Birth Name: Clifford Smith

a.k.a.: Johnny Blaze, Hot Nix,Iron Lung, Ticallion Stallion

Method Man was born in East Meadows Hospital, Long Island, New York. His mother lived in Staten, whilst his father was still in Long Island, he spent time some time with both his parents.. Meth left home at 13, and lived with friends in Staten. This is where he met The RZA (at that time known as Prince Rakeem), and RZA's cousins, The Genius & Ol' Dirty Bastard, who together, already had a group called 'All In Together Now'. Method Man joined the trio, to form the building blocks of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Method Man rose to acclaim as one of the leading members the Wu-Tang Clan. His his smoky, flowing vocals were a prominent feature of 1993's landmark debut Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). His own Tical set, released the following year, was the first in a glut of Wu-Tang Clan solo product. Produced by associate RZA, the album's drug-infused atmosphere was perfectly complemented by Method Man's laid-back delivery. The album debuted at US number 4 in December, while the single "Bring The Pain" broke into the national Top 50 the same month.

The following year Method Man was involved in two highly successful collaborations. His Grammy-winning duet with Mary J. Blige on "I'll Be There For You"/"You're All I Need To Get By" was a US number 3 hit in June, and was followed by the "How High" single with Redman, which reached number 13 in September.

Following further work with the Wu-Tang Clan, and a screen appearance in Hype Williams' Belly, Method Man released his sophomore effort, Tical 2000: Judgement Day. The highly inventive production work provided a perfect backdrop for Method Man's fluid delivery, hitting a peak on the millennium inspired title track. Odd cameos from Donald Trump and Janet Jackson featured alongside the usual Wu-Tang guest slots. Debuting at US number 2 in December, Tical 2000: Judgement Day was only kept off the top of the charts by the new Garth Brooks album. The rapper then joined forces with Redman to record the following year's Blackout!