“I’ve never gotten a streaming check for any of my music” — Method Man reveals he never made any money from streaming services

Rap legend Method Man recently revealed he never made any streaming income from his music. During his sitdown with Wale Ogunleye, Head of Sports & Entertainment at UBS, that was released on Hot 97's YouTube channel on Monday, August 19, 2024, he discussed the rise of AI and its impact on the creative industry. He began:

"I’m still trying to figure out AI but I have seen some things that have made me raise an eyebrow — the Drake diss with the (fake) 2Pac and Snoop, the fake Kendrick (diss songs). It’s a lot to it."

Clifford Smith, Jr., a.k.a. Method Man continued:

"I mean, I think it goes way deeper than that, especially when it comes to IPs (intellectual property) for artists that came from my era. Because honestly I’ve never gotten a streaming check for any of my music."

The news comes as a shock, as Smith is a member of one of the most successful rap groups of all time, Wu-Tang Clan, and also boasts a successful solo career.

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In 2022, Method Man teamed up with Intercept Music to launch a platform to protect independent artists

Smith rose to fame as part of hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He was one of the two members of the group to get a solo track on their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). While with the group, Meth also focused on his solo career. He later founded the duo Method Man & Redman.

The rapper's hit songs include I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By, Say, and Judgement Day. He also appeared in hit films and TV shows like The Wire, Keanu, Venom, and The Last O.G.

Smith did not elaborate on why he has not received streaming money from his music or the details about its ownership. However, the Staten Island native boasts over 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and Wu Tang-Clan has over 5.6 million listeners.

Talking to Ogunleye, Meth explained that he is still trying to understand AI but added he is all in for using it to improve creativity.

"I’m still trying to figure it all out, because there may be someone who can make a perfect mix of the two where — I’m not saying to accept it, but at least make art out of it, and that’s what I’m always for, the creative part."

The rapper has tried to rectify the royalty issues on his own. In 2022, he teamed up with Intercept Music to launch a platform to protect independent artists and help them with monthly revenue payments.

Method Man is not the only artist unhappy with revenue models from streaming services. Last year, Snoop Dogg revealed the money he received after achieving a billion streams on Spotify, stating:

"My publisher hit me. I said, ‘Break that down. How much money is that?’ That sh*t wasn’t even $45,000."

Method Man has not shared any further details at the time of this writing.