Net Worth | $14 Million |
Full Name | Clifford Smith |
Stage Name | Method Man |
Birth Date | March 2, 1971 |
Age | 51 |
Country of Origin | United States of America |
Wife | Tamika Smith |
Height | 1.91m (6ft, 2inches) |
Source of wealth | Acting, rapping, Songwriter, composer, film producer |
What Is Method Man’s Net Worth
Clifford Smith, also known as Method Man, is an American rapper, actor, and record producer. His net worth is estimated to be $14 million.
He is well-recognized for his association with the popular hip-hop group, ‘Wu-Tang Clan.’ He is an actor, rapper, Songwriter, composer, and film producer. Method Man also has several investments in NFTs, real estate, and books.
Keep reading the article below to know more about the exciting details of Method Man’s early days, career, personal life, income streams, and other hidden life facts.
Early Life
Clifford Smith was born on March 2, 1971, in Hempstead, Long Island, New York. He got his stage name from the 1979 film ‘The Fearless Young Boxer,’ also referred to as ‘Method Man,’ and has been nominated for several awards, such as the Grammy Awards.
He attended New Dorp High School, where he met rapper Remedy, and they became friends.
The word “Method” was a popular slang for marijuana in their district. He was also an active lacrosse player in his youth and a member of Wu-Tang.
He began peddling narcotics when he dropped out of school between the ninth and eleventh grades. Smith enjoyed rapping with his cousins Gary Grice, Russell Jones, and Robert Diggs.
Family
Method didn’t have an easy childhood. The difficulty he faced in his childhood was not just about his parents’ separation but also financial difficulties.
As the third child of his family, Method and his sisters divided their time between their father’s Long Island home and their mother’s house in the Park hills of Clifton, Staten Island. So, young Method grew up in both places.
Method did a lot of odd jobs to support himself and ended up in the drug trade. Despite his rough childhood, his father introduced him to the world of music and poetry, and he went on to be the biggest rapper of his time.
Personal Life
Method man is very invested in family, considering how his childhood went, especially with separated parents. In 1999, Method man got engaged to the love of his life, Tamika Smith, and in 2001, they had their wedding.
Tamika completed her nursing education at Oneonta Job Corporation, worked as a caretaker, and provided community development work for adults with physical disabilities.
They are blessed with three children, Sha (born in 1996), Raekwon (born in 1997), and their last child and only daughter, Cheyenne Smith. The two sons follow in their father’s steps as a rapper, and the family currently resides in Staten Island, New York.
Tamika was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. The family kept their battle with the disease relatively private, and thankfully, the treatments worked.
In 2020, Method voted for the first time in the presidential election. On November 3, 2020, went on his Instagram account to share a picture of his ‘i voted’ sticker. In his caption, he was proud to mention how there’s a first time for everyone and counts it a privilege and his right to vote.
Method Man’s Career
Method Man delved into music in 1992 and was a member of the famous East Coast hip-hop group, ‘Wu-tang Clan,’ that started in Staten Island, 1992.
Original members of the clan include, Method man, Rapper Gizza, Rizza, ol’ dirty bastard, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-god, Raekwon, and mas tequila.
He is also close friends with B.I.G. and was the only guest rapper featured on his debut album ‘ready to die.’
The Wu-tang Clan
Method was one of only two members to get a solo song, ’36 members’ on the group’s debut album ‘enter the Wu-tang clan.
Wu-tang clan has an unusual contract that allowed members to sign any record label and release solo albums. Thus, Method man signed with Def Jam.
‘Tical’ was his debut album released in 1994, and that was a massive success as it was critically acclaimed and well received, debuting on the charts at number four and selling more than one million copies.
In the album, songs like ‘you’re all I need to get by,’ and ‘I’ll be there for you’ made it possible for Method man and Mary J. Blige to win a Grammy award for best rap performance for a duo or group.
Paying Taxes
Compared to his West Coast colleagues, Method Man has saved quite a bit on taxes by living and working in New York.
After his tax deductions, he has likely paid close to 41% of his total tax earnings. His career earnings are roughly $15.34 million after taxes, after paying $10.66 million in taxes.
After failing to pay $33,000 in taxes to the state of New York between 2004 and 2007, Method Man was eventually detained in 2009. He entered a guilty plea and was required to pay $106,000 a year later in 2010.
Albums
Method man has released several solo albums; ‘Ticall (1994)’, ‘Ticall (2000),’ Judgement day (1998), Ticall zero, the prequel (2004), 421 The day after (2006), The Meth lab season 1 & 2 (2015).
With the Wu-tang clan, Method man released eight albums, like, ‘enter Wu-tang 36 chambers (1993), the W (2000), Iron flag (2001), eight diagrams (2007), a better tomorrow (2014), once upon a time in Xiao long (2015), and the saga continued in 2017.
He worked with American rapper Redman to produce “How High,” and that hit laid the foundation for their future collaborations.
Method Man continued working with Redman for his album, ‘Blackout,’ and the song topped several music charts. Later, Method released an album, ‘Wu-massacre’ in 2010 alongside Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon.
With all his accomplishments in the music and entertainment industry, it didn’t take long for Method Man to become one of the most popular MC’s of the mid-90s.
Appearances
Method has appeared in various motion pictures, ‘garden state and ‘belly how high’.’ He also played minor roles in the ‘red tails’ and ‘wackness venom.’
Method also had a recurring role on HBO, where he played characters Tug Daniel (OZ), Melvin (Cheese), and Wagstaff on the HBO drama series The Wire, and Rodbey in HBO’s The Deuce. Method also appeared in the last Og on T.B.S.
Method appeared in MTV’s reality game show ‘Yo Mama’ in the pilot episode in 2006
In 2006, the writers of about.com placed him on their list of the top 50 M.C.s of our time from 1987 to 2007. In 2012, Method man made it to the list of ‘The Source’s’ top 50 lyricists of all time in 2012.
Haley Baldwin and Method man were co-hosts for the celebrity battle rap show ‘Drop the mic,’ in 2017. He also made a guest appearance in ‘Power Book II,’ ‘Ghost on stars in 2020.
Method man is the first of the Wu-tang clan to produce a series of self-named graphic novels for Grand Central Publishing (hatchet book group U.S.A.’s imprint), followed by Gizza and Ghostface Killah.
Marvel Method
The actor and rapper Method Man started a podcased called, ‘Marvel Method’ in February 2021, which was a weekly podcast series for Marvel Entertainment and S.X.M.
The podcast focuses on interviews with different celebrity guests who come together to discuss about music, life, Marvel comics, culture, and a bunch of other fun topics. Some featured guests on the show, include Jemele Hill, Killer Mike, D.M.C, and many others.
Method Man’s Real Estate
Method Man’s home in Staten Island, New York, was featured on MTV cribs in 2001.
He still lives in his home today and the house is a modest two-bedroom, two-bathroom building that is just right for his family.
Other Income Streams (Acting, NFT, Books, Endorsement Deals)
In addition to being a rapper and MC, Method Man is also an actor. However, he is also a savvy investor and a successful businessman. In recent years, he has made numerous investments and launched his businesses.
1. NFT
Through NFT, he made a world where he was a physical superhero rather than a lyrical one because of his love of comic books. Method Man realized the potential presented by the metaverse’s growing popularity and founded MEFaverse.
It’s a Web 3 comic book that has been gamified. It comprises elements from eCommerce, advertising, hip-hop, technology, pop culture, entertainment, and music and provides independent holders who don’t rely on secondary market transactions with a source of revenue.
MEFaverse is where you may exhibit your artwork, find happiness and comfort, and make money. It is a network of 3D virtual worlds that aims to give everyone who enjoys hip-hop, comic books, gaming, Web 3.0, and art a safe haven.
2. BOOKS
Several books about music production and rap have been released by the renowned rapper. Some of these books include, Method Man, Ghost Rider X-Mas Special Infinite Comics, Marvel’s Voices: Legacy, and many others.
3. ENDORSEMENT DEALS
Method Man has endorsement deals with several brands, including; Adidas, Avirex, Blaze now, Eyehunee, and Mishka.
Numerous Accolades
Method Man cares about automobiles, family, and the Wu-Tang clan, which he views as family, besides the hip-hop group and the celebrity combat rap show. It could have been worse growing up in Staten Island, but today he is not just recognized by Grammy nominations, but other rappers mention Method man in their songs.
Although Macklemore may have done it most recently, only R.Z.A. earns more than Method Man in terms of hip-hop royalty.
Summary
In the world of acting and music, Method man has established a name for himself and his niche.
He is a well-known rapper who has emerged as one of the Wu-Tang Clan’s most prominent figures on the East Coast.
Method Man is one of the best rappers of all time as he has collaborated with stars worldwide, including Busta Rhymes, B-Real, Coolio, and L.L. Cool J.
His musical career is an inspiration to many and he has truly proved himself to be one of a kind.