Method Man has always been a headstrong musician and actor. As a former member of the legendary Staten Island collective the Wu-Tang Clan, the emcee (real name Clifford Smith) has featured on many incredible bodies of work and has even executively produced some. However, as Smith has evolved, he has unveiled some of his projects he is not too proud of.
The rapper’s most successful solo album is his debut album – Tical, which was released in 1994. The album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 and is certified Platinum. Furthermore, as a member of the duo Redman and Method Man the lyricist found success with their album, The Blackout!, which boasted a popular hip-hop track ‘Da Rockwilder’.
Despite all of Smith’s success in the 1990s and early-2000s, by the middle of the decade, he found himself in a rut and in an interview with MTV News, the ‘How High’ musician unveiled that his 2004 project, Tical 0: The Prequel was not authentic and didn’t reflect who he was.
Addressing the album’s critics, Smith stated, “I hate the way muthf*ckas was talking like I was the worst thing to happen to MCing…and there’s n*ggas out there doing way worst sh*t than I ever did in my life.” He continued, “It’s like finally getting the joke and figuring out everybody is laughing at you — ‘All this time, I ain’t know’”
However, Smith did admit that there was a reason why Tical 0: The Prequel wasn’t up to standard, disclosing, “I wasn’t true to myself [on The Prequel] for the simple fact that, look at who I was working with… I’m not trying to take nothing way from Puff, he’s the biggest artist on Bad Boy. But Puff with Meth don’t mesh. We don’t party the same way.”
Diddy has always been known for his clean-cut, flashy brand of hip-hop, but Method Man admitted that it was a poor choice of his to call upon the Bad Boy Mogul to assist him on the album as he has always been a bit more raw and gritty concerning production.
Although his 2004 album wasn’t met well, within three years, Smith would successfully transition into acting with a role in American Gangster. From then, things only began to get better for the rhymer. You can listen to Tical 0: The Prequel below.