Method Man

Method Man's consistent cadence, raspy roar, and inventive wordplay positioned him as the earliest individual standout from the landmark 1990s hip-hop ensemble Wu-Tang Clan. He issued multiple Top Ten projects, among them his 1994 debut Tical, which contained the Grammy-winning collaboration with Mary J. Blige titled "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By." Beyond solo releases he joined forces with Redman to deliver the two successful Blackout! sets in 1999 and 2009. Beginning in the late 1990s and continuing through the 2000s he maintained a thriving screen career, taking lead roles in motion pictures such as Belly (1998), How High (2001), Keanu (2016), and Shaft (2019) while also appearing on series including The Wire, CSI, Law & Order, and Fear the Walking Dead.

Clifford Smith entered the world on April 1, 1971 in Hempsted, Long Island. He divided his early years between his father's Long Island home and his mother's Staten Island residence, the latter location where he first encountered future Wu-Tang associates RZA, Genius/GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard. When those artists assembled a hip-hop collective in the early 1990s, Method Man ranked among the initial members. He received prominent placement on the crew's influential late 1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), highlighted by his dedicated track "Method Man," which quickly elevated his visibility. Thanks to the group's distinctive arrangement permitting solo contracts with any chosen label, he signed with Def Jam and became the first Wu-Tang artist to issue an individual project when Tical arrived in 1994, roughly one year after the collective's introduction. The highly awaited album debuted at number four, attained platinum status, and tracks such as "Bring the Pain," which nearly reached the pop Top 40, along with "Release Yo' Delf," further expanded his standing within hip-hop. He accumulated frequent guest spots on other recordings, and during summer 1995 the standalone duet with Mary J. Blige, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," advanced to the pop Top Five, delivering his initial widespread mainstream recognition. Soon afterward the pairing with Def Jam colleague Redman on the compilation cut "How High" rose into the pop Top 20.

Wu-Tang Clan reassembled in 1997 for the double-disc Wu-Tang Forever, after which another wave of individual releases began roughly a year later. Method Man delivered his second album, Tical 2000: Judgement Day, near the close of 1998, adopting a broader scope that incorporated interstitial sketches and numerous featured rappers and producers. Tical 2000 achieved another strong showing, peaking at number two. Concurrently with completing the record he advanced his acting path through much of 1998, progressing from minor roles to a notable cinematic turn in Hype Williams' Belly. In 1999 he teamed with Redman to create a duo that joined Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life tour and recorded the joint project Blackout!, which entered the charts at number three that autumn and earned strong critical praise.

The Wu-Tang collective returned in late 2000 with the more understated The W. Once that album wrapped, Meth redirected attention to acting, logging a month of appearances as a young gangster on HBO's intense prison series Oz and reuniting with Redman for the Cheech & Chong-inspired comedy How High, which reached theaters near year's end alongside the fourth Wu-Tang release Iron Flag. Following several postponements the MC unveiled his third solo effort, Tical 0: The Prequel, in 2004. Although he reportedly completed twenty tracks with RZA producing, Def Jam issued an edition containing only one of those recordings. In 2006 he released 4:21...The Day After, featuring contributions from numerous Wu-Tang members, among them a posthumous verse from ODB. A consistent flow of mixtapes, live albums, and concert videos surfaced before Method Man rejoined Redman for the 2009 project Blackout! Vol. 2.

After years of screen work on programs and films such as The Good Wife and Red Tails, he rejoined Wu-Tang in 2013 for the single "Family Reunion." The next year brought the group's album A Better Tomorrow. He moved to Tommy Boy for the 2015 solo release The Meth Lab, which reached just outside the Billboard 200 Top 50. Another interval devoted to acting followed, encompassing roles in Blue Bloods, Luke Cage, The Defenders, and The Deuce, before he returned to recording in 2018 with the electronic dance collaboration "Goodbyes" alongside the Knocks. Late that year sixth solo album Meth Lab II: The Lithium appeared following minor postponements. The expansive set showcased Meth at peak form alongside frequent collaborators including Snoop Dogg, Raekwon, Redman, Cappadonna, and additional artists.