If Jay-Z is the self-proclaimed, “best rapper alive,” well Method Man has something probably just as good considering the career arc of most rappers who hit their mid ’30s.
He’s been basically declared the Best Acting Rapper Alive (more or less), by none other than very venerable and fastidious David Simon, creator of HBO’s “The Wire” (in case you weren’t paying attention or something).
Method Man, of course played Cheese Wagstaff, the eastside lieutenant who betrayed his beloved Uncle and drug kingpin, Proposition Joe, but received his commeuppance at the hand’s of Joe’s right hand man Slim Charles (one of the finale’s few cathartic retributions). Or as the HBO site says, “A gambling man with an affinity for the dogfights… and a bit more hot-headed and ready for action than normally requires.” Either way, Meth apparently nailed the role Simon says (heyo!).
“By the way, I thought Method Man played the hell out of that scene [with Slim Charles],” Simon told the New Jersey Star-Ledger. “I should say something, because there’s always been this crowd of rappers who wanted to be on ‘The Wire,’ and this was the only guy who walked into a casting office and read and said, ‘Okay, tell me about the part.’ We didn’t take him because he was Method, we took him because he was the best read for Cheese. I’m glad we did.
You know Ice Cube, T.I., Redman and especially Wu-Tang mate the RZA (not to mention a spate of other rappers) are furiously envious. Method can basically retire from making records right now if he wants. Right now he’s probably smoking a cigar while receiving brain.
