Method Man

Artist Image: Method Man
Attribution
Image Credit: Alyssa Tomfohrde from Oakland, USA (Method Man), CC BY 2.0

Biography

Clifford Smith (born April 1, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American Grammy Award winning hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman. He won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige. In 2007, the writers of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007). In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. He is also the only MC to be featured on Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album Ready to Die. Method Man appeared in the motion pictures Belly, How High, Garden State as well as a minor role in The Wackness. More recently, he appeared as a crewman in George Lucas' film Red Tails. On television, he and hip-hop collaborator Redman co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom Method & Red, and he had a recurring role on HBO's Oz as Tug Daniels and as Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff on the HBO drama series The Wire.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1971
Number of Albums 23
Record Label
Website method-man.com
Wikipedia Method Man on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

How many albums has the rapper sold?

millions

...His albums have sold millions , and he emits a raw, creative, direct, and dynamic energy. The rapper's often imitated toughguy image has taken on vario...
What is the name of the comic book character that the rapper imitated?

John Blaze

...taken on various personas over the years, from his comicbook inspired John Blaze character to one of a medieval knight in armor looking toward the fut...
What year was Method Man born?

1971

...ike I was born with it, so I use it to the best of my advantage. Born in 1971 , Method Man grew up as Clifford Smith, a youngster constantly shuffled b...
Where did his mother live?

Staten Island

...nquent father, who lived on Long Island, New York, and his mother on Staten Island in New York. For the most part though, Method Man, the middle child...
How were Method Man and his sisters raised?

Park Hill housing projects

...child, and his two sisters were raised by their mother in the Park Hill housing projects . It was on Staten Island that Method Man befriended the group...
What did Method Man do in ninth and eleventh grades?

dropped out of school

...various times, in both the ninth and eleventh grades, Method Man dropped out of school , and, as he later admitted, bought and sold drugs. Thanks to ra...
What did he buy and sell?

drugs

...od Man dropped out of school, and, as he later admitted, bought and sold drugs . Thanks to rap, he found a way out. Reality smacked me in the face earl...
How did rap help Method Man?

he found a way out

... Man dropped out of school, and, as he later admitted, bought and sold drugs. Thanks to rap, he found a way out . Reality smacked me in the face early....
Where did Smith grow up?

Park Hill projects

...who would eventually become the WuTang Clan. Smith grew up in the Park Hill projects with his mother and two sisters, one younger, one older. At vario...
What was Staten Island later renamed by the Clan?

Shaolin

...mother on Staten Island, New York. In fact, Staten Island later renamed Shaolin by the Clan was where he met the men who would eventually become the W...
How many sisters does he have?

two

... WuTang Clan. Smith grew up in the Park Hill projects with his mother and two sisters, one younger, one older. At various times he has claimed to have...
When did Meth tell Rolling Stone he didn't like to talk about his childhood?

Reality smacked me in the face early

...d eleventh grades, and sold and experimented with drugs. Reality smacked me in the face early . That's why I don't like to talk about my childhood, Met...
What was Russell Jones' nickname?

Ol' Dirty Bastard

... rapped and hung out with Robert Diggs (Prince Rakeem, aka the RZA) and his cousins Gary Grice (the GeniusGZA), and Russell Jones ( Ol' Dirty Bastard )....
What is the name of Method Man's hiphop collective?

WuTang Clan

... New York) is an American rapper and member of the hiphop collective, WuTang Clan . He is also wellknown for his work both as a solo artist and with fr...
Who introduced Method Man to playing drums and poetry?

his father

...reer in hip hop was introduced both to playing drums and to poetry by his father . Not only was Method interested in music, he was also fascinated by c...
What comic book was Method interested in?

Ghost Rider

...sted in music, he was also fascinated by comic books and particularly Ghost Rider , a fascination which manifested itself years later in several of his...
How did Method spend his adult life?

drug dealing and lowpaid jobs

... aliases. His prehip hop adult life was mostly split between drug dealing and lowpaid jobs (including a stint working at the Statue of Liberty, along ...
How many friends did Method Man join to form the WuTang Clan?

8

...coming well known on the streets for his rhyming abilities, he joined with 8 friends to form the WuTang Clan in the early 1992. Since the WuTang Clan'...
What was Method Man's solo debut?

1994

... most visible members of the collective. Method Man's solo debut, Tical ( 1994 ) was critically acclaimed and extremely popular, entering the American c...
What song won a Grammy?

I'll Be There For YouYou're All I Need To Get By

...eries of hit singles, one of which (the Blige duet I'll Be There For YouYou're All I Need To Get By ) won a Grammy, before recording the second WuTang ...
What was the name of the second WuTang album?

WuTang Forever

... To Get By) won a Grammy, before recording the second WuTang album, WuTang Forever . In the twentyfirst century, Method Man forged a successful career ...
What was the name of the 1993 group's classic debut?

Enter the WuTang (36 Chambers),

...as heavily featured on the group's classic late 1993 debut, Enter the WuTang (36 Chambers), even getting his own showcase track with Method Man, which...
What was the name of Def Jam labelmate Redman's compilation track?

How High

... duet this time with Def Jam labelmate Redman on the compilation track How High , climbed into the pop Top 20. WuTang Clan reconvened in 1997 for the d...
What was Method Man's sophomore effort called?

Tical 2000: Judgement Day

...lo projects commenced. Method Man issued his sophomore effort, Tical 2000: Judgement Day (ironically), in late 1998 and took a more expansive approach...
When was Tical 2000: Judgement Day released?

1998

...ed his sophomore effort, Tical 2000: Judgement Day (ironically), in late 1998 and took a more expansive approach this time out, filling the album with...
How old was Clifford Smith, Jr. when he was born?

51

... film, see Method Man (film). Born Clifford Smith, Jr. March 2, 1971 (age 51 ) Hempstead, Long Island, New York, U.S. He is known as a member of the Ea...
What year was Judgment Day 2.3?

1999

... and Tical 2.2 19971998: WuTang Forever and Tical 2000: Judgment Day 2.3 1999 2001: Blackout! Growing up in Hempstead, Smith began playing lacrosse at ...
Who did Smith become friends with at New Dorp High School?

Remedy

...acrosse at a young age and continues to be a passionate supporter of the sport. He attended New Dorp High School, where he became friends with Remedy ....
What is Wu Tang Clan?

East Coast hip hop collective

...He is known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective WuTang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film Method Man. On television, he and ...
On what television show did Wu Tang star with Redman?

Method & Red

...low East Coast rapper Redman, costarred on the shortlived Fox sitcom Method & Red . He has also had recurring roles in three HBO series, as Tug Daniels...
When was Smith born?

Hempstead, Long Island

..., and Rodney in The Deuce. Early life Born on March 2, 1971, in Hempstead, Long Island , Smith divided his childhood between his father's Long Island r...
What sport did Smith play at a young age?

lacrosse

...ally known as Killa Hill. Growing up in Hempstead, Smith began playing lacrosse at a young age and continues to be a passionate supporter of the sport...
What two sisters does Smith have?

Terri and Missy

...gh School, where he became friends with Remedy. He has two sisters, Terri and Missy . Personal life His son Raekwon Smith will play football for Stony ...
On what date was Method Man arrested in New York City for marijuana possession?

May 17, 2007

... Smith will play football for Stony Brook University. Legal issues On May 17, 2007 , Method Man was arrested in New York City for marijuana possession....