And nothing wrong with the shiny-suit era - not even shiny-suit, it was suit and tie. Method Man: It was crazy because at this point, we were in the shiny-suit era. From their music, to their fashion, Wu-Tang became a symbol that many could identify with, leading to a record deal that would forever change the game.
THE LANDSCAPE OF 90'S HIP HOP:īack in the early 90's, the emergence of the powerhouse rap collective 'Wu-Tang Clan,' would spark a cultural revolution, impacting not only music, but the way the industry would come to view hip hop as a brand. And my first rhyme I wrote was with Raekwon, 'The Chef' and it was called 'I'm on a Mission.' And from there, the rest is history. So you know, when I got my opportunity to step up, I had no rhymes, so I had to write some. Some of my favorite rappers and these guys are doing it. That was just my opinion at the time, we were nowhere near better than Slick Rick, but it was like these guys are almost better than Slick Rick, they're like Doug E. I was so impressed that people my age, preteens and teenagers, were doing things that so-called professionals were doing at it better than Slick Rick. And that's where it started for me, in that staircase. And I didn't know that until those actual people showed up to one of these sessions. He was saying other people's rhymes in there. They weren't, they were other people's rhymes. But the funny thing is this, I thought those were his rhymes. Up to this point I didn't even know he rhymes. Like, you know, one guy's beating on the wall, one dude's beatboxing in the corner. And then these guys came by and more or less like, 'yo, we're going upstairs.' 'Alright, let's go.' At this point. And we're just standing around and I'm like, this is it. I'm feeling like I'm hanging out with a 22-year-old.
Just let me give you guys a little history on 'Chef.' Oldest child, old soul, always been like, mature beyond his years. And one of my best friends at the time, I used to walk home with every day was Raekwon 'The Chef.' One day, he asked me to hang out with him. I moved back to Staten Island from Long Island, and started attending Dreyfus 49 Intermediate School Middle School. Method Man: I was in junior high school, just moved there. Shirleen: Tell me about that chance encounter. And by the time it is, you will be the old school artists, and I was like wow, that's prolific. I remember when KRS-One said you can't call us old school artists, hip hop isn't even 20 years old yet. I will say that around the time that I discovered hip hop, I might have been 10 or 11 years old at the time. Just the love of it, you know, and it was still in its infant stage. So when I fell into it, I fell all the way into it. But my love was with these guys to create. And I kind of did hang out with some of those guys. I could have hung out with the guys that sold drugs, I could have hung out with the guys that drank a lot of 40 ounces and smoked a lot. You kind of take on what crowd you're with. I was lucky enough to, at a young age, hang out with guys that loved music. I used to memorize all the jingles from The Electric Company and Sesame Street. Since I was a young tyke, we're talking like kindergarten. Method Man: I've always been a music lover. Shirleen Allicot: What was it for you? What sparked your ascent? DISCOVERING A LOVE FOR HIP HOP:īorn in Hempstead, Long Island before moving to Park Hill, Staten Island for middle school, Method Man would weave his way into the hip hop scene with the help of his friend and fellow Wu-Tang Clan member, Raekwon 'The Chef.'
#I love hip hop new york android
Both editions will be made available to stream on-demand at or our ABC7NY app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV. Watch our half-hour special '50 years of Hip Hop: The Bronx and Beyond' now, followed by a one-hour extended look on Channel 7 at 1 p.m. NEW YORK (WABC) - The concrete jungle of New York City has grown and cultivated an impressive lineup of hip hop stars since the birth of the genre in the Bronx five decades ago, including one figure that would become part of a cultural revolution during the "Golden Age."Ĭlifford Smith Jr., aka 'Method Man,' was just 2 years old back in 1973 - a "young tyke." But even at a tender age, the future Wu-Tang Clan founder would find out that his power with the pen was mightier than a sword.Īhead of hip hop's 50th anniversary, Method Man sat down with Eyewitness News anchor Shirleen Allicot, and described his humble beginnings, his rapid ascent to rap stardom and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. Wu-Tang Clan founder Method Man reflects on the impact of hip hop and its New York City roots for the 50th anniversary.
0 kommentar(er)
