Source: JD Barnes / for Cassius
Method Man graces the cover of Cassius, continuing the Hip-Hop 50 Celebration. The entertainer shares his thoughts on the genre’s influence, his ability to sustain within the entertainment industry and a deeper look inside his acting journey. Read more and check out the full cover story inside.
Cassius spotlighted Method Man on the cover of their August issue. On Aug. 30, the publication shared the story titled, “Method Man: Half Man, Half Amazin’.” The latest issue continues as the world celebrates Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary.
The renowned emcee and thespian has a bright light that has stood the test of time.
“The fact that I’m still here is a testament to my work ethic,” Method Man is quoted on the front of the cover. The NY rapper attributes his success to the work he has put into his craft.
Cassius mentions that the entertainer has managed “to make it seem effortless, but every win has been hard earned.
From landing his earliest roles in Cop Land and 187 in 1997 to getting praise for his role as Shameek in Hype Williams’ Belly a year later, Method Man admits he didn’t do much real acting his earlier appearances.
“In the beginning I have to admit I only took roles that, ya know, were me, there wasn’t any acting involved whatsoever,” Meth shared in the story. “I was very green, and you can tell now it’s apples and oranges to where I am now. I decided to take it serious when I saw exactly what these actors go through just to get a part and to survive on a daily basis. For me, that is motivation enough to go through every step that I have to go through in order to give my best performance. And not just my best performance but my 110% effort to make sure that I’m not the weakest link on this set. ‘Cause there are people that show up hours before I do to make sure everything runs smoothly. Who am I to come unprepared?”
Now, Method Man has stolen the hearts of many with his latest role as Davis MacLean in “Power Book II: Ghost.” As for how he’s managed to stay afloat and find success, he credits his work ethic, confidence and charm.
“I can’t speak to their stories or why they’re in the predicaments that they’re in, but I do know some of the pitfalls that come with the industry,” Meth comments about the peers who came into the game with him but are no longer active. “A lot of them are self-inflicted by the artist themselves. There’s nothing like getting an ego-stroked man, but it becomes very addictive and when [it] isn’t up to par with your standards, you tend to slide into seclusion to the point where you become a recluse. When you start valuing other people’s opinion of you more than your own opinion of yourself, that’s when you have a problem. And for me it became me basically not valuing what people said about me but what I said about myself. Not valuing what people thought about me but what I thought about myself. And it’s definitely working. The fact that I’m still here is a testament to my work ethic, and people fucks with me heavy, for real.”
Method Man is happy to see the growth of an industry he helped nurture early on, saying Hip-Hop sets the trend for many cultures.
“You seen how it went from a million dollar business to a billion dollar business,” Method Man speaks about the three decades he’s witnessed, as an artist, of Hip-Hop’s growth. “Just know this, Hip-Hop sets the trend for a lot of the cultures. A lot of the fashion, whether it be Timberland boots or those ugly ass Balenciaga sock sneakers, Hip-Hop did that.”
Check out the full story here.
