Method Man was the first member of the Wu-Tang Clan to release a solo album with 1994’s Tical. Rza produced the album that had the same murky production qualities as the group’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). “Bring The Pain” was a sadist’s dream with Method Man’s dark lyrics and Rza’s beats and samples that sounded like a horror movie soundtrack. The video added to the perception as it featured Method Man rapping on a crowded sketchy city bus at night and then what looked like a dungeon. The first single gave the album a lot of attention which was boosted by his Motown-inspired duet with Mary J. Blige “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By.” Method Man proved himself as a solo emcee with smooth charisma and inadvertently became a sex symbol. Tical was universally liked by fans and critics eventually making it to platinum status in 1995. Method Man’s success was the rollout for other members of the Wu-Tang Clan to release their solo albums in a business move never seen before in hip-hop. “Bring The Pain” became as legendary as the group’s “Protect Your Neck” and Tical is was one more reason why 1994 was so important to hip-hop.
Method Man released his sixth solo album Meth Lab Season 2: The Lithium in 2018. In 2022 he won an NAACP award with Mary J. Blige for their roles on the TV show Power Book II: Ghost.
