Method Man and Redman Bring Old School Hip Hop to San Francisco

Published on December 22, 2017 in Q&As by Louis Raphael

There’s an eternal quality to innovative music. You can’t always put your finger on it, but for some reason, it crosses generations and becomes ingrained in pop music culture forever. Old school hip hop is like that. No matter how many different reincarnations of the genre there have been, the originators always seem to draw the same enthusiasm at their shows that they did back in their glory days

The Wu Tang Clan is such an act, and last night at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco two of its originators, Method Man and Redman schooled us all on hip-hop and the ways of the Shaolin. The crowd listened attentively knowing full well they were in the company of legends. “Tonight, we’re going to only play the old shit!” said Red Man at the start of the show.

On the syllabus this evening were Wu Tang favorites like “M.E.T.H.O.D. Man,” “Shame on a Nigga” and the classic “Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nothin to Fuck With,” but also the iconic “Rappers Delight” and even an LL Cool J jam “4,3,2,1,” that the duo used to warm up the crowd at the start of the show.

Method Man at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco

Redman pretty much acted as the circus ringleader for the entire evening and did most of the talking, while Method Man, with his effortless stage presence, only had to look cool and throw in a couple of Hell Yeahs and Fuck Yeahs to keep the crowd engaged.

The close-to-sold-out crowd was comprised of all ages and types, which is a sincere testament to how far the tentacles of their music have reached. The floor was to capacity as was the balcony, with so much Chronic smoke that it was hard to maneuver through the haze at times to the point that even for those not partaking in the happy cabbage, the contact high was enough to get them running to the fridge at the end of the performance.

The DJ for the night was honored halfway into the set as Redman told the audience that the man in the back “is the most important part of any stage show!” said Redman. The crowd vehemently agreed and gave the man behind the turntables a thunderous round of applause.

The concert was epic. The performance, one that will stay with this audience for a long time. And the lesson in hip-hop, one that is sorely needed for a genre that has unfortunately become a little stale lately, from lack of creativity and very often regurgitating the same old trends.

Photos by Louis Raphael

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