name	GZA
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Gary Grice
born	August 22, 1966Brooklyn, New York, United States
alias	The Genius
genre	Hip hop, hardcore hip hop
occupation	Lyricist, rapper, songwriter
years active	1975–present
label	Cold Chillin', Loud, Geffen, MCA, Angeles Records, Babygrande
associated acts	Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Muggs, Soul Assassins, Easy Mo Bee }}

Gary Grice (born August 22, 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is better known by his stage names GZA () and The Genius. He is an American hip hop artist and is a founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan. Grice has continued to appear on his fellow clan members' solo projects, and has continued to maintain a successful solo career. Steve Huey of Allmusic has called him "one of the best lyricists of the 1990s," while the editors of About.com ranked him #17 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), making him the highest-ranking Wu-Tang Clan member on the list (ahead of Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon).

Biography

Gary Grice developed an interest in hip-hop by attending block parties as a child in the early '70s. He formed a three-man group with his cousins, who would later be known as RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard. The group, All in Together Now, saw the three rapping and DJing, switching off names and performing local shows; since they lived in different boroughs, GZA and Ol' Dirty would travel from Brooklyn out to Staten Island to meet up with their cousin RZA, after which the three would travel across NYC and challenge other MCs to battles. After some years of this, GZA was signed to Cold Chillin' Records as a solo artist under the name The Genius. He put together an album called ''Words from the Genius'', produced mostly by Easy Mo Bee, but after it failed to sell—and his rocky experience on tour—Grice became fed up and asked for release from the label.

After joining the Wu-Tang Clan, a group of nine which included himself, RZA and ODB, GZA boasted some high-profile appearances on the group's debut album, ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'', including a solo track, "Clan in da Front." This, combined with appearances on other Clan albums such as ''Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version'' and ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...'' brought him much recognition and respect (more than he achieved solo as "The Genius"). These guest appearances were followed up in 1995 with GZA's sophomore solo effort, ''Liquid Swords'', produced entirely by RZA; the album was met with critical and commercial acclaim, and is still considered one of the best albums to come out of the Wu-Tang camp; in 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source Magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums of all time.

After appearing on the Wu-Tang Clan's second album, ''Wu-Tang Forever'', GZA released ''Beneath the Surface'' in 1999. Reviews were mostly positive and the album did well (going Gold), though it failed to live up to ''Liquid Swords''' acclaim or commercial success . Like the post-debut projects of many Clan members, critics decried the album's lack of RZA production, claiming the underground producers and Wu-Elements used did not live up to the producer's skill level. Grice put in appearances on ''The W'', ''Iron Flag'' and some of his group members' solo projects, but did not release another of his own until 2002 with ''Legend of the Liquid Sword''. The album was received well by critics, but did not achieve commercial success, failing to go Gold as his previous release had. GZA spent 2004 touring, both solo and with the Clan, and made an appearance with RZA in Jim Jarmusch's film ''Coffee & Cigarettes'', opposite Bill Murray.

In 2005, GZA and DJ Muggs (the producer for hip-hop group Cypress Hill) released the LP ''Grandmasters''. Muggs provided all the production for the album, which saw GZA using chess as a metaphor for the rap game. The album received positive reviews and modest commercial success. He then partook in the recording of groupmate Raekwon's ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II'', originally stating that he was heavily featured along with Inspectah Deck, though he was later unsure about his status on the project.

2007 saw GZA teaming up with his Wu-Tang Clan to record the group album ''8 Diagrams'', and in the ensuing controversy, defended both Raekwon and Ghostface Killah's rights to speak their mind, and RZA's production job on the album. In the summer of 2008, he released the album ''Pro Tools'' which featured production from Black Milk and past collaborators Jay "Waxxx" Garfield, RZA, Mathematics and True Master. A very controversial song on the album was entitled "Paper Plates" a smooth flowing response aimed at rival rapper 50 Cent. After the release GZA toured various parts of Europe on a "Liquid Swords Tour" where he performed songs from ''Liquid Swords'' as well as ''Pro Tools''. He later toured parts of the USA. GZA also stated his wish to record another full album with RZA.

In 2009, GZA made appearances on two more Wu-Tang Clan albums. The first being on a song entitled "Stomp Da Roach" on the album ''Dopium'', by fellow clan member U-God, the other being appearances on the tracks "We Will Rob You", "Rockstars" and "House of Flying Daggers", on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II. The Genius continued to tour during the year, appearing on the "Rock The Bells" lineup and also performing at the NXNE music festival in Canada. Recently, RZA confirmed that he will be producing ''Liquid Swords II: The Return Of The Shadowboxer'', which is tentatively due out in Fall of 2010. The GZA also made an appearance in a video for Devendra Banhart's song titled "Baby". For Liquid Swords II, he has recently confirmed with Examiner.com that Killah Priest will hold a solo song ala 'B.I.B.L.E.' to act as the closer to the album just like the original. He will also be appearing on the upcoming collaboration album between producers Pete Rock & DJ Premier V.S. album appearing on Premier's track.

Discography

Albums

{|class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Title !colspan="4"| Chart positions !rowspan="2"| RIAAcertifications |- !width="40"|US 200 !width="40"|US R&B; !width="40"|US Rap !width="40"|CAN |- |1991 |''Words from the Genius''

Released: February 19, 1991

Label: Cold Chillin'/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records

| style="text-align:center;"|- | style="text-align:center;"|- | style="text-align:center;"|* | style="text-align:center;"|- | |- |1995 |''Liquid Swords''

Released: November 7, 1995

Label: Geffen/MCA Records

| style="text-align:center;"|9 | style="text-align:center;"|2 | style="text-align:center;"|* | style="text-align:center;"|20 |Gold |- |1999 |''Beneath the Surface''

Released: June 29, 1999

Label: MCA Records

| style="text-align:center;"|9 | style="text-align:center;"|1 | style="text-align:center;"|* | style="text-align:center;"|13 |Gold |- |2002 |''Legend of the Liquid Sword''

Released: December 10, 2002

Label: MCA/Universal Records

| style="text-align:center;"|75 | style="text-align:center;"|21 | style="text-align:center;"|* | style="text-align:center;"|- | |- |2005 |''GrandMasters'' (with DJ Muggs)

Released: October 25, 2005

Label: Angeles Records

| style="text-align:center;"|180 | style="text-align:center;"|69 | style="text-align:center;"|* | style="text-align:center;"|- |- |2008 |''Pro Tools''

Released: August 19, 2008

Label: Think Differently Music/Babygrande Records

| style="text-align:center;"|52 | style="text-align:center;"|13 | style="text-align:center;"|9 | style="text-align:center;"|- |- |2011 |''Liquid Swords 2: The Return of the Shadowboxer''

Release: TBA

Label: TBA

| style="text-align:center;"| TBR | style="text-align:center;"| TBR | style="text-align:center;"| TBR | style="text-align:center;"| TBR |}

Singles

Year	Title	Peak			Album
		! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"
	"Come Do Me"
"Words From a Genius"
"Who's Your Rhymin' Hero"
"Pass the Bone"
	"I Gotcha Back"
"Liquid Swords"
	"Shadowboxin'" (feat. Method Man)
"Breaker, Breaker"
	"Knock, Knock"
"Fame"
	"General Principles" (with DJ Muggs)
	"Paper Plate"

References

External links

GZA interview and photo shoot with Maxim.com

Video interview with GZA

GZA Interview with exclaim!

GZA UK Live Reviews 2008

The Making Of Liquid Swords: Waxpoetics' Interview By David Ma

LOOKOUT Presents: Montreal interview with GZA

UNCENSORED GZA Radio Interview 2010

GZA Interview - GZA Interview with SLUG Magazine

Category:American vegetarians Category:African American musicians Category:African American rappers Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Wu-Tang Clan members Category:Geffen Records artists Category:MCA Records artists Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Living people Category:Cold Chillin' Records artists Category:1966 births

de:Gary Grice es:GZA fr:GZA ko:GZA it:GZA (rapper) he:ג'יזה sw:GZA ja:GZA pl:GZA pt:GZA ru:GZA sr:GZA fi:GZA sv:GZA tr:GZA

name	Inspectah Deck
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jason Hunter
birth date	July 06, 1970
birth place	The Bronx, New York City, New York
origin	Staten Island, New York
genre	Hip Hop
occupation	Rapper, Producer, actor
years active	1991–present
label	Loud, Relativity, Koch, Urban Icon, Traffic
associated acts	Wu-Tang Clan, The Housegang, Kurupt, Gang Starr, Big Pun
notable instruments	}}

Jason Hunter, (born July 6, 1970) better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper, producer, and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Although he has not gained the same level of mainstream success in his solo career as some of his Wu-Tang counterparts (such as Ghostface Killah or Method Man), he has acquired critical praise for his intricate lyricism, and for his verses on many of the group's most revered songs.

Background

Early career

Born July 6, 1970, Hunter routinely mentions the Park Hill Projects in Clifton, Staten Island, where he grew up, going to school with the future Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah. Coming from a musical family, his father died when he was six years old, and seeing his mother support the family contributed to his laid-back, quiet mentality; this led to his stage name, as he decided to play a low-key counterbalance to the antics of Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and RZA. This is also referenced by Method Man at the end of the track "Can it Be All So Simple?" on Wu-Tang's debut album ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'' :

Despite this inconspicuous persona, Inspectah Deck maintained a relatively high profile, as he was the second most featured member on the album, and provided highly acclaimed verses for the singles "C.R.E.A.M.," "Protect Ya Neck," "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit," and "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'." In the years following, Hunter would appear on several Wu members' solo projects, including Method Man's ''Tical'' (1994), Raekwon's ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…'' (1995), GZA's ''Liquid Swords'' (1995), and Ghostface Killah's ''Ironman'' (1996). On Wu-Tang's second group album, ''Wu-Tang Forever'' (1997), Deck produced the track "Visionz" and contributed a solo track, "The City." He would also provide production for some of his Wu cohorts, including "Elements" and "Spazzola" for Method Man's ''Tical 2000: Judgement Day'' (1998), "Kiss of a Black Widow" for RZA's ''RZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo'' (1998), and the title track for GZA's ''Beneath the Surface'' (1999).

Solo career

Inspectah Deck's debut album ''Uncontrolled Substance'' was initially set for a late 1997 release, however, this experienced several delays due to a flood in producer RZA's basement studio, which destroyed over one hundred beats, including those made for the album. Wu-Tang affiliate Cilvaringz stated in a 2010 interview "Recently Deck pulled out some disks from the flood and they worked again and he used one for his upcoming album on Koch." In September 1999, ''Uncontrolled Substance'' was released, and featured more of Deck's own production, and appearances from several lesser known affiliates. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, but failed to garner the reception attained by earlier Wu-Tang solo projects. Shortly after this release, Deck returned to the Wu-Tang fold for the group albums ''The W'' (2000), and ''Iron Flag'' (2001).

In 2003, Inspectah Deck released his second studio album, ''The Movement'' (for which he would later state did not live up to his expectations), and in 2006, he released ''The Resident Patient'', intended as a precursor to ''The Movement''. In 2007, the rapper reconvened with the Wu-Tang Clan to record the group album ''8 Diagrams''. Along with Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck partook in the controversy, sparked when several group members disparaged RZA's tight artistic control of the album, championing Ghost's album ''The Big Doe Rehab''. In regards to these disagreements, Deck stated in an interview:

Around this time, the rapper announced his up-coming project ''The Rebellion'', confirming production from RZA and the Wu-Elements; it is now set to come after ''The Resident Patient II'', and will reportedly be his final album as a solo artist.

On March 23, 2010, Inspectah Deck released his fourth solo album ''The Manifesto'', which features guest-appearances from Raekwon, Cormega, Termanology, Planet Asia, Cappadonna, Kurupt, and M.O.P.'s Billy Danze. In 2008, a mixtape entitled ''The Resident Patient II'' was leaked on to the internet; this features some original material, as well as freestyles over other artists' songs. Inspectah Deck stated in an interview that ''The Manifesto'' was meant to be the originally announced full-length sequel, ''Resident Patient II''.

Since early 2010, Inspectah Deck has begun work on the ''The Rebellion'', and has expressed his interest in working with several Wu-Tang members, as well as Snoop Dogg, E-40, Nas & Jadakiss on the album. He had mentioned in an interview with Conspiracy Radio that he will only retire from solo albums if the fans don't show support for ''The Manifesto'' and ''The Rebellion''. He has also mentioned his plans to release an instrumental album of his own production, entitled 'The Bodyrock Volume 1', which is inspired by the instrumental albums released by Alchemist, Ayatollah, and Pete Rock. He has recently confirmed Fall 2011 as the release for ''The Rebellion''.

Discography

Albums

{|class="wikitable" |- !rowspan="2"| Year !rowspan="2"| Title !colspan="2"| Chart positions |- !width="40"|U.S. Hot 100 !width="40"|U.S. R&B; |- |1999 |''Uncontrolled Substance'' Released: September 7, 1999

Label: Relativity Records

| style="text-align:center;"|19 | style="text-align:center;"|3 |- |2003 |''The Movement''

Released: May 20, 2003

Label: Koch Records

| style="text-align:center;"|137 | style="text-align:center;"|29 |- |2006 |''The Resident Patient''

Released: June 25, 2006

Label: Urban Icon Records

| style="text-align:center;"|- | style="text-align:center;"|- |- |2010 |''Manifesto''

Released: March 23, 2010

Label: Traffic Entertainment

| style="text-align:center;"|- | style="text-align:center;"|69 |- |2011 |''The Rebellion''

Released: Fall, 2011

Label: Traffic Entertainment

| style="text-align:center;"|TBA | style="text-align:center;"|TBA |}

Singles and EPs

1995 "Let Me At Em"

1996 "Semi-Automatic Rap Full Metal Jacket"

1998 "REC Room"

1999 "Forget Me Not"

1999 "Show N Prove (Power of God)"

1999 "Word on the Street" b/w "Movas & Shakers"

2000 "Thundercats Freestyle"

2003 "The Movement" b/w "City High"

2003 "He's a Rebel" b/w "Big City"

2003 "Bump & Grind" b/w "Vendetta"

2010 "The Champion"

Appears on

style="text-align:center;"	Year	Appearance
	1994	align="left"	"Mr. Sandman"	Tical (album)>Tical''	Method Man, RZA, Wu-Tang Clan affiliates#Streetlife>Street Life, Carlton Fisk, Blue Raspberry
		* Album: ''Liquid Swords''	* Other Artist(s): GZA
	* Album: ''Liquid Swords''	* Other Artist(s): GZA, Ol'Dirty Bastard Masta Killa
	* Album: ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface Killah
		Ironman (album)>Ironman''	* Other Artist(s): RZA, Raekwon, Masta Killa
	* Album: ''High School High Soundtrack''	* Other Artist(s): U-God, Street Life
		* Album: ''60 Minutes of Funk Vol. III''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon, Harlem Hoodz, Killa Sin, Method Man
	* Album: ''Antidote''	* Other Artist(s): Deadly Venoms, GZA, Method Man, Street Life, Cappadonna
	Capital Punishment (album)>Capital Punishment''	Big Pun, Prodigy (rapper)>Prodigy
	* Album: ''Heavy Mental''	* Other Artist(s): Killah Priest, GZA
	Moment of Truth (Gang Starr album)>Moment of Truth''	* Other Artist(s): Gang Starr
	* Album: ''Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm''	* Other Artist(s): Street Life
	* Album: ''Soul Survivor''	* Other Artist(s): Pete Rock, Kurupt
	* Album: ''Tical 2000: Judgement Day''	* Other Artist(s): Method Man, Hell Razah, Mobb Deep, Street Life
	* Album: ''Tical 2000: Judgement Day''	* Other Artist(s): Method Man, Masta Killa, Street Life, Killa Sin, Raekwon
		* Album: ''Golden Arms Redemption''	* Other Artist(s): U-God, Method Man
	* Album: (single)	* Other Artist(s): I.G.T.
	* Album: (single)	* Other Artist(s): N/A
		* Album: (single)	* Other Artist(s): Ruthless Bastards
	* Album: ''The Last Shall Be First''	Cella Dwellas>The Dwellas
	2001	align="left"	"Speaking Real Words"	* Album: ''The Soul Purpose''	* Other Artist(s): 7L & Esoteric
		* Album: ''Built From Scratch''	* Other Artist(s): X-Ecutioners, Pharoahe Monch, Skillz, Xzibit
	* Album: ''Legend of the Liquid Sword''	* Other Artist(s): GZA
	* Album: ''Wu-Tang Killa Beez: The Sting''	* Other Artist(s): RZA, U-God, Suga Bang Bang, Blue Raspberry
	The Struggle (album)>The Struggle''	* Other Artist(s): Cappadonna
	* Album: ''Party Breaks''	* Other Artist(s): Fat Man Scoop
	* Album: ''Love, Hell or Right''	Mathematics (producer)>Mathematics
		White Sunday (album)>White Sunday''	* Other Artist(s): Mareko
	* Album: ''No Said Date''	* Other Artist(s): Masta Killa, GZA
		* Album: ''Street Education''	* Other Artist(s): Street Life
	* Album: ''Around the World''	* Other Artist(s): YOR123 & Skandaali
	* Album: ''Tale #10''	* Other Artist(s): Mos Def
	The Problem (album)>The Problem''	Mathematics (producer)>Mathematics, Ghostface Killah, RZA
	* Album: ''The Problem''	* Other Artist(s): Mathematics, Method Man, U-God, Cappadonna
		* Album: (single)	* Other Artist(s): Cappadonna, Joe Young
	* Album: ''4:21... The Day After''	* Other Artist(s): Method Man, Street Life
	* Album: ''Fishscale''	* Other Artist(s): Wu-Tang Clan
	* Album: ''Made in Brooklyn''	* Other Artist(s): Masta Killa, GZA
		* Album: ''Freakshow Vol 1 : Tales of The Travelling Tunes''	* Other Artist(s): Pop Shuvit
	* Album: ''Gorilla Street Gang''	* Other Artist(s): Joe Young
	* Album: ''Wu-Tang Clan & Friends: Unreleased''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon
	2008		* Album: ''Digi Snacks''	* Other Artist(s): RZA
		* Album: ''The RZA Presents: Afro Samurai Resurrection OST''	* Other Artist(s): Kool G. Rap, Suga Bang Bang
	* Album: ''Wu-Tang Chamber Music''	* Other Artist(s): U-God, Masta Ace
	* Album: ''Wu-Tang Chamber Music''	AZ (rapper)>AZ
	* Album: ''Wu-Tang Chamber Music''	* Other Artist(s): Sadat X, U-God
	* Album: ''The Symphony''	* Other Artist(s): Phil Anastasia
	* Other Artist(s): D. Dermz
	* Album: ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man & GZA
	* Album: ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon
	* Album: ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon, Ghostface Killah & Suga Bang Bang
	* Album: ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon, Masta Killa
	* Album: ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon, GZA
2010		* Album: ''Wu-Massacre''	Sun God (rapper)>Sun God
		* Album: ''Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang''	* Other Artist(s): Raekwon
	* Album: ''Legendary Weapons''	* Other Artist(s): U-God & Tre Williams
	* Album: ''School For The Blindman''	* Other Artist(s): Masta Killa, Bronze Nazareth

Production Credits

1995

Wu-Tang Clan - ''Tales from the Hood The Soundtrack''

"Let Me at Them"

1997

Wu-Tang Clan - ''Wu-Tang Forever''

"Visionz"

1998

Inspectah Deck (ft. Streetlife) - ''Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm''

"S.O.S."

Method Man - ''Tical 2000: Judgement Day''

"Spazzola"

"Elements"

RZA - ''Bobby Digital In Stereo''

"Kiss Of A Black Widow"

1999

GZA - ''Beneath The Surface''

"Beneath The Surface"

Inspectah Deck - ''Uncontrolled Substance''

"Femme Fatale"

"Word on the Street"

"Elevation"

"Hyperdermix"

"The Cause"

U-God - ''Golden Arms Redemption''

"Glide"

2000

Ghostface Killah - ''Supreme Clientele''

"Stay True"

2001

Cappadonna - ''The Yin and the Yang''

"Revenge"

2005

Streetlife - ''Street Education''

"A Star Is Born"

2006

Inspectah Deck - ''The Resident Patient''

"Get Ya Weight Up"

"My Style"

2009

Fes Taylor - ''Flight 10304 (T-2 Fly)''

"Show Something"

"CMG Salutes La Banga"

2010

Inspectah Deck - ''Manifesto''

"Luv Letter"

"T.R.U.E."

"We Get Down"

"9th Chamber Part II"

"Really Real"

2011

Masta Killa - ''Loyalty Is Royalty''

"Are You Listening?"

References

Category:African American rappers Category:Hip hop record producers Category:People from the Bronx Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Wu-Tang Clan members Category:Rappers from New York City Category:People from New York City Category:People from Staten Island

de:Inspectah Deck et:Inspectah Deck es:Inspectah Deck fr:Inspectah Deck it:Inspectah Deck sw:Inspectah Deck ja:インスペクター・デック pl:Inspectah Deck pt:Inspectah Deck fi:Inspectah Deck sv:Inspectah Deck tr:Inspectah Deck

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

Birth name	David Khari Webber Chappelle
Birth date	August 24, 1973
Birth place	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, television, film
Nationality	American
Religion	Islam
Active	1987–present
Genre	Satire/political satire, improvisational comedy, observational comedy, surreal humor, sketch comedy, black comedy, blue comedy
Subject	Racism, race relations, American politics, African American culture, pop culture, recreational drug use, human sexuality, morality
Influences	Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Mel Blanc, Chris Rock
Signature	Dave Chapelle Signature.svg
Spouse	Elaine Chappelle (2001-present) 3 children
Notable work	Himself and Various in Chappelle's ShowHimself in Dave Chappelle's Block PartyAchoo in Robin Hood: Men in TightsThurgood Jenkins in Half Baked }}

David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle (; born August 24, 1973) is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film ''Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films ''The Nutty Professor'', ''Con Air'', and ''Blue Streak''. His first lead role in a film was in ''Half Baked'' in 1998. In 2003, he became widely known for his popular sketch comedy television series, ''Chappelle's Show'', which ran until 2006. He is ranked forty-third in Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.

Early life

Chappelle was born in Washington D.C. His father, William David Chappelle III, was a professor at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. His mother, Yvonne (née Reed), was a professor at Howard University, Prince George's Community College, and the University of Maryland and is also a Unitarian Universalist minister. Chappelle has stated in his stand-up performances that his mother is half-white. Chappelle grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended Woodlin Elementary School. During young Chappelle's formative years, his comic inspiration came from various comedians, particularly Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor.

After his parents separated, Chappelle stayed in Washington with his mother while spending summers with his father in Ohio. In 1991, he graduated from Washington's Duke Ellington School of the Arts where he studied theatre arts.

2003 - 2006 standup and ''Chappelle's Show''

In 2003, Chappelle debuted his own weekly sketch comedy show on Comedy Central called ''Chappelle's Show''. The show parodied many aspects of American culture including racial stereotypes, politics and pop culture. Along with comedy skits, the show also featured musical performances by mostly hip-hop and soul artists. Chappelle's pointed social and political commentary quickly helped the show garner critical and commercial success as well as controversy. Richard Pryor, one of Chappelle's comedic influences, was a fan of the show and stated that he had "passed the torch" to Chappelle. Chappelle received two Emmy nominations for the show. Additionally, the DVD set became the best-selling DVD of a television show to date, overtaking the previous best-selling, ''The Simpsons'' first season DVD. It had sold over 3 million copies. Due to the show's popularity, Comedy Central's parent company Viacom reportedly offered Chappelle a $55 million contract (giving Chappelle a share of DVD sales) to continue production of ''Chappelle's Show'' for two more years while allowing him to do side projects. Chappelle had stated that sketches are not his favorite form of comedy, and that the characteristics of the show's format were somewhat like short films.

In June 2004, based on the popularity of the "Rick James" sketch, it was announced that Chappelle was in talks to portray Rick James in a biopic from Paramount Pictures (also owned by Viacom). James's estate disagreed with the proposed comical tone of the film and put a halt to the talks.

In 2004, Chappelle recorded his second comedy special, this time airing on Showtime - ''Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth'', at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium.

Season three turbulence

In a June 2004 stand-up performance in Sacramento, California, Chappelle walked off the stage after berating his audience for constantly shouting "I'm Rick James, bitch!," which became a catchphrase from the popular "Rick James" sketch. After a few minutes, Chappelle returned and continued by saying, "The show is ruining my life." He stated that he disliked working "20 hours a day" and that the popularity of the show was making it difficult for him to continue his stand-up career, which was "the most important thing" to him. He also told the audience:

}}

Season 3 was scheduled to air on May 31, 2005, but in that month, Chappelle stunned fans and the entertainment industry when he abruptly left during production of the third season of ''Chappelle's Show'' and took a trip to South Africa. Chappelle has since stated that he was unhappy with the direction the show had taken.

}}

Return

In June 2005, Chappelle performed impromptu stand-up shows in Los Angeles. He then went on a tour that began in Newport, Kentucky, not far from his Ohio home. He also made a surprise appearance on HBO's ''Def Poetry'' where he performed two poems, titled ''Fuck Ashton Kutcher'' and ''How I Got the Lead on "Jeopardy!."'' He was interviewed for ''Inside the Actors Studio'' on December 18, 2005 at Pace University's Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts. The show premiered on February 12, 2006. Chappelle stated that the death of his father in 1998 had an impact on his decision to go to South Africa. By throwing himself into his work, he had not taken a chance to mourn his father's death. He also said the rumors that he was in drug or psychiatric treatment only persuaded him to stay in South Africa.

He continued:

Chappelle also said that he felt some of his sketches were "socially irresponsible." He singled out the "pixie sketch" in which pixies appear to people and encourage them to reinforce stereotypes of their races. In the sketch, Chappelle is wearing blackface and is dressed as a character in a minstrel show. According to Chappelle, during the filming of the sketch, a crew member was laughing in a way that made him feel uncomfortable and made him rethink the show. Chappelle said, "it was the first time I felt that someone was not laughing with me but laughing at me."

During these interviews, Chappelle did not rule out returning to ''Chappelle's Show'' to "finish what we started," but promised that he would not return without changes to the production, such as a better working environment. He also stated he would like to donate half of the DVD sales to charity. Chappelle expressed disdain at the possibility of his material from the unfinished third season being aired, saying that to do so would be "a bully move," and that he would not return to the show if Comedy Central were to air the unfinished material. On July 9, 2006, Comedy Central aired the first episode of ''Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes''. An uncensored DVD release of the episodes was made available on July 25.

2006 - ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party''

Chappelle was the star and producer of the Michel Gondry-directed documentary ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'', which chronicles a Chappelle-hosted concert in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn on September 18, 2004. Several musical artists, including Kanye West, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Dead Prez and Jill Scott are featured in the movie both performing in the concert and in conversation off-stage. The most surprising highlight of the event was the "last minute" reunion of popular '90s hip hop group The Fugees. Chappelle toured several cities in February and March 2006 to promote the film under the moniker "Block Party All-Stars featuring Dave Chappelle". Universal Pictures' genre division Rogue Pictures released the film in the United States on March 3, 2006.

2007 - present

In April 2007, Chappelle set a stand-up endurance record at the Laugh Factory Sunset Strip comedy club, beating comedian Dane Cook's record of 3 hours and 50 minutes. In December of the same year, Chappelle broke his own record with a time of 6 hours and 12 minutes. Cook took the record again in January 2008, with a time of 7 hours. On November 19, 2009 Chappelle performed at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, where it was speculated that he would aim to take back the record. However, he was disqualified according to the club owner, after he left the stage, five hours into his routine.

Chappelle again appeared on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' and in celebration of the show's 200th episode, he humorously interviewed the show's usual host, James Lipton. The episode aired on November 11, 2008.

Personal life

Chappelle lives with his wife Elaine, two sons, Sulayman and Ibrahim, and daughter Sonal, on a farm, just outside Yellow Springs, Ohio. He also owns several houses in Xenia, Ohio. Regarding his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Chappelle says, "Turns out you don't need $50 million to live around these parts, just a nice smile and a kind way about you. You guys are the best neighbors ever," he stated at a blues and jazz festival in the town in mid-September 2006. "That's why I came back and that's why I'm staying."

Chappelle is a Muslim, having converted to Islam in 1998. He told ''Time Magazine'' in a May 2005 interview, "I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is beautiful if you learn it the right way."

Filmography

+ Actor
! Year	! Film	! Role	Notes
1992	''Def Comedy Jam''	Himself
1993	''Robin Hood: Men in Tights''	Ahchoo
1995		Dave	One episode
1996		Reggie Warrington
1997	''Con Air''	Pinball
1998	''Half Baked''	Thurgood Jenkins / Sir Smoke-a-Lot
1998	''You've Got Mail''	Kevin Jackson
1999	''200 Cigarettes''	Disco Cabbie
1999	''Blue Streak''	Tulley
2000	''Screwed''	Rusty P. Hayes
2002	''Undercover Brother''	Conspiracy Brother
2003-2006	''Chappelle's Show''	Himself and others
2005	''Inside the Actor's Studio''	Himself
2006	''Dave Chappelle's Block Party''	Himself	Documentary
2007		Himself	Documentary
2008	''Inside the Actor's Studio''	Himself

Discography

+ Actor
! Year	! Album	! Role	Notes
2000	Killin' Them Softly	Executive Producer	TV Documentary
2004	''For What It's Worth''	Executive Producer	TV Movie/Showtime Special

References

External links

Video of Anderson Cooper 360 Interview

Fresh Air Interview in 2004

Category:1973 births Category:American Muslims Category:African American actors Category:African American comedians Category:African American television actors Category:American buskers Category:American film actors Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:Psychedelic drug advocates Category:American people of Ivorian descent Category:Living people Category:People from Silver Spring, Maryland Category:People from Washington, D.C. Category:People from Yellow Springs, Ohio Category:Converts to Islam from Christianity Category:African American Muslims Category:Converts to Islam Category:African American Muslims

da:Dave Chapelle de:David Chappelle es:Dave Chappelle fr:Dave Chappelle it:Dave Chappelle he:דייב שאפל nl:Dave Chappelle no:David Chappelle pl:Dave Chappelle ru:Шапелл, Дэйв sq:Dave Chappelle fi:Dave Chappelle sv:David Chappelle

Name	Killah Priest
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Walter Reed
Alias	Priest
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, producer, actor
Years active	1993–present
Label	Geffen Records, MCA Records, Legion of D.O.O.M.
Associated acts	Wu-Tang Clan, HRSMN, Almighty, One Over, Black Market Militia, Starkim, Sunz of Man, Felony Fights, Ras Kass
Notable instruments	}}

Walter Reed, better known as Killah Priest, Iron Sheik from the Middle East, or Masada, is an American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant & Brownsville neighbourhoods in Brooklyn. He is known for intensely spiritual lyrics loaded with metaphors and religious references. He is connected to the Nation of Gods and Earths through his rhymes, and is known for controversial and Afrocentric subject matter. He is also a part of supergroup the HRSMN along with Canibus, Ras Kass, and Kurupt. He has a hardcore fan base and has been known to be very generous and giving of his time to his fans and various charitable organizations.

Biography

1990s

Priest first made himself known to the hip hop world rapping on two songs on the Gravediggaz album ''6 Feet Deep'' in 1994, and followed this with two appearances on each of two Wu-Tang Clan solo albums, Ol' Dirty Bastard's ''Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version'' and GZA's ''Liquid Swords'', both from 1995 (see 1995 in music). ''Liquid Swords'' in fact included a Killah Priest solo track titled "B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)". Also in 1995, Priest's group Sunz Of Man with rappers Hell Razah, 60 Second Assassin, Prodigal Sunn were signed to Wu-Tang Records and released three 12" singles through the label. Initially Sunz Of Man included Shabazz the Disciple, who had previously been in a duo with Priest called The Disciples, but Shabazz basically left the group before the contract with Wu-Tang Records was signed, thus only appearing on the B-side "5 Arch Angels".

Killah Priest's first solo album was ''Heavy Mental'', released on Geffen Records in May 1998. It mostly expanded on the themes of "B.I.B.L.E.", featuring religious references and allegory woven into commentary on African American society and history. The album was mostly produced by the Wu-Elements producers, a group of in-house Wu-Tang producers mentored by Wu leader RZA. Sunz Of Man released their debut album ''The Last Shall Be First'' later in 1998, but by that time Priest's ties to the Wu were beginning to weaken, as he and long-time friend Shabazz clashed with RZA (their business ties with the Wu also began to weaken after the GZA Entertainment management agency, which they were both signed to, dissolved in 1996). After unsuccessful attempts by the pair to create new post-Wu Tang crews (Priest proposed a crew called the Maccabeez which would include himself, Shabazz and Timbo King among others, while Shabazz proposed a group including himself and Priest called the Sunz Of Thunder) they both effectively went their separate ways and cut their respective Wu-Tang ties.

2000s

After leaving the Wu stable, and consequently also effectively leaving Sunz Of Man, Priest helped form the hip hop supergroup The HRSMN with Ras Kass, Canibus and Kurupt. In October 2003, Killah Priest and Dreddy Kruger released a nine track album entitled The Horsemen Project. It was released independently through ''Think Differently Music''/''Proverbs Music Inc.'' and was only available to purchase off the internet. Each track featured at least two members of the group as well as an appearance by Pak Man. It is currently unknown who handled the majority of the production on the album, although it is known that Mark Sparks was responsible for two songs. On Killah Priest's HipHopGame.com journal, he mentions the Horsemen a few times. The talks about a new album were mentioned on the May 1, 2006 entry. He said "The Horsemen project is definitely going to come. Right now we just have to get Kurupt. He's been doing the Dogg Pound thing, but it's definitely going to come. We have songs recorded and we have more in store."

Ras Kass and Canibus were featured on Priest's second album, ''View From Masada'', which featured no Wu-Tang input whatsoever (though the album's liner notes included the note "Peace to Wu-Tang Clan"). The album had a decidedly more commercially minded style than ''Heavy Mental'', and introduced his new Maccabeez crew, featuring a crew of then-unknown rappers. The album was also an important early stepping stone to stardom for producer Just Blaze, who would later go on to produce countless mainstream hip hop hits for the likes of Cam'ron, Erick Sermon, Fabolous and Jay-Z. However, ''View From Masada'' received mixed reviews.

Priest had to leave the major labels behind after ''View From Masada'' sold poorly. His first independent release ''Priesthood'' (2001), released on Proverbs Music, his own record label, was critically acclaimed though it suffered from very limited distribution. ''Black August'' followed in 2003 on Recon Records, and was also well-received. Priest also released an album on the Internet titled ''Black August Revisited'' a few months after the release of ''Black August'' which shared few similarities with the original, save its title. ''Black August Revisited'' also saw Priest rediscover his Wu-Tang ties, including collaborations with Hell Razah and Ol' Dirty Bastard. He also appeared in the music video for the single "Made You Look" by fellow New York rapper Nas.

In 2004, Priest performed numerous times with other Wu-Tang Killa Beez and also appeared on Masta Killa's album ''No Said Date''. November 2005 saw the re-release of ''Priesthood'' on Mic Club Music, a label owned by Louis Lombard III (aka Luminati), who produced ''Priesthood'' as well as recent albums by Canibus. March 2007 saw the release of Killah Priest's mixtape album "End of the World".

On August 21, 2007, Killah Priest released The Offering, which was sequenced by his former manager, Stacey Castro and featured appearances from Nas, Immortal Technique, his fellow HRSMN, & 4th Disciple as well as Hell Razah, who appears on the advance single title track that was released in October 2005.

Killah Priest has a new album titled ''Behind the Stained Glass'', released on May 20, 2008 on the label Good Hands Records. It's reported that he's also in the midst of recording ''Behind the Stained Glass Part Two''. Killah Priest also released an album titled ''Elizabeth'' on October 20, 2009 on Proverbs Records, which Priest owns. Killah Priest is also recording another double album called ''The Psychic World of Walter Reed'', produced by Dutch producers Godz Wrath, 4th Disciple, RZA, DJ Woool and more. Killah Priest also mentioned in a YouTube interview for ''Pyramid West'' that he is also working on a sequel to ''Heavy Mental'' called ''Heavier Mental.''

In a August 2010 radio interview with Mista Montana, Killah Priest discussed the creation of his next album PWOWR, stating that the Rza and many other key Wu Tang Clan members will feature on there, including the Four Horsemen.

Discography

Solo albums

Album information
	* Released: March 10, 1998	* Billboard 200 chart position: #24	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: #4	* Singles: "Tai Chi", "Cross My Heart", "One Step"/"Fake MC's", "If You Don't Know"/"Blessed Are Those"
	* Released: May 9, 2000	* Billboard 200 chart position: #73	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: #18	* Singles: "Whut Part of the Game?", "I'm Wit That"/"Gotta Eat"
align="left"	* Released: July 10, 2001	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles: "My Hood"/"C U When I Get There"
	* Released: July 8, 2003	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles: "When I'm Writing"/"Excalibur", "Do The Damn Thing"/"Robbery (Remix)"
	* Released: August 21, 2007	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles: "Gun for Gun (Rivers of Blood)"/"Happy", "Truth B Told"/"The Offering"
	* Released: May 20, 2008	* Billboard 200 chart position:	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position:	* Singles:
	* Released: March 7, 2009	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles:
align="left"	* Released: May 19, 2009	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles:
align="left"	* Released: October 20, 2009	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles: "The 7 Crowns of God"
	* Released: July 27, 2010	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles:
	* Released: August/September 2011	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles:
	* Release Date: TBA	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles:
		Group albums

Album information
	* Released: July 21, 1998	* Label: Red Ant Entertainment	* Singles: "Natural High", "Shining Star"/"Cold", "The Plan"/"Collaboration '98"
	* Released: January 31, 1999	* Label: Red Hook Records	* Singles: "Deep in the Water"/"In the Beginning..."/"The Sins of Man","Who are the Sunz of Man?"/"The Valley of Death"/"Bring Back the Mike"/"Valley of Kings"
	* Released: 2003	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles: -
align="left"	* Released: March 22, 2005	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles: "Audobon Ballroom"/"Thug Nation"/"Hood Lullabye", "Gem Stars (Remix)"/"Mayday!"
	* Released: July 22, 2008	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles: "Obey (The Statesmen)"
align="left"	* Released: September 23, 2008	* Billboard 200 chart position: -	* R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: -	* Singles: -

Guest appearances

1994 "Diary of a Madman" and "Graveyard Chamber" (Gravediggaz album ''6 Feet Deep'')

1995 "Where Ya At?" and "Where Ya At? (extended version)" (with Ice-T, Ice Cube, Chuck D, RZA, Kam, Mobb Deep, DA Smart, Insane, Shorty, & Smooth B) and "Wicked Ways" (with Sunz Of Man) (from ''One Million Strong'')

1995 "Greyhound, Pt. 2" (from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album ''Experimental Remixes'')

1995 "Snakes"; "Proteck Ya Neck II The Zoo"; & "Don't U Know" (from the Ol' Dirty Bastard album ''Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version'')

1995 "4th Chamber" & "B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)" (from the GZA album ''Liquid Swords'')

1996 "America" (from the AIDS compilation album ''America Is Dying Slowly'')

1996 "Parle (Hip-Hop Remix)" (with Kavalier album ''Nikera'')

1997 "Repentance Day" (off the Gravediggaz album ''The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel'')

1998 "Degree Zero" (from the DJ Spooky album ''Riddim Warfare'')

1998 "Abide By" (with other HRSMN members Canibus, Ras Kass, & Kurupt from a 12" single called "White Label")

1998 "No Superstar" (from the Bounty Killer album ''Next Millennium'')

1998 "Moanin"(By Antonio Chance,Killa Sin) and "Street Opera" (from the "One Step" UK single)

1998 "5 Boroughs" (with KRS-One, Buckshot, Cam'Ron, Redman, Run, Keith Murray, Prodigy, & Vigilante) (''The Corrupter'' Soundtrack)

1999 "4 Bars" (along with Canibus & Rose Cartel from Universal)

1999 "Real Nigga Livin" (with Fat Kat Kareem) (album unknown)

1999 "Temple of the Mental" (from the Material album ''Intonarumori'')

1999 "Beneath The Surface" Feat, RES (From GZA/Genius "Beneath The Surface")

1999 "1112" Feat, Masta Killa & Njeri (From GZA/Genius "Beneath The Surface")

1999 "Feel Like An Enemy" Feat, Hell Raizah, Trigga & Prodigal Sun (From GZA/Genius "Beneath The Surface")

2000 "Horsementality" (from the Canibus album ''2000 B.C.'')

2000 "Im a Horseman (Promo)" (on Tim Westwood's ''Radio 1 Rap Show'' with HRSMN members Canibus & Ras Kass)

2001 "Bread of Life" (from the Cappadonna album ''The Yin and the Yang'')

2001 "Catechism" (with DJ Spooky off the ''Wu-Chronicles, Chapter 2'')

2001 "In Here" (from the Guru album ''Baldhead Slick & Da Click'')

2002 "Catechism Part 2" (with DJ Spooky)

2002 "Out Tha Spot” (with Kurupt) (Released: 2002 (Unknown)) 2002 "No Chaser" (with Raze, Hot Rod, & Fokis) (also released in 2003 by Raze on "Leavin Empty Shells")

2004 "Masters Degree" (with Block McCloud, Jean Grae, & Pumpkinhead on album ''Uncle Howie'')

2004 "Ain't No Way" ((with the HRSMN) off the unreleased album ''Catch Me If You Can'')

2004 "Never Imagined" (with Main Flow & Master Foul, off the album ''Hip-Hopulation'')

2004 "Chains" (with Masta Killa) (from R.A. The Rugged Man album ''Die, Rugged Man, Die'')

2004 "Secret Rivals" (from the Masta Killa album ''No Said Date'')

2004 "Saviorself" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album ''Legacy of Blood'')

2005 "Champions" (with Soulstice) and "Wannabattle Tactics" (with Buckshot & Donte) (from Main Flow album ''Notebook Assassins'')

2005 "Horsemen" (by Pak-Man and the HRSMN off the Pak-Man album ''Chow Time'')

2005 "The Saints" (with Nas) (From the Dirty Harry mixtape ''The Warriors'')

2005 "The 10 Plagues" (by Socalled off the Socalled album ''The Socalled Seder'')

2005 "Testimony" (with SHI 360 and Remedy)

2006 "Beastin" (from the Chino XL album ''Poison Pen'')

2006 "Constant Dreams" (from The UNDC album ''Closed captioned'')

2006 "Pagan Helmets" (from Neurologists album ''As The Dark Settles'')

2007 "Awaiting The Hour" (From The Ill Bill mixtape ''Black Metal'')

2007 "Divine Sacred" (from Lightborn album "''The Psychology of Fire''")

2007 "Shall I Continue" (from Gumz album ''From Fetus to Genius...'')

2007 "In The Name Of Allah" (from the Cilvaringz album ''I'')

2007 "Liquid Wordz" (from the Canibus album ''For Whom the Beat Tolls'')

2007 "Taarruz Basladi" (from the ''Ako-Akonomi'' album)

2007 "Build" (from the Contribution X album ''Cobra Of The North'')

2007 "Law & Order" (from the iCON the Mic King & Chum album ''Mike and the Fatman'')

2007 "Picture of Selassie I (Remix)" (from the Picture of Selassie album by Khari Kill Feat. Jah Bami)

2008 "Galaxies" (from the Praxis album ''Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness)'')

2008 "Eat Ya Food" (from the Brooklyn Zu album ''Chamber #9, Verse 32'')

2008 "Bloody Moon" (from VoodooCore {Shaka Amazulu The 7th & Wasabifunk})

2008 "One Day" (From Endemic (Terminal Illness) ft. Killah Priest & Timbo King)

2008 "Theory Of Dominance" (with Corown Da Sensei/Da Shogunz)

2008 "Se7en" (With Shaka Amazulu The 7th ft. Timbo King)

2008 "Walking The Line" (with Annakin Slayd from the album ''Stalwart Empire'')

2008 "Immaculate for the Babylon A.D. Film" (With Michael Arkangelo and Shakura Holiday Prod by RZA and Shavo (Achozen))

2009 "Babylon Beast" (from the Heavyweight Dub Champion album ''Rise of the Champion Nation'')

2009 "Where I Come From (Remix)" (with Tha Advocate, Willy Northpole, Hussein Fatal, Stat Quo, DoItAll, Big Lou, Sha Stimuli, Mr. probz)

2009 "God is Love" (from the U-God album ''Dopium'')

2009 "Memoir Of A Gravedigga" (from Shaka Amazulu The 7th [Black Stone of Mecca album] ft. 9th Prince, Warcloud, Frukwan, and Shabazz The Disciple)

2009 "Murder" (with Chino XL & Sean Price, off the DJ-JS1 album "Ground Original 2- No Sellout")

2010 "Soul Purpose" (from Dusty Philharmonics album "The Audiotopsy", Unexpected Records)

2010 "Purified Thoughts" feat GZA/Genius (From Ghostface Killah Apollo Kids)

2011 "Wu Crime" feat GZA/Genius (from Raekwon Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang)

References

External links

Official Site

HRSMN official website

Interview on DUBCNN

Uncensored Interview on Conspiracy Radio

Category:1970 births Category:African American rappers Category:Black Hebrew Israelites Category:Living people Category:Geffen Records artists Category:MCA Records artists Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Wu-Tang Clan affiliates Category:Rappers from New York City

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