Method Man claims he’s owed his royalties from streaming platforms
The rise of streaming and subscription services has impacted all aspects of entertainment, from film and television to music and literature, with Method Man becoming the latest well-known artist to speak out against the lack of remuneration he’s received for his work.
The rapper, writer, producer, and occasional actor has sold millions of records under various guises, whether as part of the influential Wu-Tang Clan, as one half of the duo Method Man & Redman, on his seven solo studio albums, or on his four collaboration records.
The Wu-Tang rapper is responsible for dozens of hip-hop classics and many songs that have become bestsellers in their own right, and currently averages over three million listeners per month on Spotify. Despite that, Method Man claims that he hasn’t received so much as a single penny in royalties from his back catalogue being streamed by people all over the world.
By his own admission, it’s not a landscape he’s particularly familiar with, but he nonetheless felt compelled to point out that neither Spotify nor Apple Music have sent a single cheque his way. The way streaming services decide on how to compensate artists has always been a contentious and thorny issue, even if Method Man isn’t entirely sure how much he’s supposed to be getting anyway.
“Honestly, I’ve never gotten a streaming cheque for any of my music,” he told Hot 97. “I’m still trying to figure it out.” With a career stretching back over 30 years, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think Method Man has done very well for himself out of the music industry, but this is far from the first time he’s spoken out on the financial issues he’s faced.
Several years ago, he pointed towards the way members of the Wu-Tang Clan get paid, which isn’t done through an even split between each one. The group has always followed a tiered system, which means that some members end up earning a lot more than others when album sales and tour revenues are calculated.
In 2022, he also partnered up with marketing and distribution platform Intercept Music to launch an initiative to “underscore the value and importance of artistic emancipation in today’s creator economy” and ensure independent artists received monthly royalty payments “in real-time with no hidden fees and 100% artist-maintained ownership.”
It’s a complex and ongoing issue that’s affecting artists on every rung of the ladder, even those with decades of experience and legendary status like Method Man.