Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
parent	Universal Music Group
founded	1984
founder	Rick RubinRussell SimmonsLL Cool J
status
distributor	Island Def Jam Motown Music Group(In the US)Mercury Records(Outside the US)
genre	Various
country	United States
location	New York City
url	}}

Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of Island Def Jam Motown Music Group. In the UK, the label takes on the name ''Def Jam UK'' and is operated through Mercury Music Group, while in Japan, it is ''Def Jam Japan'' operating through Universal Sigma Music.

Company history

Def Jam was created by Rick Rubin in his dorm room in Weinstein Hall at New York University and its first release was a single by his punk-rock group Hose. Russell Simmons joined Rubin shortly after they were introduced to each other by Vincent Gallo. The first single released with a Def Jam Recordings logo was T La Rock & Jazzy Jay's "It's Yours." The first releases with Def Jam Recordings catalog numbers were LL Cool J's "I Need a Beat" and the Beastie Boys' "Rock Hard," both in 1984. The singles sold well, eventually leading to a distribution deal with CBS Records (which would later become Sony Music Entertainment) through Columbia Records the following year. This created a short-lived subsidiary label called ''OBR Records'', catered toward R&B; artists — the first artist signed to that imprint was Oran "Juice" Jones, who enjoyed success with his hit single "The Rain". Def Jam also signed its first and only thrash metal band, Slayer, in 1986, and the band's debut album was one of only two Def Jam releases to be distributed through Geffen Records, as opposed to Columbia. As the decade drew to a close, the label signed Public Enemy, whose controversial lyrical content garnered the company both critical acclaim and disdain.

Lyor Cohen became president of Def Jam in 1988, after winning a power struggle with Rubin, who would shortly thereafter leave the company to form Def American Recordings (now known as American Recordings). Rubin would take Slayer with him to Def American in its initial stages.

Def Jam under PolyGram

By 1992, despite recent multi-platinum selling releases from LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and EPMD, Def Jam ran into severe financial troubles and was faced with folding. However, in 1994, PolyGram purchased Sony's 50% stake in Def Jam Recordings — subsequently bringing the label into its fold. Following PolyGram’s purchase, Def Jam distributed the Violator Records signed artist Warren G's ''Regulate... G Funk Era'' album, which went triple platinum and brought much-needed revenue to Def Jam through its distribution deal with Violator.

PolyGram acquired an additional 9.8% in Def Jam Recordings in 1995, further strengthening its ownership of Def Jam. Shortly thereafter, Rush Associated Labels was renamed Def Jam Music Group. The label remained profitable as its veteran star LL Cool J released his successful album ''Mr. Smith'' in 1995. The label later signed Foxy Brown, whose debut album ''Ill Na Na'' became a platinum seller in 1997.

Def Jam under Universal Music Group

In 1998, PolyGram was purchased by Seagram, and the MCA and PolyGram families of labels merged into Universal Music Group. Following MCA's takeover of PolyGram, it purchased the remaining interest of Def Jam Recordings from Russell Simmons for a reported $100 million. Universal merged Def Jam with Island Records to form The Island Def Jam Music Group. In spite of the formation of IDJMG, Def Jam and Island continue to operate as separate imprints underneath the bigger umbrella.

Dick Cohen was appointed president of IDJMG, and Kevin Liles succeeded him as president of Def Jam. In 1999, Def Jam created an R&B; spin-off label called Def Soul Recordings, which inherited many of Island Records' urban artists (and also some from Mercury Records), including Dru Hill and its lead singer Sisqó, The Isley Brothers and Kelly Price. Def Soul also issued recordings by Musiq, Montell Jordan, Case, 112, Patti LaBelle, and Christina Milian. Island's 4th & B'way Records was also folded into Def Jam.

Also in 1999, the label also began distributing releases by Murder Inc. Records, run by former Def Jam executive Irv Gotti. Murder Inc.'s roster of artists would include Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, Vita. The following year, it launched another subsidiary, ''Def Jam South'', which focused on Southern rap and distributed releases from labels such as Disturbing tha Peace, whose artists have included Ludacris, Chingy, and Bobby Valentino. Russell Simmons tabbed Texas-born and raised rap legend Scarface (aka Brad Jordan) as the original head of Def Jam South. After about a 4-year run at Def Jam South, Scarface negotiated a release from the company in 2003. The label is currently run by Miami-based DJ Khaled.

Def Jam in the 2000s

In 2001, Lyor Cohen announced Def Jam Germany, the first international Def Jam company. This increased the label's presence around the world. Def Jam Germany signed German rappers Spezializtz, and Philly MC. The label was located in Berlin and opened on May 23, 2000. In addition to signing and marketing local artists, Def Jam Germany also marketed all U.S. signed Def Jam artists in the German territory.

The second international label is a Japanese branch, , also founded in 2000. Its artist roster include AI, Teriyaki Boyz and Nitro Microphone Underground.

In 2003, Def Soul was absorbed into its Def Jam parent. A year later, Murder Inc. became the center of a money laundering investigation involving illegal profits from drug trade, leading to the label's eventual release from its distribution contract by 2005. Roc-A-Fella Records was sold to the company in 2004, by which time it had launched the career of producer-turned-rapper Kanye West.

DMX helped the company to great heights during 1998 and 1999 selling millions of records and revived hardcore hip hop during this time. The same year, Cohen left IDJMG for Warner Music Group, and was replaced by former Arista executive L.A. Reid. An unhappy Liles eventually decided to follow Cohen to Warner. A bidding war for Jay-Z's contract began, and Reid appointed Jay-Z president of Def Jam.

Under Jay-Z's leadership, Def Jam launched new successful acts such as contemporary R&B; singers like Rihanna, Ne-Yo, and Kanye West . Jay-Z's contract as president of Def Jam was not renewed, forcing him to step down at the end of 2007, remaining with Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings as a recording artist. Following Jay-Z's resignation as president, L.A. Reid took over leadership of the label, as opposed to hiring a replacement, and promptly signed rapper Luke Death, who was dropped months later, before releasing any music. It was announced in early June 2008 that Def Jam A&R; executive Shakir Stewart, credited with bringing Rick Ross to the label, would take over as vice president of Def Jam. Stewart committed suicide on November 1, 2008.

VH1 Hip-Hop Honors

Def Jam was an honoree of the sixth annual VH1 ''Hip Hop Honors''.

Artists

List of current Def Jam Recordings artists

List of former Def Jam Recordings artists

Def Jam Recordings discography

Def Jam Recordings discography

References

External links

Interview with Shakir Stewart, HitQuarters Nov 5

Category:Record labels established in 1984 Category:Vivendi subsidiaries Category:Labels distributed by Universal Music Group Category:American record labels Category:Hip hop record labels Category:Rhythm and blues record labels

cs:Def Jam Recordings da:Def Jam Recordings de:Def Jam Recordings es:Def Jam Recordings fr:Def Jam ko:데프잼 레코드 id:Def Jam Recordings it:Def Jam Recordings he:דאף ג'אם sw:Def Jam Recordings mk:Def Jam Recordings nl:Def Jam Recordings ja:デフ・ジャム・レコード pl:Def Jam Recordings pt:Def Jam Recordings ro:Def Jam Recordings ru:Def Jam Recordings fi:Def Jam Recordings sv:Def Jam Recordings tr:Def Jam Recordings uk:Def Jam zh:Def Jam唱片公司

Suheir Hammad (born October 25, 1973) is a Palestinian-American poet, author and political activist. She was born in Amman, Jordan. Her parents were Palestinian refugees who immigrated along with their daughter to Brooklyn, New York City when she was five years old. Her parents later moved to Staten Island.

As an adolescent Hammad was heavily influenced by Brooklyn's vibrant Hip-Hop scene. She had also absorbed the stories her parents and grandparents had told her of life in their hometown of Lydda, before the 1948 Palestinian exodus, and of the suffering they endured afterward, first in the Gaza Strip and then in Jordan. From these disparate influences Hammad was able to weave into her work a common narrative of dispossession, not only in her capacity as an immigrant, a Palestinian and a Muslim, but as a woman struggling against society's inherent sexism and as a poet in her own right. When hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons came across her piece entitled 'First Writing Since,' a poem describing her reaction to the September 11 attacks, he signed her to a deal with HBO's Def Poetry Jam. She recited original works on tour for the following two years. She is now working on her third publication which will be a book of prose. She will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project ''Sixty Six'' where she has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible

Film and Video

''Lest We Forget'' (2003) - Narrator

''The Fourth World War'' (2004) - Narrator

''Salt of This Sea'' (2008) - Soraya

''When I Stretch Forth Mine Hand'' (2009) - Verses by

Produced plays

''Blood Trinity'' (2002) The New York Hip Hop Theater Festival

''ReOrientalism'' (2003)

''Libretto'' by Suheir Hammad

Awards

The Audre Lorde Writing Award, Hunter College (1995, 2000)

The Morris Center for Healing Poetry Award (1996)

New York Mills Artist Residency (1998)

Van Lier Fellowship (1999)

The 2001 Emerging Artist Award, Asian/Pacific/American Studies Institute at NYU

The 2009 American Book Awards

Tony Award – Special Theatrical Event – original cast member and writer for Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway (2003)

Suheir is also a talent associate for the Peabody Award winning HBO show Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry (2003)

Works

''Born Palestinian, Born Black''. Harlem River Press, 1996, ISBN 0-863-16244-4.

''Drops of This Story'' Harlem River Press, 1996.

''Zaatar Diva'' Cypher Books, 2006, ISBN 1-892-49467-1

''Breaking Poems'' Cypher Books, 2008, ISBN 978-0-9819131-2-4

Periodicals

''The Amsterdam News''

''Black Renaissance/Renaissance Noire''

''Brilliant Corners''

''Clique''

''Drum Voices Revue''

''Essence''

''Long Shot''

''Atlanta Review''

''Bomb''

''Brooklyn Bridge''

''Fierce''

''STRESS Hip-Hop Magazine''

''Quarterly Black Review of Books''

''Color Lines''

''Spheric''

''The Olive Tree Review''

''The Hunter Envoy''

''Meridians''

''Signs''

Anthologies

''In Defense of Mumia'' (Writers and Readers)

''New to North America'' (Burning Bush Press)

''The Space Between Our Footsteps'' (Simon & Shuster)

''Identity lessons'' (Penguin)

''Listen Up!'' (Ballantine)

''Post Gibran: Anthology of New Arab-American Writing'' (Jusoor Press)

''Becoming American'' (Hyperion)

''Bum Rush the Page'' (Three Rivers Press)

''The Poetry of Arab Women'' (Interlink Books)

''Voices for Peace'' (Scribner)

''Another World is Possible'' (Subway & Elevated Press)

''33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women’s History'' (Crown)

''Trauma at Home'' (Bison Press)

''Sing, Whisper, Shout, Pray!; Feminist Visions for a Just World'' (Edge Work)

''Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway'' (Atria)

''Short Fuse, The Global Anthology of New Fusion Poetry'', edited by Swift & Norton; (Rattapallax Press)

''Word. On Being a (Woman) Writer'', edited by Jocelyn Burrell; (The Feminist Press)

References

External links

Suheir Hammad's Official Website

Suheir Hammad, text of "First Writing Since"

Suheir Hammad Performing "First Writing Since"

Suheir Hammad, text of "Mike Check"

Suheir Hammad performing "Mike Check"

Profile on Suheir Hammad at the Institute for Middle East Understanding

Palestine Festival of Literature">Suheir Hammad performing two poems at the Palestine Festival of Literature

Suheir Hammad's IMDB page

eFilmCritic.com interview with Suheir Hammad about "Salt of This Sea" by Dan Lybarger

TED Suheir Hammad: Poems of war, peace, women, power

Category:People from Amman Category:American Muslims Category:American writers of Arab descent Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Palestinian descent Category:American poets of Arab descent Category:American poets Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Staten Island

fa:سهیر حماد he:סוהיר חמאד

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Name	Method Man
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Clifford Smith
Alias	Meth, Tical, Johnny Blaze, Methtical, Shakwon, Iron Lung, Hot Nikkels, MZA
Born	April 01, 1971
Origin	Staten Island, New York City, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, actor
Years active	1990–present (rapping)1995–present (acting)
Label	Def Jam
Associated acts	Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, Erick Sermon, LL Cool J
Website	}}

Clifford Smith (born April 1, 1971 in Hempstead, New York), better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film ''The Fearless Young Boxer'', also known as ''Method Man''. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman. He won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige. In 2007, the writers of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987-2007).

Method Man appeared in the motion pictures ''Belly'', ''How High'', ''Garden State'' as well as a minor role in ''The Wackness''. On television, he and hip-hop collaborator Redman co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom ''Method & Red'', and he had a recurring role on HBO's ''Oz'' as Tug Daniels and as Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff on the acclaimed HBO drama series ''The Wire''.

Early life

Born in Staten Island, New York, on April 1, 1971, Clifford Smith divided his childhood between his father's Long Island residence and his mother's Staten Island home. He has two sisters, Terri and Missy.

Rapping career

''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'' / ''Tical''

As Wu-Tang Clan ascended to hip hop stardom, Method Man was always one of the most visible members of the collective. He was one of only two members to get a solo song on the group's debut album ''Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers'' and he was the first to release a solo album under the Clan's unusual contract which allowed its members to release albums under any record label (Method chose to sign with rap label Def Jam). Method Man's solo debut, ''Tical'' (1994) was critically acclaimed and well received, entering the American charts at #4 and eventually selling in excess of one million copies. That album featured the hit single "All I Need" which was later remixed featuring Mary J Blige, which won a Grammy "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need,"). during this time Method Man also became close friends with The Notorious B.I.G., and was the only guest rapper featured on his debut album ''Ready to Die''. In 1995, he was also featured on "Got the Flava" off Showbiz and A.G.'s album ''Goodfellas''. In 1996, Method Man appeared on Tupac Shakur's album ''All Eyez on Me'', on the song "Got My Mind Made Up" alongside his rhyme partner Redman, The Dogg Pound (Daz and Kurupt) and Inspectah Deck (Rebel INS), whose verse did not make the released album version (although his nickname "Rebel INS" can be heard as the song fades).

''Wu-Tang Forever'' / ''Tical 2000: Judgement Day''

On June 3, 1997 the Wu-Tang Clan released their Grammy-nominated multiplatinum double CD ''Wu-Tang Forever'', the long-awaited follow up to ''36 Chambers''. The album has sold over 8.3 million copies to date worldwide.

His second solo album was ''Tical 2000: Judgement Day'', released in 1998, which was heavily influenced by the apocalypse theories surrounding the forthcoming end of the millennium, and which featured myriad guest appearances from his fellow Wu-Tang MCs. The album was certified double platinum. Other guest appearances include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, D'Angelo, Chris Rock, Mobb Deep, Redman, and brief cameos from Russell Simmons, Bishop Don "Magic" Juan, Janet Jackson, and Donald Trump. The album sold better than his first fueled by the party track "Judgment Day" and the D'Angelo collaboration "Break Ups 2 Make Ups", earning Platinum and Gold certifications in the U.S. and Canada respectively. Reviews for the album were mixed and its long runtime and abundance of intermittent comedy skits were widely criticized. Producers on this album included True Master, 4th Disciple and the RZA.

''Blackout!''

Method Man was part of the very successful Hard Knock Life Tour with Jay-Z, Redman, Ja Rule, and DMX. During this tour, Method Man & Redman recorded ''Blackout!'', a light-hearted, bass-heavy, profanity-laced, party record with an EPMD-evoking emphasis on funky beats and the mischievous wit and cool flows and good rhythm of the two MCs. The album reached platinum status quickly, both in the U.S. and Canada, fueled by "Da Rockwilder", "Cereal Killa", "1, 2, 1, 2", "Tear It Off" and "Y.O.U.". This album also featured three previously released tracks on which the two collaborated.

Their success would lead the duo on to star in movies and TV shows, become product spokespersons and household names, but also associated them with marijuana use in the media. The most immediate results of their success was their co-starring roles in the major motion picture film ''How High'', their endorsement deal for ''Right Guard'', Redman's starring role in ''Seed of Chucky'' and a short-lived sitcom on Fox Television entitled ''Method & Red''.

''The W'' / ''Iron Flag'' / ''Tical 0: The Prequel''

The Wu-Tang Clan released ''The W'' on November 21, 2000 and Iron Flag on December 18, 2001. ''The W'' received both critical and commercial success for the group, while ''Iron Flag'' did receive some but not to the effect of ''The W''. The efforts earned two more platinum plaques for the Wu-Tang Clan.

In 2004, Meth released his third solo album ''Tical 0: The Prequel'', which featured the hit party single "What's Happenin'" with Busta Rhymes. Hip hop critics voiced their displeasure with the album, many agreeing that ''Tical 0'' felt like generic party rap and featured too many mainstream guests, detracting from his own performances. Regardless, this album sold reasonably well and was certified gold record by the RIAA relatively quickly, but would not see the platinum success of his previous solo releases. There was trouble even before the album's release when Method apparently complained to the press about excessive interference from Def Jam over the album's beats (Meth supposedly desired more input from Wu-Tang leader RZA). On its release, many fans and critics were taken aback by its strong "mainstream" or "commercial" sound, highlighted by the guest appearances of pop-rap stars like Missy Elliott and P. Diddy, two artists that are involved with much different facets of rap music.

P. Diddy was one of the executive producers for the album, although Meth later voiced his displeasure with the final product. "On the third LP, it was suggested (by Def Jam) to bring in Harve Pierre and P. Diddy. Who am I to argue? Puff knows how to sell some records. But that wasn't the direction to go in, and I know that."

''4:21... The Day After''

Method Man's fourth album, entitled ''4:21: The Day After'' was released in August 2006 with a star lineup of producers featuring Havoc, Erick Sermon, Scott Storch, Allah Mathematics, Mr. Porter, and, most importantly to Meth, RZA. This time around, a more focused Method Man went back to his hip hop roots and both hip hop fans and the media took notice. He did an interview on the ItsHipHop.Tv. Despite this being one of Meth's strongest solo efforts to date, the album failed to do well commercially due to it having no single or video, which Method Man has held discontent towards his own label for. However, he has been touring strongly all over the world to promote the album, and has appeared onstage with fellow Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck, as well as New York up and comers Saigon, and Gat Murdah. Meth contributed various reasons for the problems between him and his label, Def Jam. While he puts most of the blame on personal agendas in the Def Jam offices, Meth did take some blame, himself, for giving into his record label.

In early May 2007, Method Man's camp leaked the street single "New York New York" which became a popular track on the internet.

''Blackout! 2''

On March 27, 2007, Redman confirmed on BET's Rap City: Tha Bassment that the sequel to ''How High'', ''How High 2'', is currently being written.

In an April 10, 2007 Onion AV Club interview, Redman hinted that there would be a second collaborative album with Method Man, with work beginning in midsummer or early September.

In early 2008, a remake of the Smoothe da Hustler and Trigger tha Gambler classic ''Broken Language'' was released to the internet by the duo entitled ''Broken Language 2008'', fueling rumors of a ''Blackout!'' sequel coming soon. This rumor was further fueled by the duo while performing in Gainesville, Florida at the University of Florida. A ''Blackout! 2'' LP was scheduled for a December 9, 2008 release but was recently pushed back to the first quarter of 2009, with a new release date on May 19. Bun B has confirmed that he will guest star on ''Blackout! 2'' – in April 2009, a single has been released named ''City Lights'', produced by Nasty Kutt Also producers such as Erick Sermon, Rockwilder and Pete Rock have announced their presence on the album.

The duo has finished their ''Still High'' tour with Termanalogy, the Alchemist, and Evidence of Dilated Peoples.

''The Crystal Meth''

''The Crystal Meth'' is the Method Man's upcoming fifth studio album. The album has no confirmed release date. ''The Crystal Meth'' was first announced before Method Man began working on his and Redman's sophomore collaboration album, ''Blackout! 2''. In the liner notes of that album, it was given a scheduled release date for 2009. The album, however, was further postponed until it was later mentioned in an MTV interview it would be released in early 2010. no update on the album's progress or release date has been made. At a concert on the 23 of December 2010 Method Man told the crowd to look for his album in March 2011. However the album was pushed back to an unknown release date.

In a recent interview with The Come Up Show following a recent performance in Canada in April 2011, Method Man replied with this regarding his current 'weed-loving' image:"When you get older and you've got kids and your kids are going to school and you know [their] teachers...and they see how active you are and concerned [you are] with your kids' education or well being, it's hard to sit there and be taken seriously if people are always talking about he's always high...which is totally not the case," he said. "When I first came out, I was young, we were doing our thing, we smoked a lot...and we didn't care if the world knew. Now, I have to use more discretion because of my kids. This is not for me; everything I do is for them now, so I use a bit more discretion and I don't put weed as a forefront any more."

Acting career

In the early 2000s Method Man began a career in acting. He has had recurring roles in critically acclaimed television shows such as HBO's ''Oz'' as Tug Daniels, HBO's ''The Wire'' in which he plays Prop Joe's nephew Cheese, ''The Twilight Zone'' and ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''. He and Redman hosted a pilot on MTV called ''Stung''. He has made numerous appearances as himself on TV shows such as ''Mind of Mencia'' and ''Chappelle's Show''.

Method Man portrays Drops on ''CSI'', a wealthy Las Vegas party promoter who clashes with the CSI team, specifically investigator Nick Stokes, in their investigations involving his clubs or entourage. His first appearance on CSI as ''Drops'' was in the 2006 episode "Poppin' Tags". He resumed the role in the 2007 episode "Big Shots" and again in the 2008 episode "Drops Out".

His first prominent role came in 1998 with the film ''Belly'' along with fellow rappers Nas and DMX. He has since added many credits to his name, including roles in the films ''Garden State'', ''One Eight Seven'', and many others, with starring roles in the feature films such as ''How High'' and ''Soul Plane''. On March 27, 2007 Redman confirmed on BET's show ''Rap City'' that the sequel to ''How High'' was being written. The script for ''How High 2'' is being written by Dustin Lee Abraham of ''CSI'', who also wrote the first movie. In 2005 Method Man also had a cameo in the horror movie ''Venom'', where he played a deputy who shortly into the movie is killed. He appears in the 2008 movies ''The Wackness'' and also, ''Meet the Spartans''.

Method Man stars in the episode "Snitch" of ''Law & Order SVU'' as the main antagonist. The episode was first broadcast December 4, 2007.

Method Man has made an appearance in the ''Def Jam'' series of video games. In ''Fight for NY'' he voiced Blaze, one of the main characters. In ''Icon'', he voiced Gooch, a major character in the storyline. In Underground, He voiced Meth, one of the major characters. He made a guest appearance in the music video for the 2003 "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys, where he played the role of her boyfriend. He also appeared in Beanie Sigel's music video "Feel It in the Air", where Method Man played an undercover cop leading an operation against Sigel.

Method Man has fallen back from pursuing more acting roles after the situation with his sitcom on Fox left a bad taste in his mouth, and now mostly just acts if the project is being handled by a friend of his, as was the case with ''CSI'' and ''The Wire''. He also played an arsonist and a wealthy executive as well as main antagonist in an episode of the fox TV show The Good Guys.

Method Man appears as a hip hop business mogul in an episode of ''Burn Notice''.

Method man had a cameo appearance in the 1997 film ''Cop Land'' as a physically violent fleeing criminal that throws Peter Berg's character off of a New York rooftop. Method Man has also appeared in the TV drama ''Wonderland'', as a patient in a mental hospital.

Other ventures

Method Man appeared in the 1995 documentary entitled The Show. There is a memorable scene in which Method Man, on a train in Japan, gets into an argument with U-God and Ghostface Killah, over camera time, radio interviews, and clothing mishaps.

In 2006, Method Man appeared on the MTV reality game show ''Yo Momma'' in the first episode of Season 1.

Method Man is the first of the Wu-Tang Clan to produce a series of eponymous graphic novels for Hachette Book Group USA's imprint Grand Central Publishing (to be followed by GZA and Ghostface Killah).

Personal life

He became engaged to his wife in 1995 and they married in 2000. He has two children, a son born in 1997 and a daughter born in 1998.

Legal issues

On Thursday May 17, 2007 Method Man was arrested in New York City on marijuana charges. His Mercedes-Benz convertible was pulled over at the Battery Tunnel en route to Manhattan, and when he rolled his window down the officer noticed a strong smell of marijuana. "It was like something out of ''Cheech & Chong''. He rolls down the window and the smoke would choke a horse," a source later said. The arresting officer said he noticed two blunts and a plastic bag with more marijuana in plain view. Upon further inspection more marijuana was found under the driver's seat. The arrest was made at about 10 P.M. Thursday night near the Battery Tunnel toll booths on Hamilton Ave. in Carroll Gardens. He was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, criminal possession of marijuana, operating a motor vehicle under the influence and driving an uninspected motor vehicle. He later made many public service appearances to try to make up for it, most notably at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn.

On October 5, 2009, Method Man was arrested at his home in Staten Island for income tax violations. He was accused of failing to file income tax returns for the state of New York between 2004 and 2007 and owes nearly $33,000 in taxes. On June 28, 2010, Method Man plead guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to a conditional discharge and paid a $106,000.00 fine.

Controversies

Wu-Tang management

In 2003, Method Man criticized Oli "Power" Grant and Mitchell "Divine" Diggs, the managers of the Wu-Tang business. "Number 1 on my shit list right now is Divine from Wu-Tang management. He took something major from me that he had no intention of giving back." Divine is multiplatinum record producer RZA's brother who along with Oli "Power" Grant took over the business end of Wu-Tang around 1997.

Aside from the financial issues, Method Man was unhappy with the decision to bring Wu-Tang into the fashion world for a brief period of time with Wu-Wear, despite the brand being a major money-maker for the group. "When Wu-Wear started making shoes and sneakers and pants, it was shoddy material. I never rocked that shit."

Wendy Williams

In 2006 Method Man had a highly personal and highly publicized conflict with TV talk show host Wendy Williams on ''The Breakdown'', an internet show on ONLOQ.com. Williams talked on air about Method Man's wife having cancer, which was something he had wanted to keep private and even her own family members had not yet known about. He said that people who lived next door to him didn't even know, but Williams had dug it up and made it public over the radio.

Williams also reported rumors that Method Man had even been having an affair with his wife's doctor. Method Man first heard of this while in recording sessions in Los Angeles.

}}

Sean Combs

During a concert in 2006, Method Man criticized Diddy's decisions on the posthumous The Notorious B.I.G. ''Duets: The Final Chapter'' album, saying that Biggie never would have worked with some of the subpar rappers. "They got niggas on that album Big would have never rocked with," Meth said of the album. "Musically, I ain't fuckin' with Puff Daddy". He also brought up the fact that he was the only other rapper that Biggie chose to have on his debut album ''Ready To Die''. He was featured on the track "The What".

Previously, Diddy had been one of the executive producers for Method Man's 2004 album ''Tical 0: The Prequel'', to which Meth later voiced his displeasure on the final product.

Fox Television

He starred in a Fox sitcom called ''Method & Red'' in late 2004, however after only a short time on the air the show was put on hiatus and never returned. Method Man later complained in the press about Fox's influence on the show's style, claiming that "there's been too much compromise on our side and not enough on their side" and bemoaning the network's decision to add a laugh track. Before the show even aired for the first time, he was telling fans not to bother watching it. He told the newspaper:

Discography

; Studio albums

''Tical'' (1994)

''Tical 2000: Judgement Day'' (1998)

''Tical 0: The Prequel'' (2004)

''4:21... The Day After'' (2006)

''The Crystal Meth'' (2012)

; Collaboration albums

''Blackout!'' (with Redman) (1999)

''Blackout! 2'' (with Redman) (2009)

''Wu-Massacre'' (with Ghostface Killah and Raekwon) (2010)

''Blackout! 3'' (with Redman) (2012)

''TBA'' (with Shyheim) (TBA)

Filmography

Year	! Film	! Role
1996	''The Great White Hype''	As himself
1997	''Cop Land''
1997	''One Eight Seven''
1998	Belly (film)>Belly''
rowspan="2"	1999	Black and White (1999 film)>Black and White''
''Big Daddy (film)	Big Daddy''	Man #7
2000	Backstage (2000 film)>Backstage''
2001	''How High''
2002	Brown Sugar (2002 film)>Brown Sugar''
2003	''Volcano High''
rowspan="4"	2004	''My Baby's Daddy''
''Garden State (film)	Garden State''	Diego
''Soul Plane''	Muggsy
''Scary Movie 3''	Gangsta 4
2005	Venom (2005 film)>Venom''
2006	''Hood of Horror''
rowspan="2"	2008	''Meet the Spartans''
''The Wackness''	Percy
rowspan="5"	2010	Sinners & Saints (film)>Sinners & Saints''
''Red Tails''	Sticks
''The Mortician 3-D''	Mortician
''The Good Guys''	Kenny Griffin (Season 1 Episode 14 – Old Dogs)
''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Drops (Season 11 Episode 2 – Pool Shark)
rowspan="1"	2012	''How High 2'

References

External links

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American film actors Category:African American rappers Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:People from Staten Island Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Wu-Tang Clan members

be:Method Man cs:Method Man da:Method Man de:Method Man et:Method Man es:Method Man fr:Method Man fy:Method Man ko:메소드 맨 id:Method Man it:Method Man he:מת'וד מן sw:Method Man hu:Method Man nl:Method Man ja:メソッド・マン no:Method Man pl:Method Man pt:Method Man ru:Method Man sl:Method Man sr:Method Man fi:Method Man sv:Method Man uk:Method Man

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Joe Budden
background	solo_singer
birth name	Joseph Budden
alias
born	August 31, 1980 (age 31)
origin	Jersey City, New Jersey
label	E1Shady Records
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper
years active	2002 – present
website	Official website
associated acts	Slaughterhouse, Fabolous, Emanny, Stack Bundles }}

Joe Budden is an American rapper from Jersey City, New Jersey.

Early life

Budden was born in Spanish Harlem, but lived in Queens until he was 12 and from there moved to Jersey City, New Jersey. He is one of five boys (one older brother and three younger brothers - two are twin brothers). Budden heard music in his home (his father is a multi-instrumentalist) and on the streets while he grew up.

Career

In the year 2003, Budden released his debut solo studio album, ''Joe Budden.'' It included Budden's 2003 Grammy-nominated summer hit "Pump It Up", and was also featured in the soundtrack for the movie ''2 Fast 2 Furious'' and the video games ''Def Jam Vendetta'' & ''Def Jam Fight for NY''. The song "Focus" was also featured in the game and Joe Budden was also a character. Its second single was "Fire" featuring Busta Rhymes, which was in the movie ''Mean Girls''. The song "Drop Drop" was featured on the soundtrack for the movie ''Cradle 2 the Grave''. Joe has hinted in many songs that he was a recovering drug addict and has reaffirmed his position several times through multiple outlets.

After his debut album, Budden's sophomore release titled ‘The Growth’ was hampered due to the label's problems with Joe and his Def Jam seniors not happy with the direction of his music. The production of the album appeared to end up in a development hell and was ultimately not released. Continued disagreements between Budden and Def Jam forced the two sides to part ways. However, Budden managed to release the first and second installments of his Mood Muzik mixtape series while on Def Jam, and the series has been met with critical acclaim.

In December 2007 Budden signed a multi-album deal with Amalgam Digital and released his independent debut Padded Room as well as Mood Muzik 3: The Album, Halfway House, and Escape Route.

Joe Budden reached out to Crooked I, Royce da 5'9", Joell Ortiz and Nino Bless for a track titled "Slaughterhouse" on one of his Amalgam Digital releases, ''Halfway House''. Based on the reception of the track, they decided to form a group, minus Nino Bless, and named it after the first song they made together. They released numerous songs throughout early 2009, leading up to their self-titled album, which was released through E1 on August 11, 2009. The album features production from Alchemist, DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, Streetrunner, plus guest appearances from Pharoahe Monch, K. Young, and The New Royales. The group signed with Shady Records on January 12, 2011.

Personal life

Many of Joe Budden's relationships with women have been in the spotlight, most notably his 5 year relationship with model Tahiry. He has also dated model Esther Baxter. He is the ex-boyfriend of Somaya Reece, a cast member of VH1's Love & Hip Hop.

Budden has a son from a previous relationship. In 2010, he was wanted by New Jersey police in relation to unpaid child support payments.

Budden has also been in the spotlight for his numerous controversies with other rappers including Game, Prodigy, Saigon, Ransom, and an incident involving several members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Joe Budden'' (2003)

''Padded Room'' (2009)

;Digital albums

''Mood Muzik 3.5'' (2007)

''Halfway House'' (2008)

''Escape Route'' (2009)

''Mood Muzik 4.5: The Worst Is Yet To Come'' (2011)

;with Slaughterhouse

2009: ''Slaughterhouse''

2011: "Slaughterhouse (EP)"

;Official mixtapes

''2004: Mood Muzik: The Worst Of Joe Budden''

''2005: Mood Muzik 2: Can It Get Any Worse?''

''2007: Mood Muzik 3: For Better or for Worse''

''2010: Mood Muzik 4: A Turn 4 The Worst''

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

*2004, Best Male Rap Solo Performance: "Pump It Up" (nominated).

Other awards

*2003 Vibe Next Award (winner).

*United Kingdom, MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award for "Clubbin" with Marques Houston (nominated).

*United Kingdom, MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award for Best Rap Performance (nominated).

*2004 Black Reel Award for Best Song from a Movie for "Pump It Up" in 2 Fast 2 Furious (nominated).

References

External links

Official website

Joe Budden on Twitter

Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:TVT Records artists Category:People from Jersey City, New Jersey Category:Rappers from New Jersey Category:Underground rappers Category:1980 births

da:Joe Budden de:Joe Budden es:Joe Budden fr:Joe Budden ko:조 버든 it:Joe Budden he:ג'ו באדן nl:Joe Budden ja:ジョー・バドゥン no:Joe Budden pl:Joe Budden fi:Joe Budden sv:Joe Budden tr:Joe Budden