9 times Method Man stole the show with a feature verse
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The art of Hip Hop, since its inception, has always been a concerted effort. The DJ and the emcee needed each other equally to rock the party. As a braggadocious musical style, Hip Hop also established roots in rivalry. Battle raps and diss tracks are characteristic of the genre and subsequent culture. Likewise, an impactful feature’s essence lies within its collaboration and competition. Like your favorite meal, the ingredients work well together for a cohesive taste, but every cuisine has standout flavors that you taste more than others. That seasoning or spice is what keeps us coming back. Hip Hop collabs work quite the same, and Method Man has amassed more than a handful of towering features over the years. Here is REVOLT’s list of nine times Method Man elevated a song as a guest.
1. Lemon by Conway the Machine: “Capone-N-Noreaga, watchin’ CNN/ Black whip, black tint, y’all ain’t seein’ in/ It’s Con and Meth, spread the word, boy, it’s C and M/ No seein’ ’em, these rappers in the scope, you’ll never see an M.”
Wordplay has always been a strong point for Method Man, and this verse on Conway the Machine’s 2020 record “Lemon” is one of his finest examples. Playing with homophones, Method Man uses similar sounds to compare this link-up with the Griselda Records rapper to mobsters in the field.
2. The What by The Notorious B.I.G.: “I’m not a gentleman, I’m a Method Man/ Baby, accept it, utmost respect it, and/ (Assume the position) stop, look, and listen/ I spit on your grave, then I grab my Charles Dickens, b**ch.”
In this lyrical sparring between Brooklyn’s Biggie Smalls and Staten Island’s finest, Method Man showed up to the fight with his proverbial gloves and bars laced. Trading punchlines, Meth used the second verse of “The What” to remind fans and contemporaries that he’s not one to play with.
3. 4, 3, 2, 1 by LL Cool J: “Gotta love me, G-O-D, no one above me / Look good but f**k ugly.”
You know you’ve cemented your status in the game when the lead artist lends you the first verse on an epic mashup featuring rap juggernauts like LL Cool J did for Method Man on “4, 3, 2, 1.” Right out of the gate, Tical — as Method Man is known when he’s really in his bag — hits the beat with a flurry of poetic punches. In this line, he put everyone on notice that he’s the god of the rap game and the bedroom.
4. Got My Mind Made Up by Tupac: “N**gas best protect they joints for nine nickels/ Man, I stay on point like icicles/ Now, who wanna test Tical, then tes-ticles/ All up in your motherf**kin’ mouth.”
In this line, Method Man is warning his opponents that he’ll never be caught slipping. So, before they decided to go up against him, they had better watch their girlfriends and their mouth before he gives them something to talk about.
5. Hot Box by JID: “My cup runneth over, theirs ain’t full enough/ They bad, but that ain’t good enough/ They mad ’cause they ain’t half of what I’m cookin’ up.”
Atlanta rapper JID called on support from Meth on his 2018 single “Hot Box.” Intergenerational stoners can enjoy this laid-back track featuring several smoker puns from both rappers. In this line, Method Man is bragging on how fire his trees are over anyone else’s.
6. The Grand Finale by DMX, Ja Rule, Method Man and Nas: “Watch them young guns that take none/ Nobody’s safe from the Friday the 13th, ghetto Jason.”
Hip Hop has a notable history with Horror movies, and Wu-Tang Clan tapped into many themes from the genre throughout the years. In this DMX feature, Method Man likens himself to the fictional antagonist Jason Voorhees, who stalked and murdered his victims with a machete. Bar for bar, Method Man is slicing up these other emcees.
7. Round And Round by Jonell: “I adore mi amor, but every time she choose to go to war/ I’m lookin’ at the front door.”
R&B singers have been leaving space on their songs for rap verses since the 1980s — just ask Chaka Khan and Bronx MC Melle Mel about “I Feel For You.” Well, fast forward to 2001 and pop the How High movie soundtrack into your CD player for this bop by singer Jonell. In this verse, Method Man shows off his inner loverboy using French flair.
8. Half Man Half Amazin by Pete Rock: “Can’t we all just get along in this modern Babylon?”
In 1998’s “Half Man Half Amazin,” Method Man and Pete Rock went bar for bar showcasing their lyrical dexterity and intellect. In this line, Meth quotes Rodney King – a Black man who was a victim of police brutality — when he called for peace during the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. This reference, paired with the comparison to modern times and Babylon, an ancient empire that ultimately met destruction, served as a poignant sign of the times.
9. Still On It by Ashanti: “See, my palm been itchin’ for the longest, so scratch that, paper like NASDAQ.”
Ashanti completely owned the early 2000s, and her track “Still On It” featuring Method Man is proof. In his verse, Meth first gives props to Ashanti before reminding listeners that he’s on top of his game, and he has the money to match.
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