Method Man Biography and Information

Method Man

Method Man was the first of the Wu to make it big as a solo star and is probably the one to have achieved the most success, commercially anyway. Known for his husky flow it is easy to see why he became such a success.
Born Clifford Smith on April 1, 1971, in Hempsted, Long Island. As A youngster Method Man split his time between his father in Long Island and his mother, who lived in Staten Island. It was while living with his mothers that he came to know the rest of the future clan members.
While method Man was not a founding member of the group he was quickly added to the click. It was clear to see that the young Meth had great potential. This is perhaps why they gave him such a prominent role within the group, giving him his own showcase on the first album with the massive track, "M.E.T.H.O.D MAN".
Due to the unusual contract Wu-Tang had signed, Method was not tied to their label and quickly signed a solo deal with Def Jam.
Just over a year after 36 Chambers was dropped, Meth released his own solo album "Tical"(the first Wu-tang member to do so). Method was already one of the more well known members of the group, so it was no surprise that his solo album did very well, though whether anyone would have predicted it would go Platinum is another thing.
Method Man was now riding a wave and began guesting on various tracks with the biggest R&B stars of the time. It seemed like everyone wanted his rasping vocals on their tracks. Two notable examples were his collaborations with Mary J Blige, "I''ll Be There for You/You''re All I Need to Get By" which was a massive hit both in terms of sales and in terms of the exposure it bought him personally and The Wu-Tang Clan as a group. He also featured on a track ("How High") with fellow label mate "Red Man". This was also a success but perhaps more importantly laid the foundations for some of his future work, both musically and also his foray into the movie industry.
The next step was to link back up with the Clan for their second album, 'Wu-Tang Forever' (1997).
Then onto another solo Album, Tical 2000 and into the world of acting.
Given Meth''s style and unique voice this was no surprise really. His first role of note was in the move "Belly", a film telling the usual story of drug dealers rising to the top of their game and then getting killed.
Next method hit the road on Jay Z''s Hard Knock Life tour, teaming up with friend, label mate and collaborator, "Red Man". As a duo these guys really hit it off and began taking the shows by storm, with their crazy antics and even crazier lyrics. Working with Red Man seemed to allow Meth to show another side of himself which didn't necessarily fit with the Wu-Tang way.
In late 2000 The Wu were back and releasing another track, after which Meth resumed his acting career. Firstly he had a brief role in the Gritty cult prison drama Oz playing surprisingly enough, a young Gangster. Next on the list was a movie with his friend and collaborator Red Man. "How High" was basically Cheech and Chong with rappers, though lets not take anything away from the film it was a good, light hearted comedy about two guys smoking lots of weed and getting into scrapes.
Now onto another Wu-Tang album and then another solo record. There was said to be some debate over which tracks would make this album, and word is that a lot of the stuff that RZA put together was dropped. The story continues.....


Edit:
Method man now has a small part in the wire, though it seems as though he has become more prominent in the latest and final season.
If you have not yet watched the Wire I highly reccomened that you do.