"Even If" is the name given to the following songs:

• "Even If", by Andy Abraham from the album Even If
• "Even If", by Ken Hirai from the album Gaining Through Losing
• "Even If", by ZOEgirl from Life

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Sam Concepcion
Background information
Birth name	Samuel Lawrence Lopez Concepcion
Born	(1992-10-17) October 17, 1992 (age 19)
Origin	Manila, Philippines
Genres	Pop, P-pop, R&B
Occupations	Singer, Dancer, Actor, Host, Model Stylist
Instruments	Vocals (plays Piano & Guitar)
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Universal Records (Philippines)
Website	www.samconcepcion.net

Samuel Lawrence Lopez Concepcion born on October 17, 1992 in Manila, Philippines, is a Filipino singer, dancer, actor, host and model.^[1] He emerged as the winner for the Big Division of Little Big Star's Season 1 in April 2006.^[2] He is under STAGES and ABS-CBN's Star Magic.

Personal life[link]

Concepcion was born on October 17, 1992 to Raymund Concepcion and Gene Concepcion. He is the third of four children and siblings to Kuya Red (24), Diko Kevin (23) and as Sangko Sam(18) to their baby sister, Gabby (13).

Career[link]

Early days[link]

As early as two years old, Concepcion was already able to carry a tune and dance to simple songs. At five years old, he had his first public performance at a worship cantata. This later landed him the role of the young Jose Rizal in a play entitled, Sino Ka Ba, Jose Rizal. While playing the part, he was discovered by David Cosico, who then encouraged Concepcion to sign up with STAGES and join Trumpets Playshop to further hone his talents and potential.^[3] By the time he was nine years of age, Concepcion already had various plays under his name. This included the role of Edmund Pevensie in the local stage adaptation of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.^[4]

Prior to joining Little Big Star, Concepcion had appeared on television as well. This included a commercial with his real-life dad as the rapping kid in Maggi Sinigang sa Miso. He also appeared on various shows for children, such as Sineskwela and Hirayamanawari. Concepcion even had a regular hosting stint on ABC-5’s A.S.T.I.G. (All Set To Imitate God), a show about God made for children.^[5] But while making television appearances, Concepcion continuously performed in theater productions, including 'Peter Pan and the Time Machine and Mr. Noah’s Big Boat.

Concepcion’s musical influences include Gary Valenciano, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Billy Crawford and Christian Bautista. In fact, Concepcion was even invited to guest in two of Christian Bautista’s concerts namely, Dunkin Donuts: Color Everywhere on March 2005 and Heartfelt on November 2005.

2005[link]

Concepcion's major television exposure came via Little Big Star, a singing competition on ABS-CBN, which searched for young talents. He was initially dubbed as the Singing Crush ng Bayan throughout the duration of show as he became the crowd’s favorite. In fact, he was awarded the My Favorite Star Award for having the most number of votes from viewers, garnering 52% of the total votes. Then on the Grand Finals, Concepcion sang I Can't Stand Still from Footloose, one of STAGES’ musical productions.^[2] He eventually won the whole competition with the title, The Brightest Star for the Big Division over equally talented kids, Gian Barbarona and Charice Pempengco.

2006[link]

Just before winning the title in Little Big Star, Concepcion was offered endorsements and projects already. His first endorsement came from Bench, a local clothing line in the country. With regard to projects, Concepcion took part in ABS-CBN's primetime shows. First was his stint in the drama series, Mga Anghel na Walang Langit, where he played Gary. However, his first major role was in the fantasy series, Super Inggo. He portrayed Boy Bawang, the son of Kumander Bawang and Super Inggo’s model superhero.^[6]

Then right after his win, Concepcion joined ASAP '06 where he became part of the group, Three-O, with Aldred Gatchalian and Aaron Agassi. The group was later disbanded when Agassi decided to leave. He was also given his first starring role when he was featured on Your Song with Empress Schuck as part of their Christmas offering. The same Your Song episode was again shown the following year.

On June 2006, Concepcion, along with other Trumpets Playshop kids, was tasked by the Philippine Department of Tourism to represent the country for the Korea World Travel Fair. They brought home the Best Folk Performance Award.^[7] That same month, Concepcion was also chosen by the Philippine government to sing in front of the President of the Philippines and top world economic leaders during APEC's Business Advisory Council Gala Opening.^[8] The following month, July 2006, he won Nickelodeon's Pinoy Wannabe award with 40% of the total votes. This win made him the youngest and sole male recipient of the award.^[9]

Then on the September 2006 issue of Candy magazine, Concepcion posed as the magazine’s cover for the first time. On that same issue, he was also announced as the top Candy Cutie for the year. He has held the title for three consecutive years already that no other local celebrity has held since.

By October 2006, Sam had his first concert via a back-to-back birthday celebration with Christian Bautista.^[10]

2007[link]

After Super Inggo, Concepcion’s next major television project was Walang Kapalit. He played the young Noel, who was latter portrayed by Piolo Pascual.^[11] Concepcion also got to dub for the local anime network, Hero TV, as the voice of Koyuki, the protagonist of the Japanese musical anime, Beck.^[12]

On June 2007, Concepcion went back to theater when he played Troy Bolton in Disney's High School Musical on Stage.^[13] The whole production reaped critical success that the musical was extended for two more weeks.^[14]

By September 2007, Concepcion launched his first solo album under Universal Records.^[15] His carrier single was Even If, a 2Be3 original. Subsequently, he released two other singles namely, Happy and I'll Find Your Heart. His album launch was then followed by a nationwide mall tour.

That same month, Concepcion was appointed by the Philippine Department of Education as the Youth Role Model and Spokesperson.^[16] Being its Ambassador for Education, Concepcion was tasked onto a nationwide school tour, dubbed as, SAMa-SAMa sa Eskwela, that aimed to encourage students across the country to prioritize their education while reaching for their aspirations.^[17]

2008[link]

On February 2008, Concepcion became part of ABS-CBN's Star Magic, with a co-management contract with STAGES.^[18] He was launched as their newest talent on ASAP '08. Then on that same month, Sam was also appointed by the Business Software Alliance as the Official Spokesperson of the Philippines for B4USurf, an Asian-wide campaign that aimed to promote safe internet use.^[19] In addition, Concepcion is still the Youth Ambassador for Education and the Arts in the 3rd District of Manila.

Concepcion later on won "Favorite New Artist" in the 3rd MYX Music Awards on March 2008. This win made him the youngest winner for the said category as he garnered 61% of the total votes.^[20]

Then on May 2008, Concepcion was chosen by Dreamworks to sing the theme song of the animated movie, Kung Fu Panda, entitled, Kung Fu Fighting. His version of "Kung Fu Fighting" was included in the Asian soundtrack album. The same album also included the cover of Korean celebrity, Rain. With this project, Concepcion is the first Filipino artist to have collaborated with Dreamworks.^[21]

By August 2008, Concepcion returned to doing regular television shows. One was I ♥ Betty La Fea. He played the character of Andrew, Betty’s younger brother who wanted to become a celebrity for his family's sake.^[22] The series lasted three seasons and ended on April 24, 2009. The other was Lipgloss on TV5, where he played Kyle, the show’s main protagonist. He left the show mid of season two.

Concepcion also staged his first major solo concert dubbed as I'll Find Your Heart. The concert was held at the Music Museum on October 2008.^[23] On that same month, Concepcion was also launched as the Ambassador for Children for World Vision. As its Ambassador, he encouraged Filipinos to help send the less-fortunate children to school.^[24]

Later in the year, Concepcion also held a free Christmas concert sponsored by Dunkin Donuts at the CCP open grounds.

2009[link]

As of this year, Concepcion has been the endorser for various local products. Bench, Skechers, Karate Kid Restaurant, Smart and Tang Fruit Teaz are some of the companies that trusted him to endorse their products.^[25] In fact, Karate Kid, which already expanded in different branches nationwide, contracted Concepcion as the company’s first and sole celebrity endorser.^[26] In addition, Concepcion continues all of his responsibilities as ambassadors for his respective causes.

On May 2009, Concepcion held another major concert entitled, I'll Find Your Heart: Part 2, to help raise funds for Aim Christian Learning Center.^[27] The concert was held at Crossroads77 Convenarium in Quezon City. Concepcion then went on to win the Top Teen Male Entertainer award in the first Pure & Fresh Top Teens Awards, which was held on that same month.^[28]

Concepcion also played the character of Bobet, the optimist of the group, in Your Song Presents: Boystown, which ended last June 2009.^[29] Soon after, Concepcion, together with 40 Star Magic artists, flew in to the United States for the Star Magic World Concert Tour. The tour was held in 2 cities namely, Ontario and San Francisco. Due to the abrupt passing of Michael Jackson, the artists prepared a tribute, in which Concepcion carried the role of the King of Pop with his trademark moves and singing.

Then on August 2009, Concepcion was recently awarded by the United Nations Youth Association of the Philippines the prestigious UNAP Outstanding Youth Leader award for his positive achievements in the Entertainment category.^[30] The awards night was held last August 7 at the Malacanang Palace with President Gloria Arroyo as its guest of honor.

September 2009 marked Concepcion's return to theater after his last musical back in 2007. He was casted as the Narrator, who also doubles as God, in N.O.A.H. [No Ordinary Aquatic Habitat] The cast of N.O.A.H. includes: Carlo Orosa, Sheila Francisco, the three young talented Sison brothers, Fred Lo, Ikey Canoy, Steven Conde, Kevin Concepcion, Tracy Santuyo, JC Gontinga, Jamie Avancena, Alys Serdena, Athena Tibi, Rizza Ribo, Carlo Canlas, Joms Ortega, Jennifer Villegas, Chris Nocon, and Carl Alexander Acosta.^[31] By October 2009, Concepcion was hailed Candy's Top Celeb Cutie for the fourth consecutive time. This award was followed by another award on November 2009. He was hailed by the Consumers League of the Philippines Foundation the Dangal ng Pilipinas for Best Promising Male Young Singer Performer award.

Besides all his TV appearances and various shows off-camera, Concepcion also recorded for his second solo album, which is set to be released early next year under Universal Records. Concepcion regularly appeared on ASAP '09 through a dance segment with the Gigger Boys, ABS-CBN’s all-male teen dance group.

2010[link]

This year started with the restaging of N.O.A.H. [No Ordinary Aquatic Habitat], which was postponed due to Typhoon Ondoy back in September 2009.^[32] With its return, Concepcion still played the role of The Narrator/God for all show times. Concepcion was also chosen to portray the role of the young Noynoy Aquino. The story revolved around the untold love story of the country's historic icons, Ninoy Aquino and Cory Aquino, on Maalaala Mo Kaya.

Currently, Concepcion still regularly appears with the Gigger Boys on ASAP ROCKS (formerly called ASAP '10). But last year, Concepcion joins another group called, A-Pop. They are the newest sing-and-dance boy group composed of Young JV, Jaco Benin, Nel Gomez and of course, Concepcion himself. Their debut performance was on January 10 of 2010. But due to positive feedbacks, they were officially launched 2 weeks after. During the launch, Concepcion was given the tag, Ultimate Teen Pop Idol. JV, Benin and Gomez are all 19 years old, while Concepcion is the youngest at 17.^[33]

More importantly, Concepcion just released his second solo album this January 2010 entitled, "Pop Class." The concept of this album is different than the first one as this features a mini-musical movie cum album.^[34] The album's carrier single is an original song entitled, "Missed You." The album was officially launched on ASAP XV on the 28th of February. Along with the launch is the awarding of Sam's self-titled debut album with a Gold Record Award.^[35]

Sam also played a lead role on one of the series of C.I.N.C.O. a movie by Star Cinema together with Robi Domingo and AJ Perez.

He also joined the Bench Uncut Fashion Show 2010 and was the youngest of all the stars and models there.

2011[link]

This year Sam starred in the teen oriented show Good Vibes, paired with Coleen Garcia , and in the 2011 Star Cinema family movie Way Back Home together with the Mara Clara stars Kathryn Bernardo and Julia Montes and his co-star in Good Vibes Enrique Gil.

On February 19, Sam was the opening act for Taylor Swift's concert in Manila. He sang Yeah2x, Kung Fu Fighting, Even If and Fireworks. He was asked to join in her Asian Tour. Last June 17, 2011, he was joined by Elmo Magalona as opening acts for Miley Cyrus concert in Manila.

An endorser of MyPhone cellphone together with some Kapamilya and Kapuso stars.

He also showed his directing skills and directed Tippy and Morisette's Face Off concert.He contributed his time and talents for free when he joined the "Pilipinas, Tara Na!" music video together with the other Filipino artists to boost domestic tourism of our country. He was the youngest among the singers.

He was the cover of Candy Magazine mini magazine with posters inside together with Elmo Magalona. He attended the first ever Candy Magazine press conference. He also attended the Candy Fair 2011 and performed his latest single Forever Young. Aside from the Candy Magazine, he was featured in Sense and Style and Total Girl Philippines magazines.

He celebrated his 10th year in show business it by starring as the lead character of Peter Pan in the musical Peter Pan via Broadway and by releasing his third studio album entitled "Forever Young" under Universal Records with Forever Young serves as the single of the album.

2012[link]

Sam is currently portraying the role of Migoy in the afternoon telerserye "Angelito: Batang Ama" with his love team on the show Devon Seron, topbilled by JM De Guzman and Charee Pineda.

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Film[link]

Theatre[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sam Concepcion Official Site
• Sam Concepcion at the Internet Movie Database

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2008)

Eli Young Band
Mike Eli
Background information
Origin	Denton, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Country
Years active	2000-present[1]
Labels	Carnival Universal South Republic Nashville
Website	http://www.eliyoung.net
Members
Mike Eli James Young Jon Jones Chris Thompson
Past members
Bryan Tyler Mark Sims

Eli Young Band is an American country music band based in Denton, Texas. The band is composed of Mike Eli (vocals, guitar), James Young (guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar), and Chris Thompson (drums). They released their self-titled debut album in 2002, followed by the Carnival records release Level in 2005. Their third album, Jet Black & Jealous, was released in 2008 by Universal South Records. A second major-label album, Life at Best, was released in 2011 by Republic Nashville; it includes their first #1 hit, "Crazy Girl".

Biography[link]

Mike Eli and James Young met each at the University of North Texas when they became dorm roommates their freshman year. They played guitar and eventually began writing and singing songs together; they formed the acoustic duo, Eli & Young, while attending the University of North Texas.^[1] Chris Thompson and Jon Jones joined them later on and they became the Eli Young Band.^[2]

They released their first album in 2002, self-titled "Eli Young Band". In 2005 they released "Level" on Carnival Records and opened shows for Miranda Lambert.^[2] National exposure on CMT and GAC helped them begin to build a following well outside of their touring base. They sold as many as 2,000 tickets a night in multiple markets. In late 2006 they released Eli Young Band Live At the Jolly Fox located in Huntsville, Texas. Early in 2007, they signed a management deal with George Couri and C3 Management. Their plans included a rigorous tour schedule and key opening spots with Pat Green, Robert Earl Keen, and Jack Ingram, as well as a spot on the 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival.

While touring, they were also making songwriting a top priority and made time for writing trips and retreats at the Young family ranch. Energized with new songs, they were ready to begin working on a new album in late 2007. Working with producers Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke (who have also produced for Lambert), they took time off from touring to record at Omni Studios in Nashville. Their third album, Jet Black & Jealous, was released in 2008. Its lead-off single, "When It Rains", spent thirty-seven weeks on the country charts and peaked at #34.^[3] A second chart single, "Always the Love Songs" (co-written by David Lee Murphy and George Ducas), scored the Eli Young Band their first top 15 hit, making #11. ("Radio Waves" also made top 40, while "Guinevere" peaked at #45.)

They were nominated for an Academy of Country Music award as the Top New Vocal Group or Duo, an award that is based on the number of fan entries on the GAC website. They lost to the Zac Brown Band. They were then nominated for the 2010 Top New Vocal Group for the 45th ACM Awards, but lost to Gloriana.

They appeared as part of the pregame ceremonies for an NFL game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri on December 5, 2010. Mike Eli forgot the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner" and was promptly booed. He attempted to sing the song again, but forgot a considerable amount of the lyrics in his second try.^[4]

In 2011, the Eli Young Band moved to Republic Nashville and released their fifth overall single, "Crazy Girl" as the lead single off "Life at Best". It became the band's first gold-selling digital single,^[5] as well as their first #1 single.

The band received three nominations for the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards: Song of the Year, Top Vocal Group of the Year, and Single Record of the Year. On April 1, 2012 the band won the Academy of Country Music Award for Song of the Year.

Band members[link]

Current[link]

• Mike Eli (lead vocals, guitars)
• James Young (lead guitar, backing vocals)
• Jon Jones (bass guitar, backing vocals)
• Chris Thompson (drums)
• Keith Davis (pedal steel, keys, guitars, backing vocals)

Former[link]

• Mark Sims (guitar)
• Bryan Tyler (guitar)

Guests[link]

• Blu Sanders (guitars, backing vocals)
• Allen Huff (organ)

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Extended plays[link]

Live albums[link]

Singles[link]

• ^ACurrent single.

Other charted songs[link]

Songs charted from unsolicited airplay.

Videography[link]

Music videos[link]

Cultural References[link]

Australian Golfer Rhein Gibson claimed, after possibly scoring the lowest score ever recorded in a round of golf, "I had this song playing in my head... that new one from the Eli Young Band. It was in there all day."^[12]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Method Man
December 21, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Clifford Smith
Also known as	Meth, Tical, Johnny Blaze, Methtical, Shakwon, Iron Lung, Hot Nikkels, MZA, John J
Born	(1971-04-01) April 1, 1971 (age 41)[1][2] Staten Island, New York City, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, actor
Years active	1990–present (rapping) 1995–present (acting)
Labels	Def Jam
Associated acts	Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, Erick Sermon, LL Cool J, The Notorious B.I.G., DMX, Xzibit, Shyheim
Website	method-man.com

Clifford Smith (born April 1, 1971),^[3] 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).^[4]

Method Man appeared in the motion pictures Belly, How High, Garden State as well as a minor role in The Wackness. More recently, he appeared as a crewman in George Lucas' film Red Tails. 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[link]

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 home in the Park Hill section of Staten Island aka Killa Hill.^[5] He has two sisters, Terri and Missy.^[5]

Rapping career[link]

[edit] 1992–96: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and 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. He was also featured on Spice 1's album "AmeriKKKa's Nightmare" on the track "Hard 2 Kill". 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).

[edit] 1997–98: Wu-Tang Forever and 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, proving for the world that Method Man is in fact America's most blunted(with the help of Red Man). 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.

[edit] 1999–2000: Blackout! (with Redman)

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.

[edit] 2000–04: The W, Iron Flag, and Tihkal 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."^[6]

[edit] 2006–07: 4:21... The Day After

Method Man at the 2007 Eurockéennes.

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.^[7] 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.^[8]

[edit] 2007–10: 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,^[9] 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 ^[10] 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.

[edit] 2011–present: Crystal Meth

Crystal Meth is Method Man's upcoming fifth studio album.^[11][12][13] 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.^[11] 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."

On October 5, 2011, a new single from Method Man, titled "World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)", was released on iTunes.^[14] Recently, he confirmed that the album will come out next year and will have the usual line-up of producers including RZA, Rockwilder, Erick Sermon, 3rd Digala of Digem Tracks and some other new underground producers he's begun to work with.^[15] He also expressed a desire to work with Odd Future frontman Tyler, The Creator.^[16] It was recently announced via Facebook that Crystal Meth will be his last album & to be fully produced by RZA.

Acting career[link]

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,^[17] 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.

Method man plays a small role in the 2011 film "The Sitter" starring Jonah Hill. In 2012 he played crewman "Sticks" in George Lucas' movie Red Tails about the Tuskegee airmen.

Other ventures[link]

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^[18] (to be followed by GZA and Ghostface Killah).^[19]

Personal life[link]

He became engaged to his wife in 1999 and they married in 2001.^[5] He has three children: two sons (born in 1996 and 2001), and one daughter (born in 1997). Method Man also has collabed with Rochester rapper "Dale Mahoney" on his project "Jordans&Drugs" in 2012.^[20]

Legal issues[link]

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.^[21] 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.^[22]

On October 5, 2009, Method Man was arrested at his home in Staten Island for income tax violations.^[23] 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,^[24] Method Man plead guilty to tax evasion and was sentenced to a conditional discharge^[25] and paid a $106,000.00 fine.^[24]

Controversies[link]

Wu-Tang management[link]

In 2003, Method Man criticized Oli "Power" Grant and Mitchell "Divine" Diggs, the managers of the Wu-Tang business.^[26] "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."^[27] 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."^[27]

Wendy Williams[link]

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 very 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. Because of this leaked information, Method Man and his wife had many problems.^[28]

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[link]

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".^[30] 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. From then on, he focused on production from within the clan and its closely tied collaborators.

Fox Television[link]

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[link]

Filmography[link]

Method Man filmography

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Method Man

• Method Man at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website