That was two years ago.
Since then, the ganja smoke has cleared, revealing that neither Meth nor Red has had much to offer since that landmark pairing. Meth's long-awaited Tical O: The Prequel has been held back more times than a bearded fourth-grader, and while Redman managed to crank out a solo joint earlier this year, Malpractice was as stale as bongwater, thanks to his lame jokes and tired routines.
But Red and Meth get a chance to redeem themselves and recapture the hazy magic of Blackout! on the soundtrack to the upcoming film How High. The movie, which opens this month, stars the duo as weed fiends (Is this what they mean by method acting?) who get into Harvard by smoking the ashes of a dead friend. Early indications are that the new tunes Red and Meth cut for the picture's soundtrack mark a return to form. "Part II," which bites Toni Braxton's "You're Makin' Me High," brings a little focus to the pair's muttered musings, and "Cisco Kid," a B-side that also includes contributions from Cypress Hill and War, is another winner.
But the caveat is that much of the soundtrack features previously released songs, like "How High" and "Da Rockwilder" off Blackout!, as well as old cuts by DMX and Ludacris. That sort of move -- essentially charging fans $20 for no more than an EP of new material -- is what gives comfort to cyberpirates. Puff, puff, we'll pass.
