Maps of Music

Tical (1994)

Where the lyrics of Tical take you, and where it was really made.

The album's title is an acronym, but Method Man only revealed what it stands for on a 2017 talk show.

Key places

Recorded at 36 Chambers Records, Staten Island (1994)

Recording site 36 Chambers — 36 Chambers Records in Staten Island is listed among Tical's recording locations. The point is set at city-centre level, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Chung King Studios, Manhattan (1994)

Recording site Chung King Studios — Chung King Studios in Manhattan is listed among Tical's recording locations. The pin marks the studio's exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Tical is the debut studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man
• Released November 15, 1994 by Def Jam Recordings
• It was the first Wu-Tang solo album released after the group's debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
• Mainly produced by group member RZA, who gave it a dark, murky and rugged sound
• Guest appearances from RZA, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck and several affiliates who later appeared on group projects
• In 2017, Method Man revealed on Desus & Mero that the title is an acronym for 'taking into consideration all lives.'

Background

• In 1991, GZA helped Method Man shop him to label executives at Cold Chillin' Records, which did not succeed
• GZA then formed the Wu-Tang Clan with his cousins RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Method Man was included
• Method Man performed on eight of the twelve tracks of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), released in 1993
• His solo song 'Method Man' and 'C.R.E.A.M.', where he sang the chorus line, reached #69 and #60 on the Billboard Hot 100
• These two songs charted higher than any other track on the album, which built anticipation for his solo career
• At that time Method Man's rhymes, charisma and smooth, deep voice made him the group's most visible and popular member
• RZA produced the album in its entirety, with the exception of 'Sub Crazy' and 'P.L.O. Style'

Recording

• 'Meth vs. Chef', a recorded battle between Method Man and Raekwon, was recorded in 1993
• It was recorded before RZA's 36 Chambers Studios was flooded
• The flood reportedly destroyed fifteen beats per Wu-Tang Clan rapper
• Many of the beats for Tical were hastily recreated and mixed

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Clifford Smith Jr., known as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor, born March 2, 1971 in Hempstead, Long Island.
• He is a member of the East Coast hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan and is half of the duo Method Man & Redman.
• His debut solo album Tical (1994) peaked at number four on the Billboard 200.
• The single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards.
• Blackout! with Redman (1999) reached platinum status in the U.S. and Canada.
• He is also known as an actor with recurring roles in HBO's Oz, The Wire, and The Deuce.
• His stage name is a tribute to the 1979 martial arts film Method Man.

Personal Life

• He married Tamika in 2001 and the couple has three children.
• In 2009 he was arrested for income tax violations and in 2010 pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Tracy E. Hopkins of Entertainment Weekly: Method Man proves to be one of rap's most formidable players
• Melody Maker: the album makes music much darker and more disorienting than was previously thought possible
• NME: the East Coast hip-hop renaissance continues, with a supremely laid-back groove
• Rolling Stone: praised the singles, and said the album delivers its primo goods with its heaviest numbers
• The Source, Mitchell Pierce: described the production as dark bass and distorted wails, and called it a gritty production
• Vibe, Michael A. Gonzales: called the album incredible, with production wizardry and vocal complexity that build with each listen

Reappraisal

• Did not match the critical success of other Wu-Tang solo albums of its era, such as Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... and Liquid Swords
• Over the years it gained a fair amount of acclaim from various music writers and publications
• AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier praised Method Man's charisma and RZA's production in a later review
• Birchmeier wrote that the album strictly spotlights the group's two stars with refreshingly straightforward flair
• Select ranked it number 28 on its 100 Best Albums of the 90s list in 1996
• Ego Trip ranked it number 12 on its list of the greatest hip-hop albums released in 1994, in 1999
• Robert Dimery included it in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die in 2005

Records

• Debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart
• Became Method Man's first US top-ten album and his first number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart
• Certified gold by the RIAA on January 18, 1995
• Certified platinum by the RIAA on July 13, 1995 for sales of over one million copies
• 1,613,000 copies in the United States as of October 2009
• 'Bring the Pain' reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Hot Dance chart
• 'Release Yo' Delf' reached number 98 on the Hot 100 and number 45 on the UK Official Singles Chart
• The RZA version of 'I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By' reached number 3 on the Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Rap, Dance and R&B charts
• 'Razor Sharp Mix' won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1996

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title's acronym was only revealed in 2017, on the Viceland talk show Desus & Mero
• 'Meth vs. Chef' was recorded in 1993, before RZA's 36 Chambers Studios was flooded
• Tical is the only Method Man album with two singles reaching the Billboard Hot 100
• 'Razor Sharp Mix' won a Grammy Award in 1996 as a duo or group rap performance
• Tical was Method Man's first US top-ten album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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