man & Redman

Method Man & Redman

Method Man & Redman, also referred to as Red & Meth, Meth & Red, Doc & Meth or Mr. Mef and Funk Doc, are an American hip hop duo, consisting of rap superstars Method Man and Redman ....

. It is the first full-length release by Method Man

Method Man

Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...

 and Redman after many collaborations. The album continued a string of highly successful Def Jam releases in the late 1990s. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and served as a bit of a precursor to the 2001 major studio film How High. Both rappers enjoyed perhaps the height of their popularity as a tandem after the success of the album and its three charted singles. The singles were also popular videos which were mainstays on MTV and BET. The sequel to the album, Blackout! 2

Blackout! 2

Blackout! 2 is the second studio album by rap duo Method Man & Redman. It was their first album in ten years. The album was released on May 19, 2009 under Def Jam. It debuted at #7 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at #64 on the French Album Charts...

, was released on May 19, 2009.

Background

Originally the name of the album was to be "Amerikaz Most Blunted" and was advertised as that for months before the release, but they changed it to the more commercially acceptable Blackout!. The CD version of the album features three previously released bonus tracks; "Well All Rite Chae" also appeared on Redman's solo album, Doc's Da Name 2000

Doc's da Name 2000

Doc's da Name 2000 is the fourth studio album by American rapper Redman. It was a top seller, initially shipping platinum in sales and reaching platinum sales in less than two months...

, "Big Dogz" from Method Man's Tical 2000: Judgement Day

Tical 2000: Judgement Day

Tical 2000: Judgement Day is the second studio album by American rapper, and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man, released November 17, 1998, on Def Jam Records. The album's title and overall theme were heavily influenced by the apocalypse theories surrounding the forthcoming end of the millennium...

and 1995's critically acclaimed single "How High".

The most popular of these previous collaborations was on the song "How High" from the soundtrack to The Show. "How High" is remixed

Remixed

Remixed may refer to:*Remixed, an EP by Le Car*Remixed *Remixed , 2001*Remixed , 2001*Remixed *Remixed , 2003*Remixed...

 on this album, but the album's three singles, "Y.O.U.", "Da Rockwilder" and "Tear It Off", spearheaded the highly hyped release to go platinum on January 6, 2000, less than three months after the album's release. The album has also been certified platinum in Canada (100,000 copies). The album has sold 1,575,000 copies to date. http://www.hiphopstan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13219. This album is also seen as a hip-hop classic to many fans.

Reception

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

(11/11/99, p. 132) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...a tight-as-drum album in an era of half-assed efforts."

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

(10/10/99, p. 73) - "...when hip-hop's most playfully creative rhyme stylers throw down like two superballs in a rubber room, they're unstoppable - and make rap's most joyous ride." - Rating: A-

The Wire

The WIRE

the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...

(1/00, p. 100) - "...skulk-funk...Redman moans a melody of dank basement isolation, while on 'Cereal Killer' he sabotages over vamping guitar....Meth executes some taut syncopation...on which his syllables alternate cadences with producer Eric Sermon's thumpingest track of the LP."

The Source

The Source (magazine)

The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...

(2/00, p. 95) - Included in The Source's "Top 10 Albums of the Year [1999]."

Track listing

#	Title	Producer(s)	Samples	Time
1	"A Special Joint" (Intro)	Reggie Noble	"Spanish Moon" by Little Feat Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....	1:28
2	"Blackout"	Erick Sermon Erick Sermon Erick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...	Interpolation of "Stick 'Em" by The Fat Boys The Fat Boys The Fat Boys are a successful African American hip-hop music trio from Brooklyn, New York City, that emerged in the early 1980s. Briefly, the group was known originally as the Disco 3.-Members:*Mark Morales a.k.a. "Prince Markie Dee"...	3:43
3	"Mi Casa"	Erick Sermon	Interpolation of "Method Man (Skunk Mix)" by Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...	2:43
4	"Y.O.U."	Erick Sermon	"Electric Relaxation Electric Relaxation "Electric Relaxation" was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's third album Midnight Marauders. It contains a sample of "Mystic Brew" by Ronnie Foster. The beat is notable for being a three bar loop, uncommon in hip hop music... " by A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...	4:03
5	"4 Seasons" (feat. LL Cool J LL Cool J James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor... , Ja Rule Ja Rule Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"... )	Erick Sermon	Interpolates lyrics from "Feel the New Heartbeat" by Treacherous Three Treacherous Three The Treacherous Three was a pioneering hip hop group that was formed in 1978 and consisted of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee , with occasional contributions from DJ Dano B, DJ Reggie Reg and DJ Crazy Eddie...	4:21
6	"Cereal Killer" (feat. Blue Raspberry Blue Raspberry (singer) Blue Raspberry is a singer affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. Her stage name was given to her by Killah Priest, who said she reminded him of a blue raspberry.-Biography:... )	RZA RZA Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...	"The Rub" By George & Gwen McCrae Gwen McCrae Gwen McCrae is an American R&B singer, best known for her March, 1975 hit "Rockin' Chair".-Career:...	4:00
7	"Da Rockwilder"	Rockwilder Rockwilder Rockwilder is an American hip hop and R&B record producer, rapper, and R&B Singer. A long term friend of Def Jam rapper Redman, Rockwilder got his start producing for East Coast Hip Hop artists in the mid 1990s. In 1999 Rockwilder produced Method Man & Redman's hit single "Da Rockwilder"...	Interpolates lyrics from "Hand on the Pump" by Cypress Hill Cypress Hill Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...	2:18
8	"Tear It Off"	Erick Sermon	Interpolates lyrics from "Funkin' Lesson" by X-Clan X-Clan X-Clan is a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York, originally consisting of Grand Verbalizer Funkin' Lesson Brother J, Professor X The Overseer, Paradise the Architect, and Sugar Shaft the Rhythm Provider... "Give Up The Funk" by Parliament Parliament (band) Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...	4:12
9	"Where We At" (Skit)	Reggie Noble	Interpolates lyrics from "The Bridge" by MC Shan MC Shan MC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...	1:51
10	"1, 2, 1, 2"	DJ Scratch DJ Scratch DJ Scratch is an American hip hop DJ and producer.-Career:DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ Champion, Grammy nominated, Multi Platinum Producer & The 2010 Master Of The Mix World Champion....		4:33
11	"Maaad Crew"	Erick Sermon	"Sandworms" by David Matthews David Matthews David Matthews may refer to:* Dave Matthews , singer/guitarist of the Dave Matthews Band* David Matthews , MP for Swansea East 1919–1922* David Matthews , American bi-racial author...	4:27
12	"Run 4 Cover" (feat. Ghostface Killah Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success... , Streetlife Streetlife (rapper) Patrick Charles, better known by the stage name Streetlife, is a hip hop artist who is a close associate of the Wu-Tang Clan, particularly of Method Man. He was born in the Bronx, moved to Houston, Texas, and later moved to Staten Island where he grew up.... )	RZA	"Upon This Rock" by Joe Farrell Joe Farrell Joseph Carl Firrantello , known as Joe Farrell, was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He is best known for a series of albums under his own name on the CTI record label and for playing in the initial incarnation of Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:Farrell was born in Chicago...	4:25
13	"The ?"	Reggie Noble	"Can I Get A... Can I Get A... "Can I Get A..." is a 1998 single by rapper Jay-Z that features Amil and Ja Rule. It was released on Def Jam's Rush Hour Soundtrack in promotion of the film Rush Hour, but also appears on Jay-Z's third album Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. The song is produced by Irv Gotti and Lil' Rob... " by Jay-Z Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010... "Sassafras Girl" by Pleasure Pleasure (U.S. Band) Pleasure was an Portland, Oregon, Oregon band that blended soul, funk and jazz with a tough street edge and became a cult group on the underground black music scene of the late 70's... "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) "The Rain " is a 1997 hit song recorded by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. It was written and composed by Don Bryant, Bernard "Bernie" Miller, Elliott, and producer Timbaland for her debut album Supa Dupa Fly and contains a sample of Ann Peebles' 1974 single "I Can't Stand the Rain",... " by Missy Elliott Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...	4:50
14	"Dat's Dat Shit" (feat. Mally G, Young Zee)	Mathematics Mathematics (producer) Mathematics, also known as Allah Mathematics, is a hip hop producer and DJ for the Wu-Tang Clan. As well as producing many tracks for the Wu-Tang Clan and for its solo and affiliate projects, Math has released two solo albums.-Biography:Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, New York Mathematics was...		4:19
15	"Cheka"	Gov Mattic	Sample and Interpolation of "Microphone Checka" by Das EFX Das EFX Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray...	3:02
16	"Fire Ina Hole"	Mathematics		4:21
17	"Well All Rite Cha"	Erick Sermon & Reggie Noble		4:14
18	"Big Dogs"	Erick Sermon & Reggie Noble	"Tell 'Em" by Erick Sermon Erick Sermon Erick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...	3:25
19	"How High"	Erick Sermon	"Fly Robin Fly" by Silver Convention Silver Convention Silver Convention was a German euro disco recording act of the 1970s. The group was originally named Silver Bird Convention, or Silver Bird.-Career:... "I Am Woman" by The Cover Girls The Cover Girls The Cover Girls is a New York City-based freestyle-urban-dance-pop girl group that achieved the majority of its chart success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...	4:40

Album singles

Single information
"Tear It Off" Released: January 1, 1999 B-side:
"Y.O.U." Released: January 18, 2000 B-side: "4 Seasons", "Run 4 Cover"
"Da Rockwilder" Released: January 25, 2000 B-side: "1, 2, 1, 2"

Album chart positions

Year	Album	Chart positions
		Top Canadian Albums	Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums
1999	Blackout!	3	3	1

Singles chart positions

Year	Song	Chart positions
		Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	Hot Rap Singles
1999	"Tear It Off"	52	16
2000	"Y.O.U."	69	18
	"Da Rockwilder"	51	14

External links

• Release history at Discogs
  Discogs
  Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...