Audio Mixers: Glen Marchese; Supa Engineer "Dura"; Mike Chav; Mike Dupus; Gimel Keaton; Jose "Choco" Reynoso; RZA.

Recording information: 36 Chambers Studio, New York, NY; 36 West, North Hollywood, CA; Baseline Recording Studios, New York, NY; L.I.T.E. Recording Studio, Long Island, NY; Night Flight Sudios, Fort Washington, MD; Right Track Recording Studios, New York, NY; Selah Studios; The Hit Factory, Miami, FL.

Illustrator: Erni Vales.

Photographer: Ken Schles.

Arrangers: Erick Sermon; RZA.

When Wu-Tang took the world by storm in 1994, Method Man was the first member to drop a solo album, the now classic TICAL. With undeniable charisma, a sing-song, rise-and-fall flow, and an incredible ability to spin memorable hooks, Meth quickly became one of the most prolific cameo-makers in hip-hop. Since his debut, though, Method Man like many of his Wu brethren has stood in the shadow of his early work, with rap fans perennially hoping he'll regain the ruggedness of his hungry, pre-superstar days.

On his fourth release, 2006's 4:21 THE DAY AFTER, Meth gets production from Erick Sermon, Scott Storch, Havoc, K1, and just a few beats from the RZA and continues to develop his sound in line with the 2000s Def Jam formula for crossover success. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it definitely establishes his solo work apart from the group he came up with, both in style and substance. Yet guest appearances from Raekwon and RZA, and archival rhymes from the late O.D.B. kick up some of that old-fashioned Shaolin style.

Ever since the release of the somewhat disappointing Tical 0: The Prequel, Method Man has been trying to prove that he really is the MC he was on his fantastic 1994 solo debut. So maybe the fact that he decided to name his fourth record 4:21...The Day After has less to do with marijuana (though of course that is never completely forgotten) and more to do with moving away from all the comparisons to his first album, Tical (and the subsequent Tical-themed titles that came after). And while 4:21 may be an improvement over his previous releases, Method Man's not quite the funny yet insightful rapper he was on his debut. To his credit, however, there are still some pretty good tracks on the album, including "Say," with a Lauryn Hill-covering-Bob Marley sample; "Dirty Mef," which has a verse from deceased Clansman Ol' Dirty Bastard; and "Walk On" featuring cohort Redman, and when Method Man spits out "Me and my soldier, we're taking over/taking payola from all those stations and record labels" over a beat by RZA and Erick Sermon (both of whom appear multiple times), you almost believe that he's going to make a comeback. Unfortunately, there are enough songs on 4:21 that are so utterly boring that the claim of redemption can't be made quite yet. "Got to Have It" is trite and almost hypocritical; the balladic "Let's Ride," which features a chorus from Ginuwine, is completely uninventive; and the closer, "4 Ever," with labelmate Megan Rochell, sounds as if it's trying to capture the energy he and Mary J. Blige had on "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," but ends up seeming more like an empty radio track. There is some good production on the album (besides RZA and Erick Sermon, Scott Storch, Kwamé "K1Mil" and Mathematics all contribute beats), and there are some decent verses as well, both from Method Man and his myriad of guest stars, but they're lacking some of the punch and ingenuity of Tical. Longtime fans should be happy to hear that he's sounding better, but he's going to have to keep making improvements if he wants to win over many new ones. ~ Marisa Brown