No Primadonnas: Method Man
Exclusive Interview
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By Jess Hopsicker
The party’s for the most part over, but not in the literal sense, though, far from it.It’s the point that Method Man conveys in his latest album, 4:21…The Day After. The disk was released in August and expresses the aftermath and the moment of “clear headedness” that follows. The deal is that the party’s over and it’s time to get back to business. The name and the contents within couldn’t be truer. After a steady bout of media pitfalls and plenty of naysayers, Meth was ready to go at it again.
Clifford Smith began in Staten Islands Park Hill Projects, a child with two other siblings and separated parents. There he gained his infamy for being a comic book aficionado. Later after a bout of drug dealing and shit jobs, his rhyming abilities served a far greater purpose when he joined the renown Wu-Tang Clan; where he was aligned with the likes of ODB, RZA, GZA, U God, Ghostface Killah, as well as others. While still a large part of Wu-Tang he branched into a solo career where he was and still is releasing many solo, compilation, soundtracks, and collaborative albums. Acting soon followed.
The FOX sitcom entitled Method & Red in which he stared with his label mate Redman aired June of 2004. The fish-out of water comedy that bore the tagline “Puttin’ the urban in suburban, “ was cancelled only after a few months. Meth and Redman publicly bashed the network’s control, and how it lorded over the show's style, and the sheer unwillingness to compromise. What drove the screw in further of the ill-fated series was the fallacy of having a laugh track and sad editing. It was as if the viewers had to be told when the sitcom was being funny. The prestigious pair also played in a 2001 Stoner Film How High, as Silas and Jamal who basically smoke some mystical herb and find themselves in Harvard. In the course of a few years Mr. Mef’s acting career went from canned laughter and slapstick stereotyping to The HBO series The Wire. The hard-hitting drama delves into the lives of junkies, dealers, politicians, and police, which make up the nefarious Baltimore drug scene. It is a far cry from the processed and mass-produced fake humor.
With the latest album and ongoing tour, Meth is a testament of determination. Perseverance is the game, and everyone else be damned. He has a successful music and acting career under his belt as well many aliases to carry his name, and a discography that will not quit. He once again was caught up in a media frenzy; this one centered around hip-hop press and how magazines trashed his work as well others. He went on about how they abuse their power to influences the masses and inhibit progress. Sadly, not even the high and mighty Method Man, actor, musician, and media mogul could escape the clutches of the first class bug that recently gripped the nation.
JESS: Good afternoon Meth, how’re you doing?
METHOD MAN: I’m sick
JH: The theme of your new album is basically about keeping it real and being yourself, has there been any time or situation that you haven’t felt that way?
MM: No, there ain’t never been no time like that.
JH: Through out your career, you appear to be an artist of many names, who was your favorite persona and what does it say about you?
MM: My favorite persona?
JH: Yes.
MM: I don’t think I understand the question ... persona, what do you mean?
JH: Umm- your pseudonyms.
MM: Oh no I name-dropped all those like last album the album before that, I name-dropped all those pseudonyms. That was just a little kids’ game. It was fun while it was on, but you know, I grew past that.
JH: It also appears you have issues with the media, who or what do you have the biggest beef with?
MM: Well, you see that whole part about it, I don’t have issues with the media, they have issues with me. And its not a who issue its how many, you know what I’m sayin. These mothafuckers is all, basically, its not even beef anymore. It’s like I said what I said and they did what they did, and you see the results of it. You can’t win against them so, I aint got no beef with the media.
JH: While branching into acting, how different is it than music?
MM: What music?
JH: yeah
I mean as far as me being about music is not really different. I’m still doing the same thing I’ve been doing, you know. Business wise, though, they’re not putting much effort as they used to inside these records.
JH: What’s life been like since Wu Tang?
MM: What do you mean since Wu Tang? I’m still Wu Tang; we still a group.
JH: So tell me about your heroes.
MM: Heroes?
JH: yes.
MM: I’m from the hood we don’t have any.
JH: Are you pleased with the way your new album is going?
MM: Am I pleased?
JH; Yeah.
MM: hell no, I’d be an idiot to say that. No I’m not.
JH: On to TV, it seems you’ve gone along way from the canned laughter on Method & Red, to The Wire, how’s that going?
MM: The Wire’s cool, I always wanted to do dramatic, comedy is a little pain in the ass sometimes.
JH: And laugh track, that’s a bit much.
MM: Yeah, the laugh track, yeah.
JH: The Wire seems like a really intense set. What’s it like shooting the scenes?
MM: Its pretty laid back everybody’s real cool. Nobodies complaining, no primadonnas none of the bullshit. I love it.
JH: Is there anything we haven’t covered new projects? Your upcoming show in Syracuse, NY?
MM: Well, I just hope that everybody comes out to have a good time, no primadonnas and shit. If they’re comin' to see a conventional show they in the wrong spot I don’t do conventional.
JH: Well I hope you feel better.
MM: Yeah I hope so too, I got a show tonight.
