Method Man and R.A. The Rugged Man recently spoke on their interactions together while both artists were signed to Def Jam Records, during a conversation with Nature Sounds.
R.A. began the conversation by speaking on his first encounter with Method Man, which took place at the Def Jam office. He revealed that Meth approached him first and that shortly after their meeting, the Wu-Tang Clan lyricist released his record, “Method Man.”
He says he then told Meth that he was being black-balled by the label, but the rapper didn’t believe him.
“The first time I met Meth I was in the Def Jam office,” R.A. The Rugged Man said. “And he was like ‘Yo, Crustified Dibbs. Yo, Dibbs.’ And I was like ‘yo.’ I said ‘Thanks. Appreciate it. What’s your name?’ He’s like ‘Method Man.’ I was like ‘I heard of you, man.’ Then three, four months later that fuckin’ ‘M.E.T.H.O.D.’ was the biggest record on the fuckin’ radio. And then his career went a little better than mine. And I seen you. I said ‘Yo, they black-balled me, Meth.’ And you was like ‘They didn’t black-ball you, R.A.’ I’m like ‘No, they black balled me.’”
Method Man then shared his side of the story as he commented on being perplexed by the label’s opposition to him recording a collab with R.A.
“And I didn’t know,” Meth said. “And this is where I take over the story. I had no fuckin’ idea. So, I’m pining for my dude. I’m like ‘Yeah, I need R.A. The Rugged Man on the joint and shit.’ It got quiet. ‘No, we are not paying for R.A. The Rugged Man. What are you gonna get out of him? It’s like this is the guy that shows his ass on stage with dirty underwear and shit. No, no fuckin’ way.’ And I had to take a step back and shit because at that point in time they had never told me ‘no.’ You know what I mean? And it was like I had to analyze the shit and shit. And I was more or less like ‘Maybe the nigga just—What did he do? Did he—Is he fuckin’ crazy or some shit? What the fuck?’ You know what? Safe than sorry. Safe than sorry. And you know what? My G, I should have did it any fuckin’ way. And just let it ride out.”
“A lot of rappers should’ve did it anyway,” R.A. added. “And you know what’s crazy? Before that happened he said to me too, he was like ‘You are not black-balled. You are not black-balled. You are not black-balled.’ He didn’t believe me. I said ‘I’m black-balled. Trust me.’”
Lastly, Method Man stated that if Def Jam had his safety in mind then they wouldn’t have had him record at Quad Studios, the New York City recording studio where the late Tupac Shakur was shot five times.
“And honestly, if Def Jam was really worried about my safety they would not have had me in there recording at Quad where Pac got shot,” Meth said.
Following his departure from Def Jam, R.A. The Rugged Man has addressed his time spent at the label. During an interview with Unkut.com last year, he revealed that both Def Jam and Jive wanted him to hide his identity.
“So when I first signed to Jive, and when Def Jam wanted to sign me, they all wanted to do it where nobody knew I was a white boy,” he said. “They wanted me to keep the hood on my corner, because they knew I was respected amongst black folks. There was just radio, there was no YouTube clips, so everybody knew R.A. The Rugged Man, the name. but they didn’t know the face. So they said let’s not show your face on the single or the album cover.”
RELATED: R.A. the Rugged Man Talks Inconsistency In Hip Hop Censorship
Hmm was that def jam? Sounds like Jay z when he fucked over X and meth, seeing those two as direct competition…what a bitchass
Jay Z was not signed to Def Jam in 93 lol
Hey dumb ass Jay Z didn’t even have a deal then smh
every record label can suck dick
He’s always been wack anyway. That shock value shit is weak. Instead of showing his dirty draws on stage, or choking puppies, or jerking off in the crowd or whatever Marilyn Manson shit he does, how ’bout just spit a dope rhyme and shock the crowd like that. Him and Necro so desperate to be cool that they’ll do any fuckin thing. That’s not being blackballed. That’s a label not wanting to fuck with a low life because he’ll be a liability and a headache, his skills don’t warrant such a high risk.
Although you are a fuckin’ hater, I cannot argue with your logic.
RA has the hardest time riding a beat properly, he just crams rhymes in there, that’s why nobody wants to hear him. Listen to that last big single he did, The People’s Champ. Sloppiest flow of all time. Like Bizarre-level sloppy.
And your flow is better? Hope it’s better than your dumbass comment.
It doesn’t matter if he can rap or not, he’s a consumer he’s allowed to critique, you fucking mongoloid.
Ya, sometimes it sounds like he’s not riding the beat properly, which is crazy because he can do the exact opposite on tracks like 3 Kings, Uncommon Valor, etc.
Rugged Man is a GOAT he kills every rapper he ever works with record labels know better not to let him outshine their artists
I just got paid $6784 working off my laptop this month. And if you think that’s cool, my divorced friend has twin toddlers and made over $9k her first month. It feels so good making so much money when other people have to work for so much less. This is what I do,,,,,
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I just got paid $6784 working off my laptop this month. And if you think that’s cool, my divorced friend has twin toddlers and made over $9k her first month. It feels so good making so much money when other people have to work for so much less. This is what I do,,,,,
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R.A. is so corny man. Pretty much just a white Hopsin. Can’t believe anyone in the Wu would associate with this clown ass white boy.
forget everything u know about hip hop cause all u know is garbage
listen to rock and roll lol
Lol. And that’s not just laughing at loud at your insipid name. Laughing at your warped opinion, as wack as it may be.
Obviously, you know nothing about RA.
i recall a mixtape and album that was supposed to be released
so whats stopping them from doing a collabo now? leave the past and just create music, it would be dope for sure.
Only a fool can deny RA’s flow or skills. He’s unbelievably talented at rapping other emcees should strive to be as good as him. Hes been one of the best longer than most haters have been listening to rap.
I’m a fool then…
yep
both of you guys are idiots. while the rugged man isn’t wack, he sure as hell not one of the best.
RA better than Eminem.
RA was before Eminem before Hopsin before a lot of the Wu even. no one can beat RA the rugged man even today.
He was before them therefore he’s better? Kris Kross was before Kendrick Lamar…
Yeah he is better than hopsin, that’s because of his skills as an MC not because he’s been in the game longer.
YES. its called longevity. if you are before someone and still better than them all these years later thats means you’re better than them
its better that def jam didnt want him
now hes a underground gem that only real heads understand
I can understand why he was never signed every track apart from every record label sucks dick on his debut album was garbage where you can hardly tell what the fuck he says. Even Biggie didnt rate him that much not hating but just my opinion on this guy and all he raps about is body parts and shit like that with that stupid slur on his voice where you cant tell what the fuck he says.