Biography of Clifford Smith

Clifford Smith (born March 2, 1971 in Staten Island, New York), better known by his stage name Method Man or Meth is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man.

He is one half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman along with fellow rapper Redman. He won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” with Mary J. Blige.

He appeared in the motion pictures “Belly,” “How High,” “Garden State” as well as a minor role in “The Wackness.” On television, he and hip-hop collaborator Redman co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom “Method & Red,” and he had a recurring role as Calvin “Cheese” Wagstaff on the acclaimed HBO drama series “The Wire.”

His solo career began with 1994’s “Tical.” “Tical” was a commercial success, reaching number four on the Billboard 200, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. On January 18, 1995, the album was certified gold in sales by the RIAA, and on July 13, 1995, it was certified platinum after sales of one million copies. This success was driven by its two singles, “Bring the Pain” and “Release Yo’ Delf”.

“Tical 2000: Judgement Day” followed in 1998 debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, while selling 411,000 copies in its first week. On December 16, 1998, “Tical 2000: Judgement Day” was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA.

In 2004 he released “Tical 0: The Prequel” which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, and was certified gold by the RIAA. “4:21 …The Day After” was released in 2006 and to date has sold 229,000+ copies. The album peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 and featured the single “Say.”…