American hip-hop recording artist, music producer, and actor Method Man has a net worth of $14 million. His fame comes from his work as part of the East Coast hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan and the hip-hop duo Method Man & Redman.
Net Worth: $14 Million
Date of Birth: Mar 2, 1971 (51 years old)
Place of Birth: Hempstead
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.905 m)
Profession: Actor, Master of Ceremonies, Songwriter, Rapper, Record producer, Film Score Composer, Film Producer, Screenwriter, Voice Actor
Nationality: United States of America
Early Life
On the 2nd of March 1971, Clifford Smith Jr. was born in Hempstead, Long Island, New York and was eventually known to the world by his stage name, Method Man, which derived from the 1979 film “The Fearless Young Boxer”.
His childhood was spent between his father’s residence in Long Island and his mother’s abode in the Park Hill of Clifton, Staten Island. During this time, Smith became close friends with the renowned rapper, Remedy, at New Dorp High School.
Career
Method Man is widely known for his membership in the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, which originated in Staten Island in 1992. At the time, it comprised of RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa.
Out of the collective, he was the only artist who earned a solo track, “36 Chambers,” on their inaugural album “Enter the Wu-Tang.” Unconventionally, Wu-Tang Clan gave its members the freedom to sign with any record label and pursue individual projects.
Subsequently, Method Man inked a deal with Def Jam and released his first album “Tical” (1994) which turned out to be a critical and commercial success, charting at #4 and selling over a million copies.
Notably, the song “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” from the album won him a Grammy Award in the category of Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, along with Mary J. Blige.
Method Man has put out six solo albums: “Tical” (1994), “Tical 2000: Judgement Day” (1998), “Tical 0: The Prequel” (2004), “4:21… The Day After”” (2006), “The Meth Lab” (2015) and “Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium”.
In addition, collaborating with Wu-Tang Clan, he has issued eight albums: “Enter the Wu-Tang” (36 Chambers) (1993), “Wu-Tang Forever” (1997), “The W” (2000), “Iron Flag” (2001), “8 Diagrams” (2007),
“A Better Tomorrow” (2014), “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” (2015), and “The Saga Continues” (2017). Smith has created three albums with Redman:
“Blackout!” (1999), “How High” (2001), and “Blackout! 2” (2009). He also released an album titled “Wu-Massacre” in 2010 featuring Ghostface Killah and Raekwon.
Method Man has starred in several motion pictures, such as “Belly,” “How High,” and “Garden State,” and has had minor parts in “The Wackness,” “Venom,” and “Red Tails.” He also featured in HBO’s “Oz” as Tug Daniels, “The Wire” as Calvin “Cheese” Wagstaff, and “The Deuce” as Rodney.
In 2017, he was invited to be the co-host of “Drop the Mic,” a celebrity battle rap show, alongside Hailey Baldwin. In 2020, he has a role in the Starz series “Power Book II: Ghost.”
In 2007, the writers of About.com named him one of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), and in 2012, The Source labelled him one of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.
Legal Issues and Controversies
In 2007, Smith encountered some legal difficulties when he was pulled over in New York City in his SUV with an expired registration sticker.
Upon further investigation, the officer discovered two joints and a bag of marijuana with more hidden under the driver’s seat. He was then charged with DWI, driving with an invalid registration, unlawful possession of marijuana, and criminal possession of marijuana.
In the end, he opted for a plea deal that included carrying out community service by warning children of the dangers of drugs through rapping.
In October 2009, Method Man found himself arrested for failing to pay taxes in the state of New York, where he had owed almost $33,000 for the years 2004 to 2007. After pleading guilty, he was given a conditional discharge with a fine of $106,000.
Method Man found himself in multiple controversies throughout his career. Most notably, he had a public conflict with TV talk show host Wendy Williams on an internet show on Onloq.com. At a concert in 2006, he criticized Sean Combs’ choices for the album “The Notorious B.I.G. Duets:
The Final Chapter,” expressing his view that Biggie would never have collaborated with some of the artists chosen. Another controversy was sparked when he was cast in the Fox sitcom, “Method & Red” (2004).
Though the show only aired for a short time, Method Man publicly complained about the addition of a laugh track and asked his fans not to bother watching.
Personal Life
In 1999, he proposed to Tamika Smith and they tied the knot in 2001. Their son, Raekwon Smith, is part of the 2020 graduating class of Stony Brook University, where he also played football.
On November 3, 2020, Method Man made history as he voted for the first time in a Presidential election. To celebrate the milestone, he posted a picture of his “I Voted” sticker to his Instagram account with a heartfelt caption.
He encouraged others to exercise their right to vote and remarked that voting is not a privilege, but an undeniable right. Previously, he was close friends with the iconic The Notorious B.I.G. and was the only guest artist on his debut album “Ready to Die.”
Real Estate
In 2001, Method Man invited MTV Cribs to his Staten Island, New York abode. After two decades, he still resides in the cozy two-bedroom, two-bathroom residence, which is just the right size for his family.