Method Man Archives - New Hip Hop News

Rakim Releases First New Project In 15 Years ‘G.O.D.’S Network (Reb7rth)’, New Video “Love Is The Message”

July 26, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Hip-hop legend Rakim is breaking new ground with his new project, G.O.D.’S NETWORK (REB7RTH), by flexing his skills both on the mic and behind the boards. Widely lauded as the best lyricist of all time, The God MC himself is blessing the culture with the next step in his historic career; and his first project in 15 years. G.O.D.’S NETWORK (REB7RTH) is now available.

“I feel like the battery in my back has been reenergized,” Rakim said about his new project, which arrives nearly four decades after the release of his classic debut with Eric B., Paid In Full. Since then, he’s continued to shape the landscape and culture of hip-hop as we know it, inspiring rising artists with his hype live shows and incredible studio albums. And while he’s produced some of his previous work—notably “Don’t Sweat the Technique,” “Juice (Know The Ledge),” and “Paid In Full”—this feels like new territory for the 18th Letter, whose production and scratching talents are nothing short of remarkable.

G.O.D.’S NETWORK (REB7RTH) is proof that Rakim is truly one of the most special artists we’ve known, not just in hip-hop, but all of music. You can tell he feels that level of praise when speaking about the genesis of the album. “Having the ability to showcase my talents behind the boards, coupled with the elite lyricism the world already knows and gives me infinite praise for, alongside some of the best talents to ever do it is truly a blessing and for that I am humbled,” Rakim declared.

The album’s first single, “Be Ill,” is the perfect introduction, as it pairs Rakim’s raw rhymes and head-nodding production with slick guest features from Kurupt and Masta Killa. Elsewhere, Rakim slows it down for the soulful “Love Is The Message,” which features Nipsey Hussle, Planet Asia, Louis King, Snoop Dogg, Sally Green, Kobe Honeycutt, and the LA Grand Choir. And then there’s the chest-thumping “International,” a straight-up slapper with hard-hitting rhymes from Kool G. Rap, Tristate, and Joell Ortiz.

The post Rakim Releases First New Project In 15 Years ‘G.O.D.’S Network (Reb7rth)’, New Video “Love Is The Message” first appeared on The Source.

The post Rakim Releases First New Project In 15 Years ‘G.O.D.’S Network (Reb7rth)’, New Video “Love Is The Message” appeared first on The Source.

Method Man Reveals His Problem With Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album

July 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Once Upon a Time In Shaolin is a rare piece of hip-hop history. The album was recorded over the course of six years, and features every living member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Crucially, only one copy of the album exists. It was sold for a staggering $2 million in 2015, with the caveat that the album cannot be played in public until 2103. Cool in concept, but the Once Upon a Time In Shaolin story has been marred by issues with legal loop holes and the guy who bought it. The album is now considered a polarizing release by Wu-Tang, instead of a seminal one. Method Man shed light on this transformation during a recent interview with Vanity Fair.

Method Man admitted the album is a sore point for the group. He also revealed that he was never fully onboard with the concept. “I thought it was some circus spectacle,” he explained to the outlet. “I never really spoke to RZA about it. It’s an uncomfortable subject to most of the guys, so we don’t really discuss it too much.” The reason for the discomfort stems from the way in which is was made. According Method Man, the group, besides RZA, was not let in on the rollout plan. As far as they were concerned, they were making a standard Wu-Tang album for release. “The process of the thing being made was never told to us,” he said. “We were never told what it was. We were recording and being paid to do a certain amount of records.”

Method Man Felt Like He Was Lied To During Recording

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – APRIL 28: Method Man (C) of Wu-Tang Clan performs on Day One of 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on April 28, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

The disconnect between the plan, and the recording process, is what has stayed with Method Man. He doesn’t look fondly upon Once Upon a Time In Shaolin as a result. “[Cilvaringz] put them altogether into a compilation of Wu-Tang songs and marketed it as a Wu-Tang album,” he stated. “A single copy of a Wu-Tang album. We all had a problem with it because that’s not how it was described to us.” This isn’t the first time Method Man has spoken out against the single copy rollout. He called out Cilvaringz and RZA during a June interview with XXL. He went as far as to call the 88-year commercial ban against the album “stupid.”

“F*ck that album,” Method Man asserted. “When music can’t be music and y’all turning it into something else, f*ck that. Give it to the people.” The veteran rapper urged RZA to give Once Upon a Time In Shaolin for free, so Wu-Tang fans can enjoy it in their lifetime. RZA did not take the bait. The Wu-Tang leader told Method Man that the commercial ban was necessary to maintain the “integrity” of the album. He wanted to ensure it wasn’t seem as a gimmick. Ironically, it has become just that.

[via]

The post Method Man Reveals His Problem With Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Who Is Jordan Howlett? Learn More About The Viral Donald Glover & Method Man Lookalike

July 8, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Come here. Wait, back up.

If you recognize the above bit, you probably know of Jordan Howlett, aka “Jordan The Stallion,” the 27-year-old TikTok star best known for his “fast food secrets club” posts, where he dishes on the ingredients and recipes used by corporate food giants like Olive Garden or KFC.

Lately, though, Jordan has become known for something else, though: His uncanny resemblance to not just one, but TWO of hip-hop’s favorite artists. Fans noticed he looks just like both Method Man and Childish Gambino, despite generational differences, and both artists have appeared in comedic vignettes with Jordan riffing on his “old man” clothes and reading from his notebook of “secret recipes.” Check out some videos and photos below.

Welp @donaldglover pic.twitter.com/LdV2Yycgks

— Jordan Howlett (@J_the_stallion8) July 6, 2024

Jordan being the visual bridge between Meth and Donald is something that needs to be studied. Because Clifford and Donald look NOTHING alike, but somehow they BOTH look like Jordan. https://t.co/FbrSreRXIL

— triple s. (@sportshopsleep) July 6, 2024

https://twitter.com/themrd81/status/1809685366628344091

So, who is Jordan, and how does he know so much? Well, according to San Diego Magazine, he’s a native of Southern California who was born near LA and grew up in nearby Victorville before moving with his family to San Diego-adjacent Oceanside. Per the New York Times, he originally had dreams of baseball stardom — however, due to his awkward nature, he never received any college offers, so after community college, he transferred to UC Riverside, hoping to make its team as a walk-on. He earned a scholarship (which was a good thing, because he only had enough money for one partial tuition payment and slept in his car for a while), but the pandemic derailed his hopes.

After working a string of fast food jobs, he took a swing at building a TikTok following after his older brother saw some viral success. His content consisted — at least at first — of what the Times describes as “uncontroversial — or playfully controversial — topics,” while talking into his phone, pointed at a mirror, zooming in and out to emphasize his points. The notebook made an appearance a couple of years ago, and has become a staple of his content profile since. And as he grows in stature, so too do the guest cameos; in one video, Kevin Hart pops in unannounced to have a jovial argument with the content creator.

He naturally plays coy about just where all those recipes come from, but it’s probably safe to assume he took a few things home from those jobs. Now, if only he can get people to stop asking him to rap.

Ocean Wisdom And Method Man Get Militaristic On New Single “Step”

June 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Ocean Wisdom and Method Man are worlds apart. The former is a British rapper who broke out in the 2010s thanks to his speedy flow. The latter is a Wu-Tang legend who’s been making hits since the early 1990s. They should sound out of sync on a hypothetical collab, and yet, they sound positively aligned on the new single “Step.” As a standout track on Ocean Wisdom’s new album, “Step” is a menacing banger that sees both rappers take out their competitors.

Ocean Wisdom kicks things off with a cool, ice-cold flow. He doesn’t get too speedy with the flow, which allows each of his lines hit harder. The beat sounds like something out of a horror flick, but “Step” really comes together when the militaristic “left, right, left, right” chant kicks in. The sampled chant serves as the chorus of the song, and it gets stuck in your head before Ocean is even done rapping. Method Man keeps the energy quietly menacing when he takes the mic. The Wu-Tang rapper have had been greeted by the sound of crickets at Summer Jam, but he proves that he’s still reliable as ever when it comes to dropping a stellar guest verse. Check “Step” out if you haven’t already.

Let us know what you think of this brand-new track, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.

Ocean Wisdom Slows His Flow And Excels On New Song

Quotable Lyrics:

Chain on my neck
My skill leave a stain on your neck
And still ain’t no stain on my rep
I aim to protect, I done told you
Stop aimin’ unless y’all aimin’ to pay me respect

The post Ocean Wisdom And Method Man Get Militaristic On New Single “Step” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Ebro Reacts To Method Man’s Criticisms Of Summer Jam

June 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Over the weekend, Wu-Tang Clan legend Method Man took the stage at this year’s Hot 97 Summer Jam alongside Redman. Though the pair seemed to deliver a performance up to their standards, Meth wasn’t happy with the results. He took to social media following the performance to claim that he wouldn’t be back at the legendary festival. The reasons he gave were that the crowd was no longer there for him and the generational divide was too large.

In the comments and all over social media fans speculated what could have led to the underwhelming reception from the crowd. Some speculated that the lineup of the festival didn’t do the pair any favors. Headliners for the show included numerous contemporary artists like Doja Cat, Sexyy Red, and Ty Dolla $ign. They weren’t the only veteran acts on the roster as Eric B & Rakim also took to the stage. Despite that, many speculated the fans weren’t familiar with Method Man’s music or style. Earlier this week, Ebro and his Hot 97 radio co-hosts discussed what Meth had to say and the reasons for his bad experience. Check out some of their discussion below.

Ebro In The Morning Reacts To Method Man Comments

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A post shared by HOT 97 (@hot97)

One of Ebro’s co-hosts claimed that the audience just wasn’t used to seeing an actual rap show. “It felt like the crowd wasn’t used to seeing a real show. They were kinda like staring in amazement. There wasn’t booing or any of that. This is crazy — they’re rapping,” DJ Kast One said. They went on to compare the performance to Method Man’s set just a day before at Roots Picnic, which apparently had a much more involved energy.

What do you think of Ebro and his co-host’s reaction to Method Man’s claims that he isn’t coming back to Hot 97 Summer Jam anymore? Do you think the festival is to blame for the bad experience he had with the crowd in attendance? Let us know in the comment section below.

[Via]

The post Ebro Reacts To Method Man’s Criticisms Of Summer Jam appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Why Did Method Man Say He’ll ‘Never’ Perform At Hot 97’s Summer Jam Again?

June 4, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Method Man 2024 Roots Picnic — Getty Image

Method Man had a busy weekend for himself to kick off June. With Redman by his side, the duo had a pair of performances this past weekend with the first being at The Roots Picnic in Philadelphia and the second being at Hot97’s Summer Jam in Long Island, New York. The former seemed to go without issue, but the latter left Method Man with a sour taste in his mouth. Hours after completing the Summer Jam performance, Method took to Instagram to say that he will “never” perform at the festival again.

Method Man’s Instagram/Complex

Method Man Summer Jam 2024 Critique

“Not our crowd at all,” he wrote after the performance at UBS Arena. “Thanks again, New York and the whole tri-state (that showed up to the event) plus Pete and Ebro. I got love for you guys. But never again.. at this point the generation gap is just too wide for me. #nevercomingback.”

Method Man and Redman appeared on the Summer Jam lineup alongside Doja Cat, Sexyy Red, Offset, Sleepy Hallow, 41 (Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, Tata), and Tee Grizzley who are all artists that entered the hip-hop game at least two decades after Method Man’s peak in it. So, in his defense, his gripe with the “generational gap” at the festival is absolutely warranted. This gap was presumably not felt at The Roots Picnic where artists from all decade, past and present, were included in the lineup.

You can view Method Man’s comments in the image above.

Method Man, Redman, Styles P and More Bring In 4/20 At Inaugural BUD DROP Concert

April 20, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The dynamic duo of Method Man and Redman headlined the inaugural BUD DROP concert at Terminal 5 in NYC on Friday, April 19th. This groundbreaking event, produced by LTB Productions, provided a New Year’s Eve-style celebration on the eve of the cannabis holiday, culminating in a midnight “BUD DROP,” which is a spinoff of the NYE ball drop – counting down to the 4/20; marijuana culture’s high holiday.

The night started with sets from DJ DPrizzy. Host Ace the General introduced the opening act including Doov. DJ Self provided an enthusiastic set that transitioned from old-school hip-hop to Latin, to reggae, keeping the crowd energetic before the duo Girll Codee performed their set. They had the crowd chanting, “Roll that smoke that pass that” as it was a 4/20-themed event. DJ Self also paused for a brief moment to acknowledge the late great DJ Mister Cee, who recently passed away. Kyah Baby also graced the stage for the main acts.

Yonkers legend Styles P performed some of his old hits including “Fuck You” and “Wild Out.” Fellow LOX member Sheek Louch came out to perform “Wild Out” with Styles P. The duo also paid tribute to the late rapper DMX, performing “We Gonna Make It.”

His high-energy performance set the tone and prepared the crowd for Method Man and Redman, who closed out the BUD DROP event with an iconic performance. In the middle of their set, Method Man and Redman counted down the last few seconds before it was officially 4/20. Balloons and confetti dropped soon after and the Wu-Tang members continued their celebratory performance.

Throughout the show, attendees were able to shop with different THC and weed strain companies. Some vendors included Nectar Wellness, Motagua NYC, Don Karlos Cannabars, The Culture Craft Cannabis, and the Empire Cannabis Club. Attendees were able to purchase teas, candy bars, edibles, vapes, and weed strains.

Sei Less was the event’s food partner. They gave concert-goers a culinary journey that perfectly complements the festive atmosphere. Empire Cannabis Club NYC brought its unique touch to the event, ensuring concert-goers enjoyed an immersive holiday atmosphere. Empire provided all the pre-rolls in the balloons that dropped after the bud drop countdown, as well as complimentary tote bags upon entry filled with branded lighters, grinders, pre-rolls, edibles and more.

The post Method Man, Redman, Styles P and More Bring In 4/20 At Inaugural BUD DROP Concert first appeared on The Source.

The post Method Man, Redman, Styles P and More Bring In 4/20 At Inaugural BUD DROP Concert appeared first on The Source.