 "Photo: Courtney Dudley")
 "Photo: Courtney Dudley")
Clifford Smith, aka Method Man, is currently one of the best-known hip-hop artists. Even country music fans can comfortably refer to "Mister Meth" or "Johnny Blaze" without batting an eye. But, back in the early '90s, he was just another New York rapper on the come-up, who hung out with a bunch of guys who liked to freestyle and watch kung-fu flicks.
Cut to May, 1993, when Wu-Tang, after creating a minor underground buzz earlier that year with their single "Protect Ya Neck," signed with Loud Records and re-released "Protect Ya Neck," but this time with the now-famous song "Method Man" on the B-Side.
It's hard to overstate the significance of this re-release: Method Man was an integral part of the pre-36 Chambers Wu-Tang come-up, and with "Method Man," he went on the be one of two rappers (the other being the co-founder, GZA) to get a serious solo mic spot on the awe-inspiring Wu-Tang debut LP.
This same incredible charisma, recognized by the Clan in 1993, resulted with Method Man being the first in the Wu-Tang to release a solo album, beginning a pattern of critically and popularly acclaimed solo ventures from Wu-Tang artists.
This first solo album, released on Def Jam Records in 1994, was called Tical. Meth's husky voice, obvious passion and saliva-sucking sounds constitute an undisputed dope delivery. His rhymes were rugged and hard-core, but they always stayed incredibly fun. Listeners can't help but identify with the drooling, hyper-violent Wu-Tang frontman.
The production on Tical was entirely handled by the RZA, who lent it his signature dark, muddy and sparse sound. RZA's production, which normally has a gritty sound, reaches a new level of dirtiness on Tical, likely due to the fact that many of the beats had to be hastily redone after a flood hit RZA's 36 Chambers studio, destroying much of the work already done on the album.
But this setback did little to harm the overall album, which met with critical acclaim and incredible popular success. Singles "Bring The Pain" and "Release Yo' Delf" both reached the Billboard Hot 100, and the album itself peaked at No. 4, eventually going platinum. The success of Tical did much to drive further Wu-Tang solo releases, the entire body of which is often considered an East Coast rap renaissance, after a period of relative domination by Snoop and Dre on the West Coast.
Furthermore, Tical cemented Method Man's position as frontman and most popular member of the burgeoning Wu-Tang clan, the success of which would vault him into the forefront of rap music, where he resides to this day.
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