Ambrosia For Heads: Thanks for taking the time, man. I know you’re on-set, so I really appreciate it. First I wanted to say, your flow is considered one of Hip-Hop’s greatest. It has evolved with time, and never gotten stagnant. Even “88 Coupes” is a testament to that. Musically, how do you stay so sharp, and how important is flow to being a great MC?
Method Man: Yo, I’m glad you said that [flow is important to being a great MC]. To me, cadence is very important. Because the cadence of a record is what makes the beat shine, or brings the beat out. Anybody can just go and—we write rhymes all day. Anybody can go in and say a rhyme they already wrote, over a beat. But it doesn’t always go together. When you’re flowing, and you’ve got that [command]…the best way that I can describe it is Ol’ Dirty b*stard, in his hey-day, when he used to do his sing-song cadence. Cadence is what gives us our identity. It’s my new word for flow: cadence. Like Nas: like when Nas came out, like the way he flowed, you knew it was Nas—and a lot of nikkas was bitin’ his style. Das EFX—that’s a flow. It’s very important.
Ambrosia For Heads: So how do you stay sharp with that? How do you keep your cadence sharp and stay in the pocket so well?
Method Man: Just gotta write. I remember, I spoke to Sean Price. I was askin’ him, “Yo, it seems like you’re havin’ a little writing renaissance right now. You’re hotter than you’ve ever been. What’s your secret?” He said, “I’m better than these nikkas—it ain’t no secret, it’s fact.” So I took it as my inspiration. Even if it ain’t true, I’m gonna tell myself that: I’m better than these nikkas.
Ambrosia For Heads: “Trillmatic” was one of my favorite songs of 2013, in large part because of your verse. On that song you said “Look at Meth, breakin’ bad like he cookin’ meth in the lab.” Is that around the time that you started formulating the concept for this album?
Method Man: Naw. I was actually already workin’ on it when I did that “Trillmatic” jawn’. That was actually the second verse that I wrote to the “Trillmatic” song. [I originally gave them something I had already written, that I rhymed to their beat]. They called me out on it. I respect them for even keepin’ it 100. “Nah, that’s not the Meth’ we want, right there.” I went back in and wrote that mothafukka over, with a chip on my shoulder.
I think I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder ever since…I don’t know. [I have encountered opinions that] felt like I’m one of the wackest ones in [Wu-Tang Clan]. I think it’s just hatin’, really. When you hear stuff like that…you can get a thousand great compliments, but you only remember that one fukk-boy, you know what I mean?
Ambrosia For Heads: Yeah, totally. So where do you think that chip on your shoulder comes from?
Method Man: Probably because I was the only boy; I got two sisters. I didn’t have any back-up. I didn’t have any big brothers or little brothers [to fight beside me]. I don’t know. I guess I’m sensitive and shyt.
Ambrosia For Heads: You’ve said your favorite “Breaking Bad” character was Walter White, but from a character standpoint, but it was Jesse from an actor’s standpoint. And that it would be an actor’s dream to play a character like that. As an actor, what do you think you would have brought differently to that character?
Method Man: You know what? I’m not taking anything away from Aaron [Paul]. Aaron did an excellent job; I don’t think anybody could’ve brought what he brought to it. And that’s the sole reason [for] my comment I made—he had done such an excellent job, that it’s an actor’s dream to have a part like that, just to toy with it, in so many different layers. I’m not sayin’ anybody could’ve did that part, but that is definitely the meat and potatoes of acting right there, man. You want parts like that.
Ambrosia For Heads: This new album is going to be your first solo work that’s not affiliated with Def Jam. Does it feel any different to you, in making the project?
Method Man: Well, let’s clear it up: [The Meth Lab] is not a solo project. But mark my words: when I do drop a Method Man exclusive Method Man album, it’ll be mostly just Method Man on the album, like my past ones.
This one here, it has one solo Method Man joint on it. The rest are songs that I did in conjunction with other artists that are from Staten Island, and a couple of artists that aren’t from Staten Island that I admired: Uncle Murda—who murdered his verse. Cory Gunz destroyed his verse. I just want to put that out there so these [people] will know that I could’ve had a million guest appearances on there, but I only chose those two. ‘Cause I needed room. The rest of those spots are taken up by Staten Island artists that I believe you will not be disappointed listening to.
Ambrosia For Heads: I saw that. I think that’s really dope to put on artists like that now that you’re more established. I was wondering if there was someone who kind of looked out for you in that same way, when you were first comin’ out?
Method Man: Yeah, RZA. But I was doin’ it to make money. I was still doin’ it for the fun. Call me stupid, naive, whatever…I had a one-track mind, and my one-track mind was I love doin’ [Rap]. I love writin’ rhymes; I love the reaction I get when I say a dope one. RZA—definitely RZA.
Ambrosia For Heads: What was it about Uncle Murda and Cory Gunz that made you say you had to get them on the album too?
Method Man: It wasn’t nothin’ at first. It was more about, “What about Uncle Murda?” Oh yeah, fukk it. I like Uncle Murda. Murda can spit. “Well, what about Cory Gunz?” Oh shyt, yeah, I like Cory Gunz. That m’fukka [can] spit. Then, once I got those two in the can, there were a few other people—I won’t say any names—who I was more or less like, “Nah. Nah. It doesn’t fit the project.” Plus, there’s certain people I want to save certain people for my last solo album.
Ambrosia For Heads: I’m glad you said that. So this is different than the Crystal Meth project you’ve talked about in the past? Are those two separate projects?
Method Man: Two separate projects. Meth Lab is a precursor to Crystal Meth.
It would be incredibly naive of me to think that people are still checkin’ for me the way they were checkin’ for me in the ’90s. So I have to honestly approach this like a new artist would: drop songs [so listeners] can get familiar with me again, before I have to remind people that I still know how to rhyme. And then, once the buzz is goin’, then you drop the album on ’em. You know?
Ambrosia For Heads: I’ve got to say…with our fan-base, when that trailer came out, it set things on fire…Literally, 300,000 people, like in a day, have circulated that comment. The excitement was just incredible—
Method Man: —Not to cut you off, but see, a brother like me needs to hear shyt like that. Honestly, we sit in our own little worlds, and we mostly get negative feedback. A brother will sit back and go, “Eh, I don’t know if I’m gonna do this now if people aren’t checkin’ for it, or checkin’ for me,” when that’s not even the case. The case is, they have to see you. Then there’s the whole stereotype about old rappers and shyt like that. And I get it, honestly. When I was in it, I was having fun. That’s why I can’t knock these young artists doin’ what they’re doing now—they’re having fun. Leave ’em the fukk alone and let ’em have their fukkin’ fun—can’t be knockin’ what they do. “Oh these nikkas suck! They dress like this, or they be doin’ that” who give a fukk, man? You had your fun. Move the fukk over, you old fogy; you sound like our fukkin’ parents, talkin’ all that shyt. “Pull your pants up!” [Chuckles]
Ambrosia For Heads: It’s interesting. When you were coming up, Rap was 15 years old. Now Hip-Hop is more than 40 year-old genre. Like Rock & Roll, Jazz, and different things, people grow up. The subject matter is different. You’ve got grown-man rap now. How do you think that subject matter has changed, over time?
Method Man: I suggested doing the Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop category. Of course everything’s changed for me. I can’t talk about the same shyt I used to talk about. I mean, I barely talk about smokin’ weed all the fukkin’ time anymore and shyt, ’cause I don’t smoke weed all the fukkin’ time. It gets to a point where you just gotta keep it 100 with your core audience, and they’ll know it when they feel it—inspired by you being you being yourself. “You know what? That shyt just ain’t interesting to me no more.” “I don’t want to play Playstation 4 games every morning. I want to build cars.” So now you’re not talkin’ about Playstation 4 games, you’re talkin’ about buildin’ cars. I don’t know if that answers your question, but that’s the best analogy I can get.
