After attaining considerable fame in hip-hop circles as a member of the legendary New York City group Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man enjoyed a phenomenally successful second career as a solo artist, and to a lesser degree, as an actor in film and television.

Born Clifford Smith in Staten Island, NY, on April 1, 1971, he spent much of his childhood shuttling between the homes of his separated parents in Hempstead, Long Island, and the Staten Island Park Hill Projects. His father imbued him with an interest in music and poetry, which eventually drew him into the hip-hop world. In late 1992, he and