#VitalFactz: Happy Birthday - Method Man

Happy Birthday Method Man. Born Clifford Smith March 2, 1971. Smith is an original member of the legendary Staten Island based group Wu-Tang Clan. He pretty much started to make his mark in the Hip Hop industry with his solo performance on Wu-Tang's second single M.E.T.H.O.D. Man. In 1994 he signed to Def Jam Records & released his highly anticipated debut solo album Tical. Despite not living up to expectations of diehard Wu-Tang Clan fans, the album was a commercial success. It reached Platinum Status & peaked at #4 on Billboards Hot 200 Albums Chart. It was also the first of 3 consecutive albums to peak at #1 on Billboards R&B Albums Chart. It includes Bring The Pain, as well as Release Yo' Delf & All I Need (the remix issued on later issues of Tical) featuring Mary J. Blige. This single earned Method Man & Mary a Grammy in 1996 for Best Rap Performance By A Duo or Group. His collaborations with EPMD protege Redman have also been hugely successful, starting with the Gold selling single How High from The Show Soundtrack. Together they released 2 joint efforts, the first one being Blackout, which was Certified Platinum. He has also made quite a name for himself in film as well (click here for Filmography). He has 5 studio albums to date & is still a full-fledged member of the Wu.