Rapper of the week: Method Man

I want to share my love for hip-hop with the world and to do so I will shine light on a different rapper every week. Here is the first installment.

Two years ago I was lucky enough to go to a Method Man concert at the University of Texas. Before that night I had always laughed about Method Man because of his stoner comedies and undying love for marijuana but his performance opened my eyes to the talent and humor that is Method Man.


Method Man, or Meth, was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan and after the success of their debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Meth launched his own solo career. He has since released four solo albums and two albums with friend and frequent collaborator Redman.

What separates Method Man from the rest of the rap industry is his ability to very successfully mix humor into his rhymes. They're usually rude, crude, and fairly profane but he plays with the words in ways most other rappers spend their entire careers trying to master. His voice manages to be smooth and raspy at the same time.

Suggested Tracks:
M.E.T.H.O.D. Man by the Wu Tang Clan
I'll Be There For You by Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige
City Light by Redman & Method Man feat. U.G.K.

Choosing favorites

A few days ago my little brother Walter told me how I could get a free five dollar credit for Amazon.com's MP3 store (Click here if free legal music downloads are your cup of tea). So I got onto Amazon to check out what my options where. I spotted two albums that interested me.

One was Redman and Method Man's new album "Blackout! 2" and the other was Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. I sat for a good long five minutes before I decided I should got to bed and decide in the morning. Why was it such a hard decision? Well as soon as I saw Blackout! 2 I wanted to buy it. I love hip hop! It's pretty much the only genre that I listen to...but at the same time I would much rather support a group of musicians that play their instraments and go on tour. It's not like I wouldn't enjoy Phoenix's album, because I would, it is just that I'd probably only listen to it once or twice. Blackout! 2 on the other hand I would listen to on a regular basis.

I slept on it. Then I went to school. It was strange of me to put so much thought in to one little purchase. It was only five dollars but for some reason I just couldn't figure it out. I ended up buying the Redman/Method Man album. I guess it was the right choice. I really like it. But still I feel just a little bit guilty for not supporting an up and coming band. I spent a big chunk of my teenage years supporting bands just like Phoenix. I dished out money, both my parents and my own, to see bands like, to buy their overpriced mechandise, and to listen their albums. Now I don't do that. Crazy how things change.