Photo Credit: Method Man for Hot 97
Method Man says he’s yet to earn any money from streams of his music, despite his successful career as a solo artist and with Wu-Tang Clan.
Method Man has revealed he’s yet to receive a check for streams of his music. During an interview with Wale Ogunleye, Head of Sports & Entertainment at UBS, released on Hot 97’s YouTube channel, the legendary rapper claimed he had never received any money from streaming platforms for his music — despite his success as a solo artist and as a member of Wu-Tang Clan.
The rapper was discussing the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on artists and the broader creative sector, admitting he’s “still trying to figure out AI.”
“But I have seen some things that have made me raise an eyebrow — the Drake diss with the [AI-generated] 2Pac and Snoop, the fake Kendrick [diss tracks]. It’s a lot to it,” said Meth.
“I think it goes way deeper than that, especially when it comes to IPs for artists that came from my era,” he explains. “Because honestly, I’ve never gotten a streaming check for any of my music.”
He continued: “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.”
Unfortunately, Method Man didn’t divulge any further details about why he hasn’t received any money from streaming services, as he claims. The ownership of his music and/or publishing may certainly play a factor, but the rapper has yet to go into detail.
But Meth isn’t the only rapper to have voiced complaints with the current streaming model and its payout for artists. That song and dance has long been played, notably by Snoop Dogg last year, who opened up about how little money he received from his publishing after hitting a billion streams on Spotify.
Recently, Metro Boomin spoke out similarly about streaming payouts and hinted that his future releases may not come out on platforms like Spotify or Apple Music.
