Photos by Andy Argyrakis

The lightning rod of success usually doesn’t strike twice let alone multiple times, yet Method Man & Redman managed to make it happen, whether it be on their own, in a group, as a duo or as actors.

As a result, there was a ton of hip-hop history permeating the Hard Rock Live inside the famed casino’s Northern Indiana location, a relatively intimate room compared to Method Man and the entire Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-nominated Wu Tang Clan’s usual United Center visits.

Although not as long-running, Redman also knows what it’s like to be part of the influential collective Def Squad, which alongside lots of what these co-headliners did together and separately, made for quite a hearty helping of hits.

Rather than having one of the guys open, the other close and a collaboration at the end, Method Man & Redman regularly appeared side by side for much of the above, plus tracks off their “Blackout!” breakthrough album and its sequel.

The pair’s “1, 2, 1, 2,” Redman’s “Time 4 Sum Aksion” and Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige’s “I’ll Be There For You,” customarily mashed up with Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “You’re All I Need To Get By,” were but a few of their many classics and examples of an unbreakable chemistry over three decades later.

In fact, it was apparent the rappers are as relevant now as back in the day, particularly regarding the song entitled “Method Man,” one of the instances when fans had a chance to wave the “W,” or Redman’s scream-a-long “Pick It Up.”

They continued joining forces for fellow Wu-Tang favorites “Shame On A Nigga” (sometimes substituted with “Ninja”) and “C.R.E.A.M.,” in addition to “How High” from the hilarious movie of the same name.

In one of the brief breaks, DJ Scratch stunningly chopped it up on the turntables, the co-headliners’ returned for some freestyles, the Ol’ Dirty Bastard tribute “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and another nod to the recently departed WTC executive producer Oliver “Power” Grant.

Repeatedly, Method Man & Redman proved they were “Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit,” especially during “Da Rockwilder” and Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” as the Hard Rock crowd went crazy, reinforcing the status of these rap gods, who seemed to have just as much fun as anyone.

For additional information on Method Man and Redman, visit Instagram.com/MethodManOfficial and Instagram.com/Redmangilla.

Upcoming shows at Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana include La Bouche, Quad City DJs and more (Feb. 28); Marlon Wayans (Mar. 6); Boy George & Culture Club (Mar. 7); Fey (Mar. 8); Chris Tucker (Mar. 28); Tyler Henry (Mar. 29); Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Apr. 24); The Temptations and The Four Tops (May 2); Lorna Shore (May 14); Northwest Indiana Symphony: “The Music Of Tina Turner” (May 22); Foghat and Nazareth (May 23). For additional details, visit HardRockCasinoNorthernIndiana.com.

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