Clifford Smith (born March 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American hip hop recording artist from Staten Island, New York. A rapper, record producer and actor, Method Man is perhaps best known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the hip hop duo Method Man & Redman. In 1996, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” with Mary J. Blige.