Method Man Leaves N.O.R.E. In Stitches After Revealing His First Rap Name

Method Man has revealed his first-ever rap name — much to N.O.R.E.‘s amusement.

The funny moment went down during the Wu-Tang Clan legend’s live Drink Champs interview at REVOLT WORLD in Atlanta this past weekend.

In a clip of the exchange shared on Instagram, Meth reveals his earliest rap moniker, leaving Noreaga in stitches.

After being quizzed about his first stage name, he replied: “Oh, you playing with me! I think it was, like, Papa Smurf or some shit like that,” prompting laughter from N.O.R.E. and those in the audience watching the conversation.

“I was big on the Smurfs. Big time,” he adds.

When asked if he went by any other names before settling on Method Man, the “Bring the Pain” MC jokingly replied: “I don’t wanna talk about this no more.”

The origins of Method Man’s eventual rap name became clear last year when RZA revealed how he got his name, surprising many fans with its unusual backstory.

Speaking with Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg, the Wu-Tang leader explained that Meth only adopted the moniker after recording the song “Method Man” for the group’s debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).

“Method Man was Shakwon until he made that song — Shakwon the Panty Raider,” RZA said. “Then, after he made that song, everybody in the hood called him Method Man.”

Method Man, whose real name is Clifford Smith, adopted the persona after the song’s success, with RZA explaining: “It was the concept because meth is weed. He’s the king of smoking weed. So he’s the method man. A year later, he’s Method Man.”

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The Abbot also said it was a group decision for the name switch: “It was a conscious decision by us as a crew, but the streets did push it.”

The revelation caught a lot of Wu-Tang fans unaware, with many not knowing where Method Man’s name came from or the timeline that led to him taking on the moniker.

One fan reacted to the tidbit by writing on X (formerly Twitter): “This is crazy!!!”

Another said: “Wow!!! Bet millions of fans never knew this.”

Even Rosenberg was taken aback, saying: “That makes so much sense! Now that I think about it. See, RZA, this is something that to you is so built-in that it’s a nothing burger, whereas to us, it makes so much sense!

“It was always a little weird that there’s one song on the album named after a member. We thought it was named after the member, but that’s not what it was; it was the name of a song that then became the name of a member!”