Method Man is a way of life.
“My disadvantages are my advantages in this world. Because I’m always underestimated from the door but I’m always ready — so I don’t have to get ready.”
This is a quote from a creative.
This creative’s name is Clifford Smith, commonly known as Method Man from the Wu-Tang Clan. Before adopting the name Method Man, Smith went by Shakwon. When asked about his first rap name, Smith revealed that it was possibly ‘Papa Smurf,’ stating, “I was big on the Smurfs… I had a few though, for sure.”
RZA, the founding member of Wu-Tang Clan, said “Method Man was Shakwon until he made that song — Shakwon the Panty Raider. Then, after he made that song, everybody in the hood called him Method Man.”
“Method Man is potentially one of the oldest lyrics on the album… that was already a neighbourhood hit… we all knew that song by heart, we all loved it… It was the concept because meth is weed. He’s the king of smoking weed. So he’s the method man. A year later, he’s Method Man,” RZA stated. “It was a conscious decision by us as a crew, but the streets did push it.”
Wu-Tang Clan was formed out of Staten Island, New York City, in 1992, with the original members including RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Masta Killa joined in 1993.
“Protect Ya Neck” by the Wu-Tang Clan was released independently as a 12-inch in mid-December 1992, followed by the album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) on November 9, 1993. In Billboard, the short review stated, “In New York, the biggest chant among males with flavor is “I got myself a 40, I got myself a shortie …,” from Wu Tang Clan’s locomotive and raw “Method Man.”
“RCA and Loud Records are howling about the potential of the debut album by Wu Tang Clan, the rap unit whose ‘Method Man’ clip ranked as high as No. 4 at pay-to-see cable channel The Box. Originally projected for release next year, the album’s street date has been pushed up to Nov. 9. Wu Tang’s single, ‘Protect Ya Neck’ b/w ‘Method Man,’ has shipped more than 130,090 units; it has been a top five seller in New York City and a top 10 hit in Philadelphia,” said Billboard.
The album peaked at number 41 on the Billboard 200, later earned platinum certification in 1995, ultimately becoming one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time.
In the ready position
“When I wrote Method Man, I was like 15 or 16 years old, 17 or 18… my mind works crazy. I don’t know where I heard these records before, but they were etched in my head,” said Method Man. The inspiration for the song came from Masta Ace, Bootsy Collins, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, and Hall & Oates.
Method Man said the song came together like this: “RZA and me were in his house one day and he was making beats. That’s when he made the ‘Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit’ beat and he made the ‘Method Man’ beat. I happened to be there first, so I got to jump on it first. I had wrote this rhyme after I heard the Michael Jackson song [“Come Together”]—it was a remake of The Beatles song—it just fit perfect with the whole beat and everything, so we just put that shit down… and the beginning was a mixture of Hall & Oates, ‘Method of Modern Love,’ and the ‘Man’ part came from ‘Music Man’ by Masta Ace.”
Method Man said, “[Getting a solo song] just happened. In the same breath, GZA had his solo joint on there too. I don’t know why RZA did ‘Method Man’ first. I guess it was a sign of the times and what people were actually listening to. Leaders [Of The New School] and a few other groups [with] that frantic style where it was just all over the place were popular at that time. I guess RZA being who he was and being so in tune with what the flavor was, he was like, ‘Yeah. We gonna put this ‘Method Man’ joint on because this is something nobody has ever heard before.’
“Back in the day, when we were shorty, we didn’t have things like Video Music Box or Video Jukebox. The closest we could get to seeing hip-hop videos was, well, never, really, if you think about it. So, the videos we did see were Top 40 countdowns—a lot of rock and roll,” said Method Man.
Lyrically: Method Man by Wu-Tang Clan
Method Man begins with inspiration from the song Method of Modern Love Song by Hall & Oates, specifically how the duo spells out M-O-D-E-R-N L-O-V-E letter by letter. The following word, Man, was inspired by Masta Ace from the song Music Man.
M-E-T-H-O-D Man
M-E-T-H-O-D Man
M-E-T-H-O-D Man
M-E-T-H-O-D Man
Out of the gate, Method Man establishes his presence with the opening lyrics of “Hey, you, get off my cloud / You don’t know me and you don’t know my style.” These lyrics are directed at people who try to challenge him or underestimate his abilities. The reference to “cloud” could be a metaphor for his own space in the environment around him.
The “get off my cloud” lyrics were inspired by “Disciples of Funk” by Bootsy Collins, which sampled The Rolling Stones’ “Get Off of My Cloud.”
Method Man, the person and the song, has so many hooks that simply keep one engaged. The delivery is a wonder to experience.
Lines like “Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, hey, the Method Man” and “Don’t eat Skippy, Jif or Peter Pan / Peanut butter ’cause I’m not butter” mix fun and being lighthearted, but Method Man is not soft like the texture of butter.
The lyrics “I snap back like a rubber / Band, I be Sam, Sam-I-Am / And I don’t eat green eggs and ham” highlight Method Man’s mix of humour and resilience, comparing himself to a rubber band that has the flexibility to recover from challenges.
The nod to Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham adds a playful twist that blends childhood nostalgia with pop culture.
The lyrics “I’m about to blow, light me up (Light me up) / Upside, downside, inside and outside / Hittin’ you from every angle, there’s no doubt I / Am the one and only Method Man” show off Method Man’s confidence and all-around skill as a rapper, stating that he’s ready to explode with unstoppable energy, while hitting listeners from every way possible. The line “the one and only Method Man” locks in his claim as being a unique force. Period. Full stop.
The continued references to 1980s culture, with Tweety Bird (“I tawt I taw a putty tat”) and Bill Cosby’s Fat Albert (“Hey, hey, hey, like Fat Albert”), add layers of nostalgia on top of the current layers of nostalgia.
In the lyrics “I got fat bags of skunk / I got White Owl blunts / And I’m about to go get lifted,” Method Man is laying out a lifestyle that reflects his love for weed, using “fat bags of skunk” to describe having large amount of marijuana.
The flow of “I got fat bags of skunk / I got White Owl blunts” was from hearing Michael Jackson’s cover of The Beatles “Come Together.” The mention of “White Owl blunts” describes the brand of cigar that, when the tobacco is removed, is repurposed as the perfect blunt-rolling tool. The phrase “about to go get lifted” reveals the emotion and effects of getting high.
The following lyrics sets the scene of enjoying a beverage of choice with your girlfriend, then having some fun together.
I got myself a Forty
And I got myself a shorty
And I’m about to go and stick it
Yes, I’m about to go and stick it, uh
“H-U-F-F, huff, and I puff” alludes to the Big Bad Wolf from the fairy tale, symbolizing his presence and ability to dominate the scene. However, considering the recurring references to weed culture in the song, “huff and puff” could also subtly reference exhaling from those White Owl blunts.
These dual interpretations reflect how Method Man’s layered lyrical style, along with his ability to blend cultural references with personal experiences, resonated deeply. The entire flow of lyrics in the second verse is as if Method Man is singing directly to you and to the masses at the same time. With each word, more of Method Man’s personality at the time is revealed.
Method Man also pays homage to Shakwon the Panty Raider, one of his earlier names, noting he “Wrote a song about it / like to hear it? / Here it goes / Question, what exactly is a panty raider?” It’s a very important question to ask.
P-A-N-T-Y, R-A-I-D-E-R, mad raw, I don’t fry
Meaning, no one can burn or toss and turn me
Ooh, I be the super sperm
The deeper meaning beyond the lyrics is Method Man announcing how he’s set himself apart from others playing the game:
Ill behavior, savior or major flavor
All of the above, oh yeah, plus seducer
Also, flam, I’m the man, call me super
Not an average Joe with an average flow
Doin’ average things with average hoes
Yo, I’m super, I’ll make a bitch squirm
For my super sperm (Check it)
Check it, I give it to you raw butt-naked
I smell sess, pass the method
Let’s get lifted as I kick ballistic
You’re then taken down a winding path that leads to a possible nod to the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty. More likely, it’s a respectful hat tip to Humpty Hump from the song ‘The Humpty Dance,’ a character created by Shock G, the lead member of the hip-hop group Digital Underground.
Missiles and shoot game like a pistol
Clip is loaded when I click bang (Bang)
A Wu-Tang slug hits your brain
J-U-M-P, jump, and I thump
Make girls rump like pump and Humpty Hump
The lyrics “Chim-chimney, chim-chim, cher-ee” are from Mary Poppins, another reference to pop culture that gracefully continued to keep you engaged.
Method Man is connecting from every angle as he brings in a food reference with “Now, how many licks does it take / For me to hit the Tootsie Roll center of a break?” The Tootsie Pop reference is from a 1968 commercial with the popular tagline of “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?” This tagline somehow stuck in Method Man’s mind and he expertly crafted it into the song.
The lyrics “Peep and don’t sleep, the crew’s mad deep (Wu-Tang)” shows off Wu-Tang Clan’s power, with “mad deep” referring not just to the size of the group but their influence.
“Fadin’ motherfuckers like bleach,” is a bold metaphor, comparing Wu-Tang’s ability to overshadow competitors to how bleach fades out colours. Then, with “You’re clear like glass, I could see right through,” Method Man directly challenges rivals, calling out their lack of substance while cementing Wu-Tang’s authenticity.
The song comes to an end with Method Man declaring his readiness regardless of the circumstances.
The song “Method Man” had a significant impact on hip-hop culture and helped establish Method Man as one of the group’s standout members. While the song itself didn’t receive specific awards, it contributed to the album’s commercial success, helping to launch Wu-Tang Clan’s influential career and revolutionize hip-hop’s business model. RZA negotiated a deal that allowed each Wu-Tang member to sign individual solo contracts with different labels while remaining part of the collective. This strategy transformed how hip-hop groups operated and proved that unity and individual ambition could coexist.
Method Man’s performance on this song also paved the way for his successful solo career, signing a contract with Def Jam in January 1994. In 1995, he released his debut solo album Tical, which went platinum. The following year, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” with Mary J. Blige. His transition into acting proved he was ready, with roles in films like Belly and How High, and TV series including The Wire, Oz, and Power Book II: Ghost.
From Shakwon to Method Man, from Staten Island to the world stage and screens, Method Man is ready.
