How High (song)

"How High"
Single by Method Man & Redman
from the album The Show: The Soundtrack
Released August 15, 1995
Format 12" single
Recorded 1994
Genre East Coast hip hop
Length 4:41
Label Def Jam
Writer(s) Reggie Noble, Erick Sermon, Clifford Smith
Producer(s) Erick Sermon
Certification Gold (RIAA)
Method Man & Redman singles chronology
"How High"
(1995)		 "A-Yo"
(2009)
Redman chronology
"Can't Wait"
(1995)		 "How High"
(1995)		 "Funkorama"
(1995)
Method Man chronology
"I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By"
(1995)		 "How High"
(1995)		 "The Riddler"
(1995)

"How High" is a song by American hip hop duo Method Man & Redman, released as a single on August 15, 1995. It was originally featured on the soundtrack to the 1995 hip hop documentary film, The Show, and has since appeared on several compilation albums such as The Hip Hop Box and Def Jam's Greatest Hits, among several others. The song, produced by Erick Sermon, is the first official collaboration from longtime friends and East Coast rappers Method Man of Wu-Tang Clan and Redman of Def Squad, marking their debut as a duo. The song performed exceptionally well commercially, reaching number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single has since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[1]

Track listing

A-side
  1. How High (LP Version) (4:41)
  2. How High (Remix Radio Edit) (3:59)
B-side
  1. How High (Remix) (3:59)
  2. How High (Instrumental) (3:49)
  3. How High (Acapella) (3:59)

Remix and sequel

The duo later remixed the song and included it on their collaborative debut album Blackout! (1999), as well as the soundtrack to their 2001 film, How High. The "How High (Remix)", has a stripped down sound and contains samples from "Fly Robin Fly", as performed by Silver Convention and "I Am Woman", as performed by The Cover Girls.

Also featured on the soundtrack was the song's sequel, simply titled "Part II". It was released as a single in 2001, in promotion for the film. The song samples American R&B singer-songwriter Toni Braxton's "You're Makin' Me High" and peaked at number 72 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Chart placements for "Part II"
Chart (2001) Peak
position
scope="row"Germany (Media Control Charts)[2] 23
scope="row"Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[3] 54
scope="row"UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[4] 98
scope="row"US Billboard Hot 100[5] 72
scope="row"US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[6] 28
scope="row"US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[7] 5

Legacy

Redman's vocals on the third verse was sampled on American electro house DJ Armand Van Helden's 1996 single, "The Funk Phenomena". The song was later sampled on Guilty Simpson's "Yikes!".

Charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 13
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[9] 10
US Billboard Rap Songs 2

References

  1. ↑ RIAA Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - Method Man and Redman. Retrieved 2009-09-03.
  2. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Method Man & Redman > Part II – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Method Man & Redman – Part II". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2008-06-14" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  5. ↑ Illegal name entered Method Man & Redman/Method+Man+%26+Redman/chart?f=379 "Method Man & Redman Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot 100 for Method Man & Redman. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  6. ↑ Illegal name entered Method Man & Redman/Method+Man+%26+Redman/chart?f=367 "Method Man & Redman Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Method Man & Redman. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  7. ↑ Illegal name entered Method Man & Redman/Method+Man+%26+Redman/chart?f=1222 "Method Man & Redman Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Hot Rap Songs for Method Man & Redman. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  8. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/song/redman-method-man/how-high-from-the-show/3709805
  9. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/song/redman-method-man/how-high-from-the-show/3709805