A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors. Many common law countries have now abolished the felony/misdemeanor distinction and replaced it with other distinctions such as between indictable offences and summary offences. A felony is generally considered to be a crime of "high seriousness", while a misdemeanor is not.

A person convicted in a court of law of a felony crime is known as a felon. In the United States, where the felony/misdemeanor distinction is still widely applied, the federal government defines a felony as a crime punishable by death or imprisonment in excess of one year. If punishable by exactly one year or less, it is classified as a misdemeanor. The individual states may differ in this definition, using other categories as seriousness or context.

Similar to felonies in some civil law countries (Italy, Spain etc.) are ''delicts'', whereas in others (France, Belgium, Switzerland etc.) ''crimes'' (more serious) and ''delicts'' (less serious).

Overview

Felonies include, but are not limited to: aggravated assault and/or battery, arson, burglary, illegal drug use/sales, grand theft, robbery, murder, rape, and vandalism on federal property. Broadly, felonies can be categorized as either violent or non-violent (property and drug) offenses.

Some offenses, though similar in nature, may be felonies or misdemeanors depending on the circumstances. For example, the illegal manufacture, distribution or possession of controlled substances may be a felony, although possession of small amounts may be only a misdemeanor. Possession of a deadly weapon may be generally legal, but carrying the same weapon into a restricted area such as a school may be viewed as a serious offense, regardless of whether there is intent to use the weapon. Additionally, driving while intoxicated in some states may be a misdemeanor if a first offense, but a felony on subsequent offenses.

:"The common law divided participants in a felony into four basic categories: (1) first-degree principals, those who actually committed the crime in question; (2) second-degree principals, aiders and abettors present at the scene of the crime; (3) accessories before the fact, aiders and abettors who helped the principal before the basic criminal event took place; and (4) accessories after the fact, persons who helped the principal after the basic criminal event took place. In the course of the 20th century, however, American jurisdictions eliminated the distinction among the first three categories." ''Gonzales v. Duenas-Alvarez'', (citations omitted).

In some states, felonies are also classified (class A, B, etc.) according to their seriousness and punishment. In New York State, the classes of felonies are E, D, C, B, A–II, and A–I (the most severe). Others class felonies numerically, e.g., capital, life, 1st degree, 2nd degree, 3rd degree, state jail or class 1, 2, etc. (VA). The number of classifications and the corresponding crimes vary by state and are determined by the legislature. Usually, the legislature also determines the maximum punishment allowable for each felony class; this avoids the necessity of defining specific sentences for every possible crime.

A felony may be punishable with imprisonment for one or more years or death in the case of the most serious felonies, such as murder. Indeed, at common law when the British and American legal systems divorced in 1776, felonies were crimes for which the punishment was either death or forfeiture of property. In modern times, felons can receive punishments which range in severity; from probation, to imprisonment, to execution for premeditated murder or other serious crimes.

Seriousness of a felony; punishment fits the crime

A felony is considered a crime of high seriousness. A principal of the rationale for the degree punishment meted out is that the punishment should fit the crime. One standard for measurement is the degree to which a crime affects others or society. Measurements of the degree of seriousness of a crime have been developed.

United States

The reform of harsh felony laws that had originated in Great Britain was deemed "one of the first fruits of liberty" after the United States became independent.

In many parts of the United States, a convicted felon can face long-term legal consequences persisting after the end of their imprisonment, including:

Disenfranchisement (which the Supreme Court interpreted to be permitted by the Fourteenth Amendment)

Exclusion from obtaining certain licences, such as a visa, or professional licenses required in order to legally operate (making many vocations off-limits to felons)

Exclusion from purchase and possession of firearms, ammunition and body armor

Ineligibility for serving on a jury

Ineligibility for government assistance or welfare, including being barred from federally funded housing

Deportation (if the criminal is not a citizen)

Additionally, most job applications and rental applications ask about felony history, (with the exception of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts) and answering dishonestly on them can be grounds for rejecting the application, or termination if the lie is discovered after hire. It is legal to discriminate against felons in hiring decisions as well as the decision to rent housing to a person, so felons face barriers to finding both jobs and housing. Failure to maintain employment and housing can be parole violations and can therefore cause a convicted felon to be returned to prison. Another common term of parole is to avoid associating with other felons. In some neighborhoods with high rates of felony conviction, this creates a situation where many felons live with a constant threat of being arrested for violating parole.

Many bonding companies will not issue bonds to convicted felons, also effectively barring them from certain jobs. Many banks will refuse service to convicted felons.

Some states also consider a felony conviction to be grounds for an uncontested divorce.

The status and designation as a "convicted felon" is considered permanent, and is not extinguished upon sentence completion even if parole, probation or early release was given. The status can only be cleared by a successful appeal or executive clemency. However, felons may be able to apply for restoration of some rights after a certain period of time has passed.

In some states, restoration of those rights may depend on repayment of various fees associated with the felon's arrest, processing, and prison stay.

Expungement

For state law convictions, expungement is determined by the law of the state. A few states do not allow expungement, regardless of the offense.

Federal law does not have any provisions for persons convicted of federal felonies in a federal United States district court to apply to have their record expunged. While the pending Second Chance Act which may change this, at present the only relief that an individual prosecuted in Federal Court may receive is a Presidential Pardon, which does not expunge the conviction, but rather grants relief from the civil disabilities that stem from it.

See also

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)

Compounding a felony

Criminal law

Civil law

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

Employment discrimination against felons in the United States

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives

Federal crime

Felony murder

Handhabend and Backberend

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Infraction

IRS

Law of the United States

Misdemeanor

One strike, you're out

Record sealing

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)

State court (United States)

Supreme Court of the United States

Three Strikes Law

United States district court

United States Marshals Service

United States Postal Inspection Service

United States Secret Service

References

Category:Crimes Category:Criminal law Category:Legal terms

bs:Krivično djelo de:Verbrechen fr:crime ko:중범죄 it:Delitto nl:Misdrijf pl:Zbrodnia ru:Фелония

Name	Lil' Keke
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Marcus Lakee Edwards
Alias
Birth date	March 29, 1976
Origin	Houston, Texas, U.S.
Genre	Southern rap, Screwed & Chopped, Dirty South
Occupation	rapper
Years active	1993–present
Label	Swishahouse, Warner Music Group, TF Records, Universal Motown, Screwed Up Records
Associated acts	Screwed Up Click, Fat Pat, DJ Screw, Herschelwood Hardheadz, Big Hawk, Z-RO, Lil' Flip, UGK, Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Al Kapone, Big Pokey
Past members	}}

Marcus Lakee Edwards (born March 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Lil' Keke, is a rapper from Houston, Texas and an original member of the Screwed Up Click.

Biography

Music career

Lil Keke gained national underground love with his track "Southside" from his 1997 release "Don't Mess Wit Texas". In 2005, Lil' Keke signed to Swishahouse Records. In an interview with HitQuarters at the time, label president and A&R; T. Farris said, "He is a legend here in Houston. He plays a big role in the whole style of rap that we make down here." Lil' Keke started out working alongside DJ Screw doing mixtapes.

Discography

1998: ''The Commission''

2001: ''Platinum In Da Ghetto''

2008: ''Loved by Few, Hated by Many''

2011: ''Only In America''

References

External links

Category:1976 births Category:African American musicians Category:African American rappers Category:Musicians from Texas Category:Living people Category:Underground rappers Category:Screwed Up Click members Category:Rappers from Houston, Texas

de:Lil Keke fr:Lil' KeKe it:Lil' Keke nl:Lil' Keke pl:Lil' Keke

name	The L.O.X.
background	group_or_band
origin	Yonkers, New York, United States
genre	Hip hop
years active	1995–present
label	Bad Boy Records (1995–present)Ruff Ryders Entertainment (1999–present)D-Block Records (2003–present)
associated acts	DMX, Drag-On, Eve
current members	JadakissStyles PSheek Louch }}

The Lox are an American hip hop group composed of Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P. They were originally signed to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records before joining Ruff Ryders Entertainment, and are now a part of their own label, D-Block Records

Early career

Jason "Jadakiss" Phillips, David Styles "Styles P", and Sean "Sheek Louch" Jacobs, began their musical careers in their hometown of Yonkers, New York. As high school students they formed a group called "The Bomb Squad" and began performing at local shows and producing their own demos. In 1995 they appeared on Main Source's "Set It Off" from the album "Fuck What You Think". While the local rap scene was being dominated by artists like Raw Rome, Lord Devon and a young DMX, the group began to gain attention for their lyrical style and ability to present tales of urban life. The group eventually changed their name to "The Warlocks" and continued developing a fan base by appearing on underground mix tapes. One of their admirers was the "Queen of Hip hop soul," fellow Yonkers native Mary J. Blige. Mary passed their demo tape on to Bad Boy CEO Sean "Puffy" Combs who signed them to a deal. At the behest of Combs, The Warlocks would later change their name to "The L.O.X" which stands for Living Off eXperience.

Mainstream career

The LOX gained national exposure in 1996 with an onside collaboration on the ''Life After Death'' album with the song "Last Day". Shortly after gaining even more exposure with their powerful multi-platinum tribute to The Notorious B.I.G. , "We'll Always love Big Poppa". The song which celebrated the life of the slain superstar, captured Biggie's essence and thrust The LOX into the media spotlight as a group to watch out for. The trio later appeared on a multitude of hits, including Diddy's "Its All About The Benjamins", which The LOX wrote, Mase's "24 Hours to Live", Mariah Carey's "Honey", and Jennifer Lopez's "Jenny From The Block". The group's debut album Money, Power & Respect went platinum and helped establish the Lox as an important voice in Hip-Hop music.

In the summer of 1999, the celebrated Yonkers Rap trio found themselves in a fight for freedom. Disappointed with the direction of their career on Bad Boy, the group wanted to be released from their contract in order to join the newly formed Ruff Ryders/ Interscope label. The Ruff Ryders had always served as the Lox's managers and the group felt like the new label could better represent the hard-core sensibilities which they expressed in their rhymes. Bad Boy was known for its radio friendly dance hits and high priced videos, while the Lox were quickly establishing themselves as Hardcore rap artists. The identities clashed, the Lox just didn't feel comfortable in the shiny suits. "We just needed to be with a rougher label" says Sheek Louch. "A harder label that fit our image."

The LOX tried all of the legal maneuvering available to be released from their contract with Bad Boy. However, when the lawyers and conference calls didn't work, the group did what they do best. They took their story to the streets. At a New York rap concert, the defiant group sported "Let the LOX Go" T-shirts and sparked a grass roots movement to "Free the Lox." Their goal was to return Hip-Hop back to its essence as an important form of urban expression. The streets spoke up loud and clear and the Lox were finally released to a heroes welcome. "We really changed the game by doing that," says Styles concerning the contractual drama. "It might take years from now, but other people are gonna do it. We made it so they don't have to be scared to speak up."

After years of rumors of the future of The LOX, fans can actually got a confirmation on the label they may be signing with. The LOX and Diddy had a private meeting on December 15, 2009 to discuss reuniting with Bad Boy in the near future. The very same label they protested against years ago to set them free from their recording contracts. People who follow members of The L.O.X and Diddy found out about this gathering via Twitter. Whether if it’s through Diddy and a new deal he made with Interscope Records or through another label, one thing for certain a new LOX album will be out in the beginning of 2011. The album is officially called ''New L.O.X. Order''.

Discography

''Money, Power & Respect'' (1998)

''We Are the Streets'' (2000)

''New L.O.X. Order'' (2011)

References

External links

The LOX's Official Myspace Music Page

D-Block Website

D-Block Myspace Blog Page

Category:American hip hop groups Category:American rappers Category:Bad Boy Records artists Category:D-Block Records Category:D-Block Records members Category:East Coast hip hop groups Category:Interscope Records artists Category:New York hip hop Category:Musicians from New York Category:People from New York City Category:Ruff Ryders artists

name	Jayo Felony
background	solo_singer
birth name	James Savage
alias	Peer Pressure, One Shot Kill, Bullet Loco, Uno
born	December 31, 1969Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
origin	San Diego, California, U.S.
genre	West Coast Hip Hop, Hip hop
occupation	Rapper
years active	1993–present
label	Def Jam
associated acts	Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Glasses Malone, E-40, Method Man
notable instruments	}}

James Savage, better known by his stage name, Jayo Felony is a rapper from southeast San Diego, California. He is known for being the first San Diego rapper to be signed to a major label. Jayo Felony was a member of the Neighborhood Rollin 40's, a Crip gang from the Chollas View and Mount Hope neighborhoods of Southeast San Diego.

Career

Late years

In 1994 Jayo Felony was signed to the label owned by Jam Master Jay called Jam Master Jay Records. That year Jayo released his debut album, ''Take a Ride''.

In 1998, Jayo released his follow-up album, ''Whatcha Gonna Do?'' on Def Jam. It featured rappers like Method Man, DMX, Mack 10, WC, Redman, Kokane, Ice Cube, E-40 and 8 Ball & MJG.

In 1999, he released ''Underground''. He was due to release his fourth album, ''Hotter Than Fish Grease'', in 2000, but for legal reasons the album was never released.

Jayo Felony also is now working on his next album called "Don't Get MeatBalled" under his new label Loco Records

Jayo is looking to sign with Priority Records / Doggystyle Records.

Tha Dogg Pound

In 2001, Jayo Felony claimed that Snoop Dogg stole the song "Crip Hop" and started an altercation on the set of Baby Boy. Snoop and Tha Eastsidaz took shots at Jayo on the song "Fuck All That Yappin" in addition Jayo responded with "You's A Character" explaining the Baby Boy situation. In 2003, Jayo Felony later became involved in a rivalry with Daz Dillinger, for collaborating with Kurupt, and creating a group with him called "The Rifleman". Now they are all on good terms and Kurupt is back together with Tha Dogg Pound Snoop Dogg will be on the Don't Get MeatBalled Album.

Discography

Albums

''Take a Ride''

*Released: May 30, 1994

*Chart Positions: #65 Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums

*Last RIAA description:

*U.S. sales :141,827

*Singles: "Sherm Sticc", "Loc Is On His Own"

''Whatcha Gonna Do?''

*Released: Aug 25, 1998

*Chart Position: #46 US

*Last RIAA description:

*U.S. sales : 146,308 copies

*Singles: "Nitty Gritty", "Watcha Gonna Do?"

''Underground''

*Released: Nov 16, 1999

*Chart Positions:US #46

*Last RIAA description:

*U.S. sales :143,946

*Singles:"What Ya Need"

''Crip Hop''

*Released: Oct 23, 2001

*Chart Positions: # 10 Top independent

*Last RIAA description:

*U.S. sales :143,946

*Singles: "She Loves Me"

''Don't Get MeatBalled''

*Released: TBA

*Chart Positions: TBA

*U.S. Sales : TBA

*Singles: "So Into You ft. Sleepy Brown", "Blocc Party", "How do you Want It ft. Snoop Dogg"

References

Category:African American rappers Category:Living people Category:People from San Diego, California Category:African American musicians Category:Musicians from California Category:West Coast hip hop musicians Category:1969 births

es:Jayo Felony ru:Jayo Felony

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.

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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

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