YOUR FAVORITE MTV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

Method Man, Redman Return With 'Blackout 2' After 'Venturing' Out

'We can't just depend on this rap game,' Red says of the duo's various projects

[url id="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/redman/artist.jhtml"]Redman[/url] and [url id="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/method_man/artist.jhtml"]Method Man[/url] are finally putting out a sequel to their 1999 classic, Blackout!

"I had obligations. Doc had obligations," Method Man said, explaining why it's taken 10 years for the two of them to put out a new album. "There were things going on [with] the label. Staff changes. That's what happened."

Since that joint LP, Red and Meth have dropped solo LPs, toured together nonstop and starred in various film and TV projects, not to mention Meth's various Wu-Tang Clan albums.

"We was out venturing, starting other careers," Red said. "We can't just depend on this rap game. We did a movie, TV show -- venturing out. Now we back. We ain't left. We're coming at the right time."

The duo started formulating the Blackout 2 last year when they had a stint on the Rock the Bells tour.

"A lot of it was written during the tour and the Canada tour," Meth said. "We came home and went right in. Within a month, month and a half, we had some solid joints."

"We're more advanced now than the first one," Red added. "We went in, had fun. I have my own studio now, so it's more relaxed. I engineer now. It ain't no rush for time, paying the studio and engineer. It's fun. We treated [the album] like a mixtape, really. If we really got in there and sat, it'll be a beast. But it's a beast now, and we treated it like a mixtape."

Red and Meth leaked a viral video called "Ayo" on Thursday, and a clip for "Miss International" will air soon.

"We wrote the record on the road," Redman said of "International." "It's a record we're dedicating to the women, whether you're fat, ugly, skinny -- it don't matter. You're all beautiful inside."

" 'Miss International' is a state of mind," Meth added. "It's not around the way; it's around the world. You could be in a messed-up neighborhood or messed-up background -- it doesn't mean you can't change for the better."

Erick Sermon and Pete Rock produced on the project, and Raekwon and UGK make appearances.

"[Red] had the record," Meth said of "City Lights," their UGK collaboration; [article id="1575705"]Pimp C[/article]'s voice is sampled on the chorus. "It had Pimp C's hook on it. It was only right we put Bun B on it."

Blackout 2 lands May 19.

Latest News