Method Man spent a childhood split between separated parents in Long Island and Staten Island, and in an apparent precursor to his career 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 comic books and particularly Ghost Rider, a fascination which manifested itself years later in several of his many rap aliases. His pre-hip hop adult life was mostly split between drug dealing and low-paid jobs (including a stint working at the Statue of Liberty, along with future Wu-Tang colleague U-God). After becoming well known on the streets for his rhyming abilities, he joined with 8 friends to form the Wu-Tang Clan in the early 1992.
Since the Wu-Tang Clan's ascendancy to hip hop stardom, Method Man has always been one of the most visible members of the collective. He was one of only two of the group to get a solo song on the group's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers and he was the first to release a solo album under the Clan's unusual contract which allows its members to release albums under any record label (Method chose to sign with legendary rap label Def Jam). Method Man's solo debut, Tical (1994) was critically acclaimed and extremely popular, entering the American charts at #4 and eventually selling in excess of one million copies.
He soon collaborated with Mary J. Blige and Redman with a series of hit singles, one of which (the Blige duet "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By") won a Grammy, before recording the second Wu-Tang album, Wu-Tang Forever.
His second solo album was Tical 2000: Judgement Day (1998), which was heavily influenced by the apocalypse theories surrounding the forthcoming end of the millennium, and which featured a vast amount of guest appearances, from his fellow Clansmen to Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, D'Angelo, Chris Rock, Mobb Deep, Redman and even Donald Trump. The album sold even better than his first, though reviews were mixed and its long running time and the abundance of between-song comedy skits were criticised by many.
Method Man then toured with Jay-Z and recorded Blackout! with Redman, a light-hearted, fun record with an EPMD-evoking emphasis on funky beats and the mischievous wit and cool flows of the two MCs.
In the twenty-first century, Method Man forged a successful career in acting. As well as his 1998 appearance in the film Belly along with fellow rappers Nas and DMX, Method has also appeared in 187 Oz, How High (a stoner film with Redman), The Wire, My Baby's Daddy, Garden State and Soul Plane, while continuing to record with the Wu-Tang Clan. He also co-starred with Redman in his own Fox sitcom called Method & Red, however after only a short time on the air the show was put on hiatus and never returned. Method Man later complained in the press about Fox's influence on the show's style, claiming that "there's been too much compromise on our side and not enough on their side" and bemoaning the network's decision to add a laugh track.
In 2004, Meth released his third album Tical 0: The Prequel, which spawned a successful single in "What's Happenin" with Busta Rhymes, but was poorly received both by critics and fans. There was trouble even before the album's release when Method apparently complained to the press about excessive interference from Def Jam over the album's beats (Meth supposedly desired more input from Wu-Tang leader RZA). On its release, many fans and critics were taken aback by its strong "mainstream" or "commercial" sound, highlighted by the guest appearances of pop-rap stars of the time Missy Elliot, P. Diddy and Ludacris. However, the album sold reasonably well, selling more than any of the other Wu-Tang solo projects released at around the same time. There was good news in early 2005 for fans who were disappointed with The Prequel as Method Man announced that a new RZA-produced album would be released later in the year. The album ultimately never materialized in 2005, though RZA and Meth continue to work on the album and are now aiming for a mid-2006 release date.
Aliases
Big John Stud
The Ghost Rider (from the comic Ghost Rider)
Hot Nickelz
Hot Nixon
Iron Lung
John-John
Johnny Blaze (from the comic Ghost Rider)
Johnny Dangerous
John-John Blaizini
Methtical (Meth-tical)
Meth
Mr. Meth
MZA ("The Mizza")
The Panty Raider
Shakwon (5% Nation "righteous name")
Tical
Ticallion Stallion
Albums
1994 Tical (Platinum)
1998 Tical 2000: Judgement Day (Platinum)
1999 Blackout! (with Redman) (Platinum)
2004 Tical 0: The Prequel
2006 4:21 The Day After
2009 Blackout! 2 (with Redman)
Singles and EPs
1994 "Bring The Pain"
1995 "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By" (with Mary J. Blige)
1995 "Release Yo' Delf"
1998 "Break Ups 2 Make Ups"
1998 "Judgement Day"'
1998 "Grand Finale" (with DMX, Nas & Ja Rule)
1999 "Tear It Off" (Method Man & Redman)
1999 "Da Rockwilder" (Method Man & Redman)
1999 "Y.O.U." (Method Man & Redman)
2004 "What's Happenin" (with Busta Rhymes)
2005 "The Show"
Appears On
1993 Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
1994 "The What" (from the The Notorious B.I.G. album Ready to Die)
1995 "Dirty Dancin" (from the Ol' Dirty Bastard album Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version)
1995 "Got The Flava" (from the Showbiz & AG album Goodfellas)
1995 "Wu-Gambinos" & "Ice Cream" (from the Raekwon album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx)
1995 "Living In The World Today", "Shadowboxin" & "Gold" (from the GZA album Liquid Swords)
1995 "The Riddler" (from the Batman Forever Soundtrack)
1996 "Box In Hand" (from the Ghostface Killah album Ironman)
1996 "Box In Hand (Remix)" (Ghostface Killah single)
1996 "Got My Mind Made Up" (from the 2Pac album All Eyez On Me)
1996 "Do What Ya Feel" (from the Redman album Muddy Waters)
1996 "Extortion" (from the Mobb Deep album Hell On Earth)
1996 "Hit 'Em High" (from the Space Jam soundtrack)
1997 Wu-Tang Forever (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
1997 "Milk The Cow", "Supa Ninjaz" & "Dart Throwing" (from the Cappadonna album The Pillage)
1997 "Next Up" & "Collaboration 98" (from the Sunz Of Man album The Last Shall Be First)
1997 "4,3,2,1" (from the LL Cool J album Phenonemon)
1998 "Well All Rite Cha" (from the Redman album Doc's Da Name 2000)
1998 "Pussy Pop" (from the Xzibit album 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz)
1998 "Whatcha Gonna Do" (from the Jayo Felony album Whatcha Gonna Do)
1998 "The Worst" (from the Onyx album Shut 'Em Down)
1999 "Rumble" (from the U-God album The Golden Arms Redemption)
1999 "Am I My Brother's Keeper" (from the Shyheim album Manchild)
1999 "Fuck Them" (from the Raekwon album Immobilarity)
1999 "Left & Right" (from the D'Angelo album Voodoo)
1999 "Stringplay" (from the GZA album Beneath The Surface)
1999 "N 2 Gether Now" (from the Limp Bizkit album Significant Other)
1999 "Half Man Half Amazin" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor)
1999 "Three Amigos (If It's On)" (from the Popa Wu album Visions Of The Tenth Chamber)
1999 "NYC Everything" (from the RZA album Bobby Digital In Stereo)
1999 "Simon Says (Remix)" (from the Pharoahe Monch album Internal Affairs)
2000 "Buck 50" (from the Ghostface Killah album Supreme Clientele)
2000 "Fuhgidabowdit" (from the LL Cool J album G.O.A.T.)
2000 "Rollin' (Urban Assault Vehicle)" (from the Limp Bizkit album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water)
2000 The W (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
2000 "Ghetto Celebrity" (from the album In The Mode by Roni Size & Reprazent
2001 "La Rhumba" & "Glocko Pop" (from the RZA album Digital Bullet)
2001 "Enjoy Da Ride" (from the Redman album Malpractice)
2001 "Dog In Heat" (from the Missy Elliott album Miss E...So Addictive)
2001 "Party & Bullshit" (from the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack)
2001 Iron Flag (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
2001 "Red Meth And Bee" (from the Cypress Hill album Stoned Raiders)
2002 "Flowers" (from the Ghostface Killah album Bulletproof Wallets)
2003 "Respect Mine" (from the Mathematics album Love, Hell Or Right)
2003 "Love @ 1st Sight" (from the Mary J. Blige album Love & Life)
2003 "We Pop (Remix)" (RZA single)
2003 "Bring The Pain" (from the Missy Elliott album This Is Not A Test!)
2003 "Ice Cream Part 2" (from the Raekwon album Lex Diamonds Story)
2003 "Noble Art" (from the IAM album Revoir Un Printemps)
2003 "Rock 'N' Roll" (from the Naughty By Nature album Icons)
2004 "Secret Rivals" (from the Masta Killa album No Said Date)
2004 "The Drummer" (from the Theodore Unit album 718)
2004 Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
2005 "Head Rush", "John 3:16" & "Spot Lite" (from the Mathematics album The Problem)
2005 "All My Niggas", "Shoot On Sight (S.O S.)" & "Street Education" (from the Streetlife album Street Education)
2005 "High Rollers" (from the Proof album Searching for Jerry Garcia)
2005 "Still On It" (from the Ashanti album Collectables by Ashanti)
2006 "9 Milli Bros." (from the Ghostface Killah album Fishscale)
Shadowboxin
Method Man Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Special technique of shadowboxing, Goddamn
The GZA, Goddamn
The GZA, Goddamn, pledge allegiance to the Hip Hop
Method, Goddamn, I pledge allegiance to the Hip Hop
Maximillion, Maximillion
Johnny Blaze
I pledge allegiance to the Hip Hop
Maximillion, Maximillion
I breaks it down to the bone gristle
Ill speaking scud missile heat seeking
Johnny Blazing, nightmares like Wes Craven
Niggas gunning, my third eye seen it coming before it happen
You know about them fucking Staten kids, they smashing
Everything huh in any shape form or fashion
Now everybody talking bout they blasting, hmmm
Is you busting steel or is you flashing? Hmmm
Talking out your asshole
You should have learnt about the flow and peasy afro
Ticallion stallion, chinky-eye and snot-nosed
From my naps to the bunion on my big toe
I keeps it moving, know just what the fuck I'm doing
Rap insomniac, fiend to catch a nigga snoozing
Slip the cardiac arrest me, exorcist Hip Hop possess me
Crunch a nigga like a Nestle, you know my STEEZ
Burning to the third degree, sneaky ass alley cat top pedigree
The head toucher, industry party bum rusher
You don't like it? Dick up in you, fuck ya!
Allow me to demonstrate
That's right, you corny-ass
The skill of Shaolin, rap motherfuckers
The special technique, better go back and check
Of shadowboxing, your fucking stacks
Shadowboxing, cause your naps ain't nappy enough
And your beats ain't rugged enough, bitch
I slayed MCs back in the rec room era
My style broke motherfucking backs like Ken Patera
Most rap niggas came loud but unheard
Once I pulled out, round 'em off to the nearest third
Check these non-visual niggas, with tapes and a portrait
Flood the seminar trying to orbit this corporate
Industry, but what them niggas can't see
Must break through like the Wu, unexpectedly
Protect Ya Neck, my sword still remain imperial
Before I blast the mic, RZA scratch off the serial
We reign all year round from June to June
While niggas bite immediately if not soon
Set the lynching and form the execution date
As this two thousand beyond slang suffocate
Amplify sample through vacuum tubes compressions
Cause RZA to charge niggas twenty Gs a session
When my mind start to clicking and the strategy
Is mastered the plot thickens
This be that Wu shit
I don't give a cotton-pickin' FUCK
About a brother tryna size a nigga up, I hold my own
Hard-hat protect your dome
Look at Mama baby boy acting like he grown
No time for sleep, I gets deep as a baritone
Killa bee, that be holding down his honeycomb, lounging son
Wu brother number one, protect your neck
Flying guillotines here they come, bloody bastards
Hard times and killer tactics, spitting words plus
Semi-automatic slurs, peep the graphic
Novel from the genie bottle, hit the clutch
Shift the gear now, full throttle, time to bungee
To the next episode, I keeps it grungy
Hand on my nut sack and spitting lunghies
At a wack nigga dat, don't understand the fact
When it come to RZA tracks I don't know how to act
Real rap from the Stat, Killa Hill Projects
How to be exact, break it down
All in together now
Things are getting good looking better now
And some other shit
Allow me to demonstrate the skill of Shaolin
Sha-shadowboxing, the special technique of shadowboxing
The song "Shadowboxin" by Method Man featuring The Genius, aka The GZA, is an example of powerful hip-hop with strong lyrics. The opening features Method Man and Johnny Blaze asserting their commitment to the genre, pledging allegiance to hip-hop, setting the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics change throughout the song, with two verses each from Method Man and The Genius. Both lyricists discuss their skills as rappers and admonish other rappers for false claims of toughness or experience. Method Man boasts of his courage and likens his style to a heat-seeking missile and refers to himself as a rap insomniac. He describes his rapping as possessing him and burning to the third degree, showing his intensity and deep passion for his craft. The Genius similarly lays claim to his skills, claiming to have slain MCs, and saying that his style has broken backs like Ken Patera.
Both Method Man and The Genius seem to relish in their own skills in the song while demonstrating their deep understanding of hip-hop as a culture. Through their rhymes and wordplay, they illustrate their commitment to the art form and their own skills as writers and performers.
Line by Line Meaning
I breaks it down to the bone gristle
I break down my rhymes to the very core
Ill speaking Scud missile heat seeking
My rhymes are powerful and precise, like a heat-seeking missile
Johnny Blazing, nightmares like Wes Craven
My rhymes are intense and haunting, like a nightmare from horror director Wes Craven
Niggaz gunnin, my third eye seen it coming
I can sense danger before it happens, like a third eye
Before it happen, You know about them fucking Staten
I'm aware of the danger in my hometown of Staten Island, New York
Kids they smashin Everything huh, in any shape form or fashion
Young people in my community are causing destruction in various ways
Now everybody talking bout they blastin, hmmm
Many people are claiming to carry guns and be dangerous
Is you bustin steel or is you flashin? Hmmm
Are you really using your gun or just showing it off?
Talkin out your assHOLE
You're talking nonsense and acting tough
You shoulda learnt about the flow and peasy afro
You should have learned about rapping and staying true to yourself and your roots
Ticallion stallion, chinky eye and snot nosed
I'm proud of my Chinese heritage, even if it means being called names like "chinky-eye" and having a "snot nose"
From my naps to the bunion on my big toe
I am proud of every aspect of myself, even the imperfections like my nappy hair and bunion
I keeps it movin, know just what the fuck I'm doin
I know what I'm doing and I keep moving forward
Rap insomniac, fiend to catch a nigga snoozing
I'm always working on my craft and striving to be the best
Crunch a nigga like a Nestle, you know my STEEZ burning to the third degree
I take out my competition easily and my style is hot and powerful
sneaky ass alley cat top pedigree
I may come across as sneaky or underhanded, but I come from a long line of talented rappers
The head toucher, industry party bum rusher
I am so respected in the industry that I can get into any party and touch people's heads in greeting
You don't like it dick up in ya fuck ya
If you don't like what I'm saying, then you can leave and go fuck yourself
Better go back and check your fuckin stacks
You should re-evaluate your talent and success
Cause your naps ain't nappy enough And your reefs ain't rugged enough Bitch
You're not true to yourself and your roots, and you're not rugged enough to handle this industry
I slayed MC's back in the rec room era
I've been killing it as a rapper since the early days of hip-hop in the rec rooms
My style broke motherfuckin backs like Ken Patera
My style is so powerful that it can break backs like professional wrestler Ken Patera
Most rap niggaz came loud but unheard
Many rappers are loud, but their words are not meaningful or impactful
Once I pulled ut, round em off to the nearest third
As soon as I start rapping, I dominate and knock out the competition
Check these non visual niggaz, with tapes and a portrait
Many rappers rely on visuals and imagery, but I can dominate with just my words and voice
Flood the seminar, tryin to orbit this corporate indsutry, but what them niggaz can't see must break through like the Wu, unexpectedly
Many rappers try to make it big in the industry, but they can't see the true path to success. The Wu-Tang Clan can break through and succeed unexpectedly
Protect Ya Neck, my sword still remain imperial
My classic song "Protect Ya Neck" is still powerful and impactful after all these years, like an imperial sword
Before I blast the mic, RZA scratch off the serial
Before I start rapping, my producer RZA makes sure everything is perfect and unique, like scratching off a serial number
We reign all year round from June to June While niggaz bite immediately if not soon
The Wu-Tang Clan is successful all year, while other rappers imitate us as soon as we drop something new
Set the lynchin, and form the execution date As this two thousand beyond slang suffocate
We're setting up our own demise if we don't evolve and stay fresh in the ever-changing industry
Amplify sample through vacumn tubes compressions cause RZA, to charge niggaz twenty G's a session
RZA's production is so powerful and unique that he can charge a high price for his studio sessions
When my mind start to clickin, and the strategy is mastered the plot thickens, this be that Wu shit
When I start strategizing and coming up with new rhymes, the Wu-Tang magic starts coming to life
I don't give a cotten-pickin FUCK about a brother tryin to size a nigga up, I hold my own
I don't care about competition or people trying to one-up me, I am confident in my own abilities
Hard-hat protect your dome Look at mama baby boy actin like he grown
You need to protect yourself and stay humble, even if you're trying to act like an adult
No time for sleep, I gets deep as a baritone Killa bee, that be holdin down his honeycomb, loungin son
I am always working and getting deep in my rhymes, like a baritone. I am a "killa bee" protecting my home turf of Staten Island
Wu brother number one, protect your neck Flying guillotines here they come, bloody bastards Hard times and killer tactics, spittin words plus semi-automatic slurs, peep the graphic
I am the top member of the Wu-Tang Clan and I'm warning other rappers to protect themselves because we're coming in strong and deadly. Our rhymes are powerful and graphic
novel from the genie bottle, hit the clutch shift the gear now, full throttle, time to bungee To the next episode, I keeps it grungy Hand on my nutsac, and spittin lung-ghies
I'm coming in hot and powerful like a genie out of a bottle. I'm shifting gears and going full speed ahead. It's time to move on to the next phase. I keep my rhymes gritty and hardcore, spitting my words out fiercely
At a wack nigga dat, don't understand the fact When it come to RZA tra-cks I don't know how to act
I lose myself in the powerful beats and production of RZA's tracks and can't help but act out
Real rap from the Stat, killa hill projects How to be exact, break it down
I'm bringing true hip-hop from my hometown of Staten Island, breaking everything down to the exact details
All and together now Things are getting good looking better now
We're coming together and things are looking up
Bitch Allow me to demonstrate the skill of Shaolin the special technique of shadowboxing Shadowboxing
I'm showing off my amazing rapping abilities and the unique technique of shadowboxing in my rhymes
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Clifford Smith, Gary E. Grice, Robert F. Diggs
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hectorhervas3749
@@tool27 I have slightly different top 5s depending if it's my favorites or the ones I think are the best, with a more objective point of view.
My Favorites would be:
- To Pimp A Butterfly
- Illmatic
- Stankonia
- A Piece of Strange by Cunninlynguists
- Funcrusher Plus by Company Flow.
And What I think are the best:
- A Piece of Strange
- To Pimp A Butterfly
- Illmatic
- Madvillainy
- Liquid Swords
@rodcarew1353
Who’s here in 2024🤚🏽
@omancripe5686
Thast how rap's supposed to sound
@rhyme70Four
Just watched it. I remember losing my mind when this video first dropped. #WuTangForever
@hanswurst9437
Still here, never left...
@rodcarew1353
@@hanswurst9437 word
@SkyIsTheLimitEntertainment
Yessss'Siiiirr 🙌🙌🙌
@TJiscool1
Method Man could literally rap a bunch of gibberish and it would still sound better than 99% of other emcees.... his flow is so cool and has never grown old... same too for The GZA...
@haliburtonhighlandshouseof8759
Cadence
@ojmosby5755
Oh god 🙏
@naturalvibemusic3021
no jibberish, pure mathematical bars fa yuh intellect