Method Man is a great rapper who gets a bad rap. Despite being one of the most prominent East Coast emcees of the '90s and the first breakout star of the Wu-Tang Clan, he's often accused of being an underachiever who complains too much. "Eff a rap critic," he once proclaimed on wax. "He talk about it while I live it."
Yet, the fact remains: Tical had an incredible run during the '90s. One of the main architects behind Wu-Tang's classic debut, Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, he was one of the few rappers who worked with both 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. Meth even collaborated with Mary J. Blige to make the greatest hip-hop love song of all time, "All I Need (Remix)." Needless to say, the man's catalog ain't nuthing ta fuck wit.
With Johnny Blaze headlining the Smokers Club Tour it seemed a perfect time to jump on the horn and chop it up about how some of his classic songs came together. Altough he's often had the reputation for being crabby during interviews, he showed Complex much love.
Method Man came across as a thoughtful, mature O.G. with lots to get off his chest and a treasure trove of Shaolin secrets to share—from meeting Pac for the first time while high on shrooms, to how the flooding of RZA's basement impacted the making of his solo debut, to who actually wrote the majority of Ol' Dirty Bastard's first album. So get your mind right, and prepare to learn the Method behind the madness.
As told to Insanul Ahmed (@Incilin)