Method Man

Solo Artist

Photo: Danielle G. Campbell · CC BY-SA 4.0
Active 1992-present
Origin Staten Island, New York
Albums 7
Tracks 131
Most frequent collaborator RZA · 34 tracks
Genres East Coast Hip HopHardcore Hip Hop
Artist
92%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 121 of 131 tracks

Does Method Man write his own songs?

He is credited on 121 of his 131 studio tracks and is the only writer on 18 of them. For the first four years there are none: RZA is on all 13 tracks of the debut. The ten tracks with no credit of his are skits and interludes given to other voices.

By the Numbers

7
Studio Albums
131
Tracks Credited
92%
Self-Written
34
Years Active
312
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 121 / 131 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 131 tracks: how many Method Man wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Method Man has a writing credit92%
14%
79%
8%
Sole author18tracks14%
Co-written103tracks79%
Outside writers10tracks8%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Method Man's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 131 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)92%
Composer (music)92%
Producer8%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Method Man's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 92%
100%
86%
88%
100%
89%
91%
100%
1994Tical
1998Tical 2000: Judgement Day
2004Tical 0: The Prequel
20064:21... The Day After
2015The Meth Lab
2018Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium
2022Meth Lab Season 3: The Rehab
Early · 90% written
Mid · 93% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

90%
1990s
Tical, Tical 2000: Judgement Day
95%
2000s
Tical 0: The Prequel, 4:21... The Day After
90%
2010s
The Meth Lab, Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium
100%
2020s
Meth Lab Season 3: The Rehab

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Method Man sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Method Man
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Aaliyah0%
Backstreet Boys25%
Monica34%
Billy Ray Cyrus47%
Usher74%
Counting Crows83%
Wu-Tang Clan100%
92%Method Man
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Bring the Pain
Tical
Written by Method Man, RZA, Chuck D, Gary G-Wiz, James Boxley III, Clifford Smith Jr., Robert Diggs, Carlton Ridenhour, Gary Rinaldo
Co-wrote
Release Yo' Delf
Tical
Written by Method Man, Blue Raspberry, RZA, Freddie Perren, Dino Fekaris, Clifford Smith Jr., Candi Lindsey, Robert Diggs
Co-wrote
Break Ups 2 Make Ups
Tical 2000: Judgement Day
Written by Method Man, D'Angelo, Jean-Claude Olivier, Samuel Barnes, Clifford Smith Jr., Michael Eugene Archer
Co-wrote

Discography 7 albums

The discography also lists the collaboration albums Blackout! and Blackout! 2 with Redman and Wu-Massacre with Ghostface Killah and Raekwon, plus the Wu-Tang Clan catalogue. Those are credited to other acts and sit outside this one.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Method Man131 tracks
34RZA, 34 tracks on Wu-Tang Clan's page 25Hanz On, 25 tracks 23Robert Diggs, 23 tracks PC22Patrick Charles, 22 tracks S20Streetlife, 20 tracks SL18Street Life, 18 tracks ES17Erick Sermon, 17 tracks M17Mathematics, 17 tracks 4D144th Disciple, 14 tracks ID13Inspectah Deck, 13 tracks on Wu-Tang Clan's page TM13True Master, 13 tracks PV13P. Version, 13 tracks H12Havoc, 12 tracks D9Daez, 9 tracks CF8Carlton Fisk, 8 tracks DY8Da Youngsta's, 8 tracks R7Raekwon, 7 tracks on Wu-Tang Clan's page LD7LB da Life Bringa, 7 tracks RB7Ron Browz, 7 tracks DG7Dame Grease, 7 tracks JR6Jason Richard Hunter, 6 tracks R6Redman, 6 tracks K5Kwamé, 5 tracks GC5George Cooney, 5 tracks AM5Adam McLeer, 5 tracks MP4Mr. Porter, 4 tracks on D12's page SS4Scott Storch, 4 tracks on The Roots's page K94Kinetic 9, 4 tracks CR4Code Red, 4 tracks DP4Don't Panic Ent., 4 tracks PZ4Pascal Zumaque, 4 tracks PN4Patrice Newbold, 4 tracks AR4Alfredo Rivera, 4 tracks CS4Chris Stylez, 4 tracks EC4Erick Coomes, 4 tracks JT4Justin Truman, 4 tracks L"4Leonardo "Sunday" Como, 4 tracks M"4Merquiades "Melks" Lugo, 4 tracks NG4Nate Gold Did-It, 4 tracks TC4Tyler Coomes, 4 tracks C3Cappadonna, 3 tracks on Wu-Tang Clan's page MK3Masta Killa, 3 tracks on Wu-Tang Clan's page DP3Denaun Porter, 3 tracks TC3the Chairman of the Boards, 3 tracks V3Versatile, 3 tracks CT3Cee the Architek, 3 tracks J3J57, 3 tracks L13Level 13, 3 tracks DL3Dontae L. Hawkins, 3 tracks I3iNTeLL, 3 tracks IM3Iron Mic, 3 tracks BR2Blue Raspberry, 2 tracks EA2El-Divine Amir Bey, 2 tracks KS2Killa Sin, 2 tracks JG2Jeryl Grant, 2 tracks KW2Kejuan Waliek Muchita, 2 tracks JG2Jeremy Graham, 2 tracks Y2Yogi, 2 tracks RM2Rich Mae, 2 tracks SD2Snoop Dogg, 2 tracks DM2Denaun Montez Porter, 2 tracks on D12's page CC2Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., 2 tracks on Snoop Dogg's page R2Rockwilder, 2 tracks DS2Dana Stinson, 2 tracks IW2Ivan Woods, 2 tracks KH2Kwamé Holland, 2 tracks EP2Executive producer, 2 tracks EM2Ettore Mazzei, 2 tracks ZK2Zarko Krstic, 2 tracks EG2Eazy Get Rite, 2 tracks CB2Chedda Bang, 2 tracks HH2Hue Hef, 2 tracks MP2Malcolm Penn, 2 tracks A2Apocalipps, 2 tracks C2Charles, 2 tracks SS2Sha Smith, 2 tracks 5P25th PXWER, 2 tracks DC2Daniel C. Wells, 2 tracks CD1Chuck D, 1 track on Public Enemy's page GG1Gary G-Wiz, 1 track JB1James Boxley III, 1 track GR1Gary Rinaldo, 1 track SB1Selwyn Bougard, 1 track FP1Freddie Perren, 1 track DF1Dino Fekaris, 1 track CL1Candi Lindsey, 1 track LL1Lisa Lopes, 1 track on TLC's page LD1LB Da Life Bringa, 1 track B1Booster, 1 track EL1Ed Lover, 1 track JR1James Roberts, 1 track MC1Mike Cleveland, 1 track RD1Ron Dean Miller, 1 track VM1Vincent Montana, Jr., 1 track BR1Bert Reid, 1 track LC1Lyor Cohen, 1 track CR1Chris Rock, 1 track CJ1Christopher Julius Rock, 1 track PP1Prince Paul, 1 track TS1Tupac Shakur, 1 track SG1Shock G, 1 track M1Money-B, 1 track RT1Roger Troutman, 1 track LT1Larry Troutman, 1 track SM1Shirley Murdock, 1 track TA1Tupac Amaru Shakur, 1 track on Tupac Shakur's page GE1Gregory Edward Jacobs, 1 track RB1Ronald Brooks, 1 track P1Prodigy, 1 track MD1Mobb Deep, 1 track DT1Donald Trump, 1 track DJ1Donald John Trump, 1 track P1Polite, 1 track S1Star, 1 track C1Cho-Flo, 1 track KM1Keith Murray, 1 track RN1Rosalyn Noble, 1 track RK1Rod Kirkpatrick, 1 track KO1Keith Omar Murray, 1 track D1D'Angelo, 1 track JO1Jean-Claude Olivier, 1 track SB1Samuel Barnes, 1 track ME1Michael Eugene Archer, 1 track T1Trackmasters, 1 track JJ1Janet Jackson, 1 track JD1Janet Damita Jo Jackson, 1 track RS1Russell Simmons, 1 track RW1Russell Wendell Simmons, 1 track RR1Rick Rock, 1 track RT1Ricardo Thomas, 1 track ME1Missy Elliott, 1 track TD1Tony Dofat, 1 track SC1Sean Combs, 1 track on Puff Daddy's page DP1DJ Premier, 1 track JT1Jeru the Damaja, 1 track FS1Fredro Starr, 1 track SS1Sonny Seeza, 1 track SF1Sticky Fingaz, 1 track SM1Shelly Manne, 1 track JB1James Baker, 1 track LW1Lotte Wiggins, 1 track MW1Melvin Wilson, 1 track MA1Melissa Arnette Elliott, 1 track SJ1Sean John Combs, 1 track CE1Christopher Edward Martin, 1 track KJ1Kendrick Jeru Davis, 1 track FL1Fred Lee Scruggs Jr., 1 track TT1Tyrone Taylor, 1 track KJ1Kirk Jones, 1 track SM1Sheldon Manne, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 297. PC Patrick Charles · S Streetlife · SL Street Life

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

He is credited on 121 of his 131 studio tracks and is the only writer on 18. Not one of those 18 is on the debut: RZA writes with him on all 13 tracks of Tical and on 23 across the catalogue, and Streetlife, who never had a solo album of his own, is on 22. The tracks he holds by himself come late, eight of them on one 2018 album.

Quick Facts

  • Self-writtenCredited on 121 of his 131 studio tracks
  • Written alone18 of 131 tracks, none of them on the debut
  • Constant partnersRZA on 23 tracks, Streetlife on 22
  • Biggest song"I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige
  • SalesTical sold 1,613,000 in the US and Tical 2000 sold 1,605,000
  • Other workWu-Tang Clan member and half of the duo Method Man & Redman

Creative Fingerprint

Credited on almost everything and rarely alone, with the solo credits arriving twenty years after the album that made his name.

The Story

Clifford Smith Jr. rapped his way out of Staten Island as one of nine members of the Wu-Tang Clan and was the first of them to get a solo deal. Tical arrived in November 1994. It is certified platinum by the RIAA. Six more studio albums followed over the next thirty years, along with the Redman partnership, the Wu-Tang catalogue and a long second career acting in Oz, The Wire and The Deuce.

Awards & Recognition

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards, for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige

Frequently Asked Questions Method Man

Does Method Man write his own songs?
He is credited on 121 of his 131 studio tracks and is the only writer on 18 of them. For the first four years there are none: RZA is on all 13 tracks of the debut. The ten tracks with no credit of his are skits and interludes given to other voices.
Has he ever written a song by himself?
On 18 tracks, none of them before 1998. Eight are on Meth Lab Season 2 in 2018, which is the album he holds most tightly.
Who wrote "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By"?
Method Man and RZA, over the Ashford and Simpson song that Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell recorded. It won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards.
How many albums has he released?
Seven studio albums: Tical (1994), Tical 2000: Judgement Day (1998), Tical 0: The Prequel (2004), 4:21... The Day After (2006), The Meth Lab (2015), Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium (2018) and Meth Lab Season 3: The Rehab (2022).
Which album sold the most?
Tical, at 1,613,000 in the United States. Tical 2000: Judgement Day is close behind at 1,605,000 and both are certified platinum.
Who is Streetlife?
Patrick Charles, a Staten Island rapper who has been on Method Man records since Tical. He is credited on 22 tracks, one behind RZA.
How much did RZA write?
All 13 tracks of Tical and 23 across the catalogue. His share falls off after the debut: three tracks on Tical 2000, two on Tical 0, five on 4:21... The Day After and nothing after that.
What are the Meth Lab albums?
Three records released between 2015 and 2022 on his own Hanz On Music label, with Streetlife and the Hanz On roster taking much of the writing alongside him.
Is he in the Wu-Tang Clan?
Yes, and he was the first member to release a solo album. The Wu-Tang records are credited to the group and sit outside this catalogue, as do the two Blackout! albums with Redman.
What else does he do?
He acts. He has had recurring roles in Oz, The Wire and The Deuce, co-starred with Redman in the Fox sitcom Method & Red, and appeared in Belly, How High and Garden State.

Sources

Wikipedia: Method Man Wikipedia: Method Man discography