Method Man has recounted how he first met the Notorious B.I.G. through Gang Starr’s Guru in Atlantic City, a meeting that led to their classic collaboration ‘The What’ on Biggie’s Ready to Die. He recalled being immediately struck by Biggie’s raw lyrical talent during that early encounter.
Meeting Biggie: An Unexpected Encounter
In a candid recounting of his first encounters with the legendary Notorious B.I.G., Method Man shared a series of events that led to their iconic collaborative track, “The What.” The story begins in Atlantic City, where Method Man and his crew unexpectedly crossed paths with Guru and an old colleague.[1]
First Impressions of Biggie’s Talent
“We were in Atlantic City and ran into Guru of Gang Starr,” Method Man recalled in a 2011 Complex interview.[2] “He was with this kid named Dan Smalls, whom I used to work with at the Statue of Liberty. Guess who he’s working for? Uptown Records. He’s like, ‘I’ve got a CD for you. It’s the Who’s The Man? Soundtrack, but I want you to listen to my man. It’s a single called ‘Party & Bullshit.’'”
Intrigued by the introduction, Method Man played the track and was beyond impressed. “I listened to that shit, I was like, ‘Ri-diculous. This nigga’s insane!’ But then I didn’t hear nothing of it after that,” he says, reflecting on the initial impact of Biggie’s music.
He continued: “Long story short, my man Raider Ruckus was like, ‘Yo, you need to do a song with this Biggie dude.’ There goes that name again. I’m like, ‘Yeah? Why?’ He’s like, ‘He’s got this song called ‘Me And My Bitch,’ here’s the tape.’ So I take the tape, play the shit, and I listen to the record,” Meth explained.
“It was like when you see a great movie and the credits are rolling, but you’re sitting there reading the credits, because the movie was just so fucking good,” he recalled.
First Meeting at The Muse
The first meeting between Method Man and Biggie occurred during a show at The Muse, where Biggie’s charisma was immediately apparent.[3] “I met Biggie. I remember because he had the Big shirt on that he wore in the ‘Juicy’ video. He walked up to me and he had a scarf around his head trying to cover up the eyeball bag. He had it pulled it down and he was like, ‘Yo, I’m Big. I’m trying to do this record with you.’ I was like, ‘Yo, I’m with it. Whenever you want to do it.’ He was like, ‘Alright, cool. I’ll be in touch,’” Method Man shared.
Without the convenience of cell phones, connecting with Biggie required a mutual contact. Tracy Waples played a crucial role in making it happen.[4] “Tracy Waples—who got me my deal at Def Jam—was the bridge that got me in the studio with Big. On the way to the studio, she was playing the album and she was saying every song on there was ridiculous,” he expressed.
After arriving to the studio, Method Man encountered Puff Daddy.[5]
“Puffy wants to play torture. I remember I said something to him, ‘I’ll fucking liquidate all your fucking assets.’ It was a good one. Puff’s always been a cool brother. I’ve never seen him uncomfortable, with the exception of the Source Awards. [Laughs.] He kind of stammered a little when he went up there like, ‘I’m the artist that umm…umm.’”
The Myth of Biggie Not Writing Down Lyrics
Method Man dispelled the myth that Biggie never wrote his lyrics down.[6] “Contrary to what everybody thinks, Big sat there and wrote his verse on paper. I sat down and I wrote my shit on paper. The reason I know this is because he told me, ‘I need you to say this line right here.’ I was like, ‘What line, Big?’ He was like, ‘I’ve got more Glocks and tecs than you / I make it hot, niggas won’t even stand next to you.’ I was like, ‘I got you.’”
Creating “The What”
“After he did that with me, when I wrote my second verse, I was like, ‘Damn, now I gotta put him in my verse and shit.’ So, ‘Stop, look and listen,’ was all I had for him. That shit was done fast and shit,” Method Man shared.
“Next thing I know, I hear it on the radio. I’m like, ‘Whoa. Niggas feeling that shit? Wait until they hear this shit.’ I knew Big had some shit on his album so I was like, ‘They’re going to lose they fucking minds!’”
[1] https://www.complex.com/music/a/insanul-ahmed/method-man-25-essential-songs
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
