Method Man and Redman have been by each other’s side for decades. The two rappers have collaborated on music in addition to being great friends, and fans have watched the duo obtain success in all sorts of fields. The compadres even starred alongside each other in the 2001 stoner comedy How High?
Most hip-hop heads will know Method Man from his work as a part of the legendary Staten Island crew, the Wu-Tang Clan. From here, the rapper (real name Clifford Smith) rose to fame alongside his fellow Wu-Tang artists such as Raekwon and RZA. Unlike some Clan members, Smith garnered a fair bit of attention as a solo artist and released several albums of his own.
Redman was also the product of a group, albeit slightly smaller, the Def Squad. This duo achieved less success than the Wu-Tang Clan. However, the rapper (real name Reginald Noble) still proceeded to accomplish legendary status as a solo artist as well.
In the late 1990s, the two rappers decided to join forces and became a duo. As a pair, they continued to produce exceptional music and more. Method Man & Redman’s 1999 debut album Blackout! debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum the same year. The friends also worked on the soundtrack for their film How High. Taking a bit of time to build themselves up as solo entities, in 2009, Smith and Noble reunited for their second studio album, Blackout! 2.
In an interview with 24/7 Hip-Hop, the two revisited all the amazing memories they had acquired during their stint touring together. In reminiscing, Method Man recalled the time he got accidentally maced by police in 1998. Detailing the fiasco, Smith highlighted how it specifically took place in Memphis.
The artist recalled how that year, the duo were in Tennessee for MTV’s Annual Sports and Music Festival when, after the show, a bustling horde of fans began to swarm the hotel looking for the duo to sign autographs. The rapper explained how within a matter of minutes, Memphis police arrived looking for him.
Reliving the confusing occurrence, Smith explained, “That man walked right up on me. He didn’t ask me no questions or nothing [and] maced me!” According to the rapper, his counterpart was laughing at him after he had been maced in the face. However, he detailed how it soon got serious as he was in the back of a police car.
Recounting how he needed saving from his partner, Smith revealed, “I call my G over…[The cop] ain’t see this n*gga come over, and I’m like, ‘Yo, Doc, I got some weed in my back pocket.’ But my hands were handcuffed behind me. I reach in my pocket, push the sh*t through the window, he takes it, walks off with it!”
Method Man was ultimately forced to spend the night in jail but explained that the incident made the Memphis trip more interesting and extremely memorable. He also thanked Noble for saving him from drug charges. You can watch the video of the duo reminiscing about the strange situation in the video below.
