Method Man

Why he matters

Clifford Smith Jr. was born in Hempstead, Long Island, in 1971 and split his childhood between his father’s place there and his mother’s home in Park Hill, in the Clifton section of Staten Island. In the Wu-Tang Clan he was one of the most visible members from the start, and one of only two, along with GZA, to get a solo song on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). That song was called “Method Man,” produced by RZA.

The Clan’s contract let its members sign solo deals with any label, and Meth went first, signing with Def Jam. Tical came out in November 1994, mainly produced by RZA, and it opened the run of Wu solo records. The remix of “All I Need” with Mary J. Blige, built around an interpolation of “You’re All I Need to Get By,” won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Around the same time he was the only guest rapper on the Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die.

The partnership that defined his next stretch was with Redman. The two recorded Blackout! while on the Hard Knock Life tour with Jay-Z and DMX, and it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 in 1999. That chemistry carried them into a movie, How High, and a sitcom. Our read: Meth had the rarest thing in a crew that deep, a voice you could identify in one bar, and he used it to open doors for everybody behind him.

What a working rapper can take from it

Make your crew feature count. On a group record stacked with MCs, Meth got a whole song. If you’re in a collective, the goal is the verse people remember by name. Write the one verse you’d want played at your own show, and save the filler for nobody.

Read the paperwork that lets you leave. The Wu-Tang contract let members sign solo deals with any label, and Meth was the first to use it. Whether it’s a group agreement or a venue contract, the clauses about what you’re free to do elsewhere matter as much as the money.

Find the partner who makes you funnier. Blackout! works because Meth and Redman push each other. A good duo partner isn’t a backup voice; it’s somebody whose energy changes yours on stage and on record. If you trade verses with someone at shows, the show guide has notes on building that into a set.