Method Man has had an exceptional journey, and since his pursuit of a career as a solo artist, he has not only become an esteemed emcee but has even managed to become a respected actor. However, that said, many of his most successful hits he initially didn’t want to record.
Many hits that put Method Man on the map featured on his debut album, Tical, which turned 25 in 2019. The project’s lead single, ‘Bring The Pain,’ was conceived in its entirety by the Staten Island lyricist (real name Clifford Smith). However, ‘I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By’ wasn’t, and Smith wasn’t happy with the song initially.
The original track, titled ‘All I Need’, featured no singing but included a verse from the rapper Street Life. However, the song had two remixes, one by Diddy and the other by the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA. People love both, but RZA’s gritty remix featuring Mary J Blige shot to the top.
The duet with Mary J Blige was a reincarnation of the 1968 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell track ‘You’re All I Need’, which is a well-known love song. However, Smith didn’t want romantic cuts on his album. That said, in a recent interview, the emcee revealed the song was Def Jam’s Lyor Cohen’s idea.
In an appearance on the Apple TV series Established With Angela Yee, Smith explained his initial thoughts on the remix, stating, “I refused to do it. I didn’t want to do it because I saw something happening, and there was a trend in hip-hop, whereas when you became a ladies’ man…”
He continued, “I’m looking at Kane and people like that—even though Kane was a dope MC, what detracted from dudes really effing with Kane like that was the ladies were always screaming.” Smith stated that he didn’t like how Big Daddy Kane’s fashion and image changed over time but admitted that he wanted to release the remix of the song because the lyrics were an ode to his now-wife.
Telling Yee how it was too romantic, he unveiled that a back and forth ensued between him and Def Jam’s Cohen, and he demanded $50,000 to put the single and video out. To his surprise, he got it and went ahead with it. You can hear ‘You’re All I Need’ featuring Mary J. Blige below.
