Share & Wu & Tell with Method Man and Dan Le Batard

Summary

"Share & Wu & Tell" with Method Man and Dan Le Batard

Podcast: Pablo Torre Finds Out
Host: Pablo Torre (The Athletic)
Guests: Method Man (Wu-Tang Clan, actor), Dan Le Batard (media host, sports journalist)
Date: December 11, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out dives into the intersections of sports, hip-hop, generational identity, and self-invention. Pablo welcomes Method Man and Dan Le Batard—old friends and kindred spirits—to talk about everything from old school athletics to the complexity of working with a crew, insomnia and mental health, Method Man’s evolution as an actor, and the legendary Wu-Tang “single-copy” album acquired by Martin Shkreli. The conversation is lively, nostalgic, and packed with candid self-reflection, humor, and rare behind-the-scenes stories—including the reveal of the Knicks’ Wu-Tang-powered Kevin Durant recruitment video.

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Key Discussion Topics and Insights

1. The Bonds of Generation X

[01:40–03:18]

• Defining Generation X:
  • Method Man describes Gen X as the in-between generation—pre-internet, outdoor kids, used to freedom and fewer rules.

  "We were the generation that still played outside, had less rules... parents forgot they had kids back then." – Method Man [03:06]

• Nostalgia & Shared Experiences:
  • Both Method and Dan reminisce about their early years: “We drank out of the water hose, brother... Generation X. Different.” – Method Man [03:12]

2. Sports, Friendship & Shared Origin Stories

[03:18–07:00]

• How They Met:
  • Dan Le Batard credits sports media for connecting with Method Man, who shared a love for ESPN and sports culture.

  "You're a fan of somebody before you meet them because you think they're authentic. You like them more than you liked the art they were making." – Dan Le Batard [04:03]

• Sports Upbringing:
  • Method Man talks about his athletic childhood: baseball, football, lacrosse, even wrestling.

  "I thought we were going to be doing WWE type stuff. Nothing near that. Way more strenuous than I thought it’d be." – Method Man [05:30]

  • Shares playful sports rivalry stories, joking about lacrosse and calling Dan’s local team “soft as baby snot."

  "Port Washington was soft as baby snot... Y'all couldn't handle me at midfield." – Method Man [06:31]

3. Wu-Tang Clan: The Ultimate Hip-Hop “Team”

[08:28–14:18]

• Wu-Tang’s “Team Sport” Philosophy:
  • Method Man draws direct parallels between athletic teamwork and Wu-Tang's collaborative creative process.

  "I've always enjoyed movies like Magnificent Seven, X-Men... Team. My favorite comic book, X-Men, speaks volumes to my character because of team." – Method Man [09:49]

• Business and Brotherly Dynamics:
  • Explains Wu-Tang’s unique group/solo contracts and how money changed things, emphasizing the need to respect individuality as careers evolved.

  "You have to speak to everybody as an individual. You can’t speak to us as a group anymore." – Method Man [12:36]

• Legacy of Live Performance & Structure:
  • Describes Wu-Tang shows as akin to a play, giving every “actor” their moment before the full-cast finale.

  "Everyone gets their time... then when you get the whole cast on stage, it’s like the grand finale." – Method Man [13:45]

4. On Creativity, Insomnia, and Personal Growth

[16:37–19:00]

• The Creative Mind & Insomnia:
  • Shared insomnia, early morning workouts as mental therapy.

  "When you’re a creative, your mind is always looking to fill up space... your mind is like, 'wait a minute, we’re not playing anymore. There’s space to be filled!'" – Method Man [16:55]

• Mental Health Acknowledgment:
  • Open about therapy, writing a memoir, and confronting childhood memories.

  "Therapy is a great way to start. There’s some things I need to work out." – Method Man [17:56]

• Growth & Self-Awareness:

  "There’s more layers to him now because he’s becoming more self aware." – Method Man [18:42]

5. Acting, Authenticity, and Creative Lying

[22:55–28:10]

• Approach to Acting:
  • "Living vicariously" through characters; Method Man finds points of personal truth in his roles.
• On Rappers as Liars:

  "He said that the reason that he thought he could be a good actor is because rappers are such good liars." – Dan Le Batard [23:51]
  "When you talk about rappers, we embellish, which is a form of lying." – Method Man [24:57]

• Learning to Play Yourself, Not Imitate:
  • Recounts a pivotal moment filming The Cobbler: instead of mimicking Adam Sandler, he was told, 'be you'.

  "Why would you want to act like Adam Sandler if he’s turning into you? You want to be who you are." – Method Man [27:33]

6. Iconic Roles & Cultural Footprints

[28:10–34:05]

• How High and Other Films:
  • Explains the absurd premise ("two guys get into Harvard by smoking their dead homie"), reflects on the cult classic's legacy and the challenges of movie-making.

  "That was the hardest part to film... I was pissed. If you look at the b-roll footage, you will see we were pissed." – Method Man [31:10]

• Acting with Natalie Portman, Crossing Over to Mainstream:
  • Talks about breaking hip-hop stereotypes on the Garden State set.

  "She expected me to have this big entourage... But I had lines I had to remember, and I don’t smoke when I work." – Method Man [33:03]

• Evolution into a “Renaissance Man”:
  • Dan Le Batard lauds Method Man’s path from adversity to multifaceted stardom.

  "To see what he’s done with his second career… and to see the way that his family matters to him… it’s been an honor." – Dan Le Batard [34:13]

7. Dopamine, Performance, and Living for the Stage

[36:10–37:23]

• The High of Live Performance:

  "There’s nothing like it... when you’re out there and they’re giving it to you, you’ll die for that. You’ll die for those people." – Method Man [36:39]

8. Sports Heartbreaks & Jets Loyalty

[39:31–42:47]

• Painful Sports Memories:
  • Method Man’s most traumatic memory is the Jets’ AFC title game loss:

  "Richard Todd throwing those interceptions... I was like eight, nine years old, brother. This was terrible." – Method Man [40:20]

• Starstruck by Athletes:
  • Explains how pro athletes still leave him starstruck more than any musician or actor.

9. Cannabis: Then and Now

[45:20–49:33]

• Edibles, Legalization, and Changing Culture:
  • Method Man’s pro-legalization stance, but preference for flower over edibles.

  "All I do is smoke. That's it. Flower, that's all." – Method Man [46:27]

• Weed Generations:

  "We don't have to do that [sorting seeds] anymore. No sticks, no seeds... everything evolves, and I think that the marijuana culture is... here before me, it’ll be here after me." – Method Man [48:37]

10. Wu-Tang’s Million Dollar Album and Martin Shkreli

[49:41–55:00]

• The Story of "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin":
  • Recalls the infamous Wu-Tang single-copy album, how group members didn’t know its ultimate plan, and its purchase by "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli.

  "We weren't privy to any of this information, which is why it was a fallout… If I knew that's what this was gonna be… maybe I would've took a little bit more time…” – Method Man [51:51]

• NFTs and Ownership:
  • Updates that the album was seized by the government, sold in 2021 to a DAO collective, and only select snippets have been heard by members (including Pablo).

11. The Lost Knicks Recruitment Track for Kevin Durant

[55:00–63:10]

• Background:
  • In 2019, the Knicks paid Wu-Tang for a custom recruitment video/track to lure KD to New York. Previously "lost," Pablo’s team unearthed the video on a small message board.
  • Song features custom Knicks shoutouts, orange/blue wordplay, and a heartfelt Method Man verse.

  "Real rap, no cap, no pressure. This is where you oughta be..." – Method Man, from the KD recruitment song [60:46]

• KD Chooses Nets:
  • Despite the effort, Durant declined the Knicks for the Brooklyn Nets, but the artifact remains a “multi-million dollar video meant for one person.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Generational Grit:

  "Generation X... Different. Made different." – Method Man [03:12]

• On Art & Friendship:

  "You're a fan of somebody before you meet them because you think they're authentic. You… meet them and like them even more." – Dan Le Batard [04:03]

• On Performing:

  "There’s nothing like it… when you’re out there and they’re giving it to you, you’ll die for that. You’ll die for those people." – Method Man [36:39]

• On Therapy & Growth:

  "Therapy is a great way to start… remembering all these things from my childhood has opened my eyes..." – Method Man [17:56]

• On Rappers & Acting:

  "He said… the reason that he thought he could be a good actor is because rappers are such good liars." – Dan Le Batard [23:51]
  "When you talk about rappers, we embellish, which is a form of lying…" – Method Man [24:57]

• On the Legendary Wu Album Sale:

  "We didn't know it was a Wu-Tang project until it was. So now we're looking at it and… this is a circus. I don't want any part." – Method Man [52:55]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:40] Generational identity and Gen X nostalgia
• [03:18] Method Man’s sports background and meeting Dan
• [09:49] Wu-Tang’s “team” mentality & comic book analogies
• [12:36] Money, contracts, and evolving group dynamics
• [16:37] Insomnia, mental health, creativity
• [23:51] Acting, lying, and authenticity (“rappers are good liars”)
• [28:10] How High and acting career reflections
• [36:10] The addictive high of performing live
• [40:20] Method Man’s most traumatic sports memory (Jets)
• [45:20] Edibles vs. flower, cannabis legalization
• [49:41] Martin Shkreli, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album saga
• [55:00] The Knicks’ secret Wu-Tang recruitment music video for Kevin Durant
• [60:46] Method Man’s KD recruitment verse
• [63:10] Closing reflections, lost Wu-Tang tracks

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Tone and Style

The episode is funny, deeply personal, playful, and sometimes poignant—capturing Method Man's evolving self-awareness, Dan Le Batard's warmth and wit, and Pablo’s thoughtful curiosity. The affection between the guests is genuine, leading to heartfelt moments and the unfiltered sharing of regrets, achievements, and the sometimes absurd path of life in sports, music, and showbiz.

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Takeaways

• Enduring value of authenticity and “team” bonds, whether in sports, music, or media.
• Growth is continuous—no matter how “tough” you are, therapy and personal work matter.
• Performance is both a rush and a risk: vulnerability and confidence intertwine on stage.
• Cultural artifacts can gain mythic status, whether through scarcity (Wu-Tang’s lost album) or lost-to-history recruitment pitches.
• Humor and nostalgia act as bridges—across generations, careers, and unlikely friendships.

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For more episodes and clips:

• YouTube: @PabloTorreFindsOut
• Instagram: @pablotorrefindsout
• Newsletter: pablo.show

Transcript

[Pablo Torre]

Welcome to Pablo Torre finds out I am Pablo Torre. And today we're gonna find out what this sound is.

[Method Man]

The pastor brings him to the church, but the pimpin brings him back right after this ad.

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[Method Man]

We have the Limu Emu in its.

[Dan Le Batard]

Natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual.

Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug Limu.

[Pablo Torre]

Is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[Method Man]

Cut the camera.

[Dan Le Batard]

They see us.

[Method Man]

Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty.

[Pablo Torre]

Liberty.

[Method Man]

Savings vary underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates excludes Massachusetts.

[VRBO Advertiser]

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[Pablo Torre]

What is your algorithm like now that.

[Method Man]

My algorithm is imaginary? A lot of workout stuff.

[Pablo Torre]

Meth looks good.

[Method Man]

Thank you.

[Dan Le Batard]

He always looks good. It's so frustrating how good he looks every time I get alerts wherever it is that I am that meth is appearing somewh somewhere in public because of the amount of thirsty women who still, still are looking. You know this is true. They're as rare as the 50 year old plus sex symbol that gets women as crazy as meth does.

[Method Man]

I would say that these are females that are rooting for a generation that was very rare. A very rare generation. Generation X. We different. We are different.

[Pablo Torre]

Wait, hold on, hold on. For people who don't remember or understand. And by the way, Method man, thank you for being here.

[Method Man]

Thank you, sir. Thank you. Big fan, Pablo.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, well, this is a true delight for a couple of reasons. One of which is that you guys, you and Dan.

[Method Man]

Yeah.

[Pablo Torre]

Go way back. That's my Brody and I need to ask about that. But for people who don't remember your generation.

[Method Man]

Right.

[Pablo Torre]

What is Generation X?

[Method Man]

Generation X is the generation that came in between.

Televisions and computers. We were there before the Internet. It's more or less like we had the best of both worlds. We were the generation that still played outside, had less rules, and even had a reminder on television, it's 10 o'. Clock.

[Pablo Torre]

Do you know where your children are?

[Method Man]

Cause parents forgot they had kids back then.

[Dan Le Batard]

They were in the street playing with other kids, which is not something that's happening.

[Method Man]

We drank out of the water holes, brother. Come on. Generation X. Different. Made, different.

[Pablo Torre]

How did you do first get to know each other?

[Dan Le Batard]

Sports. It's, it's, there's. It's sports and the show. Right. As, as I recall. I just really enjoyed talking to him the first time I talked to him and was flattered that he would have any interest in what we were doing. But when he talks about Generation X and the way that. Or that Wu Tang hits people. ESPN did that for him. I'm assuming that it's on his television and. And he feels like he knows he knows me. And then he gave me the pleasure of allowing me to know him. And then I get the rare instance. I don't think a lot of people. No, I don't think a lot of people get to the experience I got, which is you're a fan of somebody before you meet them because you think they're authentic.

[Method Man]

Right.

[Dan Le Batard]

You feel like you know them because of the art they make. And then you meet them and you like them even more than you liked the art they were making.

[Pablo Torre]

I want to target Dan for a second because you're a friend of Dan, which means you are in the club of people who is undoubtedly getting FaceTimes from Dan Levatard.

[Method Man]

Well, not exactly FaceTimes, but we do do the phone thing. We definitely do do the phone thing. And when we're face to face, those conversations are totally off the record. But it's real. It's definitely real.

[Dan Le Batard]

FaceTime, though, it's more sharing video. I'll send him a video instead of, instead of voicemails or instead of, we.

[Pablo Torre]

Send the angle from below his chin where he's just like crying.

[Dan Le Batard]

Equivalent of FaceTime. Things that he.

[Pablo Torre]

Generation X's version of FaceTime. This is Dan sending he's POV videos.

[Dan Le Batard]

Properly groomed and so he doesn't have the nose hair issues. Yes, but it's a little more intimate, I suppose, than he would like, so.

[Method Man]

Very much so. And I mean watching Dan with his father on the show, but prior to that being on espn, you as well guest on pti, things of that nature. Part in the interruption. Love that show. Anyway, I'm a Long island kid, so sports were very prevalent in Long island from the time you're a shorty playing little league baseball to when you get old enough to play pee wee football. Then it's lacrosse, basketball, the whole shebang. I mean, I even wrestled one year in junior high school.

[Pablo Torre]

What's the scouting report on junior high school? Method man in a singlet.

[Method Man]

Ah, it was tough. It was pretty tough, man. I thought that the wrest, especially when I joined wrestling. I thought we were going to be doing like WWE type stuff. Nothing near that. And way more strenuous than I thought it'd be. The practice is more strenuous than the actual match. The match is What? Minute, minute. 32 minutes. Yeah, the practices were way worse.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm pretty sure that the first time he was on with us, meth mentioned that he used to kick the ass of Stugatz's lacrosse team.

[Pablo Torre]

I was going to ask about that.

[Method Man]

Valley Stream's ass all the time. And in football. Absolutely. And slashing was real lenient too. You could probably hit somebody in the head with the stick. Well, not in the head, but you can hit him on the top of his shoulder pad without getting in too much trouble. Depending on where you were playing at. When we played Port Washington, those dudes were soft. I hope you're not from Port Washington, Yo, Matt.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's where I'm from, man. That is where I'm from, Matt. What do you mean, Matt? We lost the state semifinals my senior. Those dudes were soft.

[Method Man]

Soft. Fort Washington was soft as baby snot. And in football you guys had the green and white uniform soft.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, football.

[Method Man]

Handled me on midfield. Y' all couldn't handle me on midfield or attack.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Did you guys play?

[Method Man]

Yeah, I mean they were. I wouldn't say they were coddled kids cuz they did have some tough kids down there. But they were in our caliber of tough.

[Dan Le Batard]

Really? So stance wasn't reared as tough as you?

[Method Man]

They cried a lot. I mean, we were kids. They cried a lot.

[Pablo Torre]

Wait, as in like going to the. Going to the manager, going to the.

[Method Man]

Ref, saying no, getting hurt and crying.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, like sorry.

[Dan Le Batard]

Physically he's not talking about whimpering. He's talking about you're. You're surprised that that wuang would be tougher than sc?

[Pablo Torre]

I don't know. In my view, like Method man playing lacrosse is a mad lib.

[Dan Le Batard]

I like that.

[Method Man]

I like the way you put that. You know what? It started. I had a cousin that played lacrosse and he just brought me down one day and I just took to it, man. I played four years. I Was okay. And one coach that stood out the most to me was a coach named Mr. Hotish. He was a great coach. And I mentioned him when I did an interview on CBS for the PLL Premier Lacrosse League, which is Paul Rabel and those guys, they're doing a great job with that league, by the way. So I mentioned Mr. Hotish and I on Twitter. I got a tweet from one of his daughters and he actually remembered me and said, yeah, he was a pretty good lacrosse player. So I'm valid. I'm pretty much valid. Cause Mr. Hotish vouched for me.

[Pablo Torre]

Word. I want to understand how being a person who competes in team sports informed the fact that you are an instrumental figure in the world of, I think the closest thing to team sports in music.

[Method Man]

Nice.

Get the money dolla dollar bill. Yo, I grew up on a crime.

Well, I mean, yeah, team player, that's me. And I love the fact that Wu Tang, when we came in, you know, I mean, nine people, unheard of.

[Pablo Torre]

So what was the math on that? Were you concerned? Is this too many at first? How. How does that work?

[Method Man]

Nah, I don't think anyone thought about that because we weren't thinking monetary at the time. I mean, it. It definitely boils down to that at the end of the day, especially at the beginning of the month when bills are due, you know, but we weren't thinking of that. We were thinking our talent was gonna take us someplace and wherever that was, it would be better than where we were. So that was it in a nutshell right there. But the team factor, like even my regular life was always about teams. Like I've always enjoyed movies like Five Deadly Venoms, Magnificent Seven, Seven Samurai. You know what I'm talking about? Yeah. Like I've always loved like a variety of characters that you can latch onto. My favorite comic book, X Men, speaks volumes to my character because of team.

[Pablo Torre]

Which X Man is Method Man?

[Method Man]

Oh.

I like to joke a lot. I don't know. I mean, I would be either Iceman, right? Or Bishop. Because he black.

[Pablo Torre]

Bishop is also a time traveling black person. He seems to defy age and is in great shape.

[Method Man]

Yes, he is, sir.

[Dan Le Batard]

What are you saying? Are you saying that he has some parallels with.

[Pablo Torre]

I'm just saying.

[Method Man]

Honestly, I believe in my assessment of the whole thing was RZA was supposed to do Wu Tang with him, GZA and ol Dirty Bastard. We all were MCs that were around the way that would frequently go to his crib and make these tapes. So we were all familiar with each Other, we all grew up together. And he had this epiphany. Cause RZA's a genius. Why not attack him with all of us? As opposed to one or two? Him previously having his own record deal and it falling through. And jza, the same has fell through. Yeah. Strength in numbers. So when he initially had the idea us, like I said, our situation was so effed up over here that anything was better than what we were doing. And we just went along for the ride. I mean, I could speak for myself. I was just going along for the ride because I genuinely loved doing this. And when it came time to perform, when there was no money involved, we still gave it 110%. And I think that paved the way for what we were going to be and how far we were going to go.

[Pablo Torre]

Well, the thing that Dan has always talked to me about, like, why did he make his show, which is also a collection of somewhere between nine and one zillion people on a stage together, is because it was less miserable.

[Dan Le Batard]

Writing was lonely for me. And I was a writer. I came up as a writer. And I wanted community. I wanted something communal. When he was talking. I've wondered this about whether Wu Tang, once the money gets involved. Right. Business complicates things. Whether whether Wu Tang would be closer to family or team. Given how money can contaminate something that is not actually family.

[Method Man]

That's a great question. For us, it was a bit different because we signed a deal that was so unique. There are people now benefiting from the deal that we signed. We signed a deal as a group with the option to sign as solo artists. So there you go. That solves your problem of how do you feed all of these guys? Well, now we have options and other ways to feed ourselves and other things. But here's the biggest part about it was you have these labels that are vying for people in this group, nine people. So it's a lot to choose from, first and foremost. So you're gonna get the guys that you feel are best first, and you're going to capitalize with those guys. But in the midst of you capitalizing on those individuals, you're working for one brand. Not only that, you're working along with other labels for one person's cause, which was ours, which was. I don't even know if that was masterminded that way. But it worked so well because we were on so many different platforms at once where I would drop an album, then you get a Jizza album, then Ray would come after that ghost. Now you got Another Woo album. So by the time we dropped our second album, there was so much anticipation, it had to be a double album, you know, So, I mean, these numbers work. And as far as the monetary thing, it's. I can't even say it's 5050 because you would have to ask the individuals. But for me, it's always been 50, 50. I've always been on board with whether it was team or for myself. I just. That's just how I work. And the way these things work, you have to speak to everybody as an individual. You can't speak to us as a group anymore, you know, especially with how long we've been in the business and how lucrative we've been on our own. So when we come back, we all come back with an understanding that this isn't a me thing, it's an us.

But when you're on that stage, the way we format our shows, everyone gets their time to either. Let's call it like a solo act in a play where it's just two actors on stage that could be Ray and Ghost, and then there's a long monologue where it's just one player on the stage. That could be rza, myself or whoever. And then when you get the whole cast on stage, it's like the grand finale of the show. And it just puts the cherry on.

[Dan Le Batard]

Top, the crescendo where all of you are together. It's kind of amazing that you guys have stayed together this long like that. There's so much.

[Method Man]

Well, I believe so many on top of it. Because we're stronger together as a unit than we are as individuals, for sure.

[Pablo Torre]

But there is this thing of you guys being able to go and do your own side quests. Yeah, I mean, I remember. So I went to. I saw in New York, I had the pleasure of seeing. Actually, I saw it in Miami. And then in New York, I saw rza do the 30th anniversary celebration of 36 chambers. Yeah, there's an orchestra.

[Method Man]

That was the one right there. So this was the one that became part of the album. But I had some dirty inside there, didn't I put some dirt in there. So it was like some type of fuzz in it.

[Pablo Torre]

Ye.

[Method Man]

He does a lot of like that, man.

[Pablo Torre]

I mean, it's. It. It. It was incredible. But it was also unclear to everybody, like, so who's gonna be there? Who all's gonna be there?

[Method Man]

Right? And that's another thing.

[Pablo Torre]

And you were not there. Meth.

[Dan Le Batard]

I was not there.

[Method Man]

You. Right?

[Pablo Torre]

Where the hell were you?

[Method Man]

I was probably on a set somewhere, working, doing my acting thing, you know what I mean? But with rza, he moves in so many different areas.

[Pablo Torre]

He's an artist pretty much.

[Method Man]

Yes.

[Dan Le Batard]

So are you.

[Method Man]

I know, but honestly, I, I real quick. I showed up to the Holly. He had me show up to something he was doing at the Hollywood Bowl. I wasn't doing nothing. Anyway, so I show up, I don't even know what he's doing. He comes out on stage. It's just he has his equipment out there, you know, it's turntable, whatever. The other stuff is the technical stuff. And there's a big ass screen. And on the screen his cartoons are playing, but he's playing James Brown, Shoeshine Boy, Dime Boy, give me shine boy. But the record is playing along with the screen with the cartoon. And it seems like the cartoon is saying the words with the record. And I'm like, what kind of incredible is this? And why did people pay to come see this?

[Pablo Torre]

Well, he did this for. He played the 1978 kung fu film the 36 Chamber of Shaolin on the screen behind When I saw it in Miami.

[Method Man]

Oh, he did that in Miami.

[Pablo Torre]

In Miami. He did that for. I mean, I'm just like, oh.

[Dan Le Batard]

But Meth's not giving himself enough credit here. Okay? Artists demand on growing. And so the, the way he chose to grow is in that space. And you've poured all of that into acting.

[Method Man]

I appreciate that. I worked. I had to work hard on myself. And a lot of it started with the 4am workouts and things of that nature.

[Pablo Torre]

Can we talk about the 4am workouts?

[Method Man]

Absolutely.

[Pablo Torre]

So both of you guys, another way that you guys are connected cosmically, insomnia, is that clearly you guys don't sleep enough.

[Method Man]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what? It's tough. Anybody that goes through it will know what we're talking about when it comes to, you know, it's just something about the way the mind works and when it clicks on. I like to attribute it to being a creative. And when you're a creative, your mind is constantly, always looking to fill up space or create in a space. So while you're resting and you're supposed to be healing and all of the other stuff that comes with rest, your mind is like, wait a minute, we're not playing anymore. There's space to be filled. Let's go. So when you do become, when you come out of the subconscious into the conscious again, slightly into the conscious, you can't go back to the subconscious. It's like, okay, My mind is on now what do I do? Now it get up.

[Dan Le Batard]

So his mind starts racing about whatever it is that it's racing on. At three o'clock in the morning?

[Method Man]

Yes.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't know if you do meditation or any stuff like that, but I do think that workout act as that for him. I believe that he goes into that space to get his body whatever chemicals it needs so he feels good about himself.

[Method Man]

And honestly, for people, I'm just gonna put this out there. If you are having troubles and need help, therapy is a great way to start. I will speak to mental health on this. Therapy is a great way to start. I just, you know, there's some things that I need to work out. Mom recently been working on a memoir. And remembering all these things from my childhood has opened my eyes to a lot of things that I didn't remember or were placed deep inside my subconscious that I wasn't aware or didn't hit me the same way it did as an adult. And yeah, I need to talk to someone about that, you know, figure some things out.

[Pablo Torre]

I feel like the version of meth that I am meeting is not the one that Dan necessarily met when you guys first met the first time.

[Method Man]

Oh, I was a mess. But no, it's still the same meth. It's just, you know, it's more layers to him now because he's becoming more self aware.

[Pablo Torre]

You just referred to meth in the third person.

[Method Man]

Yeah, that's that dude. He has a lot of problems.

[Dan Le Batard]

Foreign.

[Pablo Torre]

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[Pablo Torre]

Information.

Now, I could make a pun that I didn't even intend, but is a triple entendre. I want to know, if you're a method actor, do you inhabit the. Let alone the roles in Hollywood, but like the character of Method.

[Method Man]

Man?

You know what? That's interesting. Cause.

No, no, no, no. That's all me. And I incorporate that into my acting as well. It's just. For me, it's translation. And I like to think of it as. And this is the best way I can put it, I like to think of it as living vicariously through a character. So when we're watching certain movies or TV shows, even if he isn't the main character, there are certain characters we gravitate to. And then we start rooting for this character so much. We are living vicariously through this character. So every decision he makes has to make sense to us. It has to be real. It has to be authentic. So that's how I like to approach.

[Dan Le Batard]

It. He also told me early on, he said that the reason that he thought he could be a good actor is because rappers are such good.

[Method Man]

Liars.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. Wait, hold on. Give me. Give me the first part of that. Why are rappers good.

[Method Man]

Liars? Okay. The best analogy I can give you for this, and I've said this before.

The pastor brings him to the church, but the pimping brings him back. Does that make sense? It makes.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sense.

[Method Man]

Yes. Okay, thank you.

That is it right.

[Pablo Torre]

There. When did you realize you were a good.

[Method Man]

Liar? Oh.

Man, I don't. Even.

When it comes when we're talking about lies. Right. There are levels to lying. You have white lies, and then you have those big, you know, gonna come to the light lies. When you talk about rappers, we embellish, which is a form of lying, in a sense. And I will say that's the form of lying that I.

[Dan Le Batard]

Do. That's all I.

[Method Man]

Do. We.

[Dan Le Batard]

Embellish. That's all I. Look, this is a relentlessly authentic PR person. And I also believe that Method man, while. And it. And maybe even as an actor, I would say, having consumed the parts of your work that I've enjoyed, that where you. I feel like you're trying to show yourself to people that you're in there, but instead of you, the human being at 5 Meth is him at.

[Method Man]

10.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. Or.

[Dan Le Batard]

Or. Or the parts that you pick, the parts that you're selecting or Someone that you allowed the human you is frailer and doesn't have the confidence that the. Doesn't just makes you human. That the character has. The character is bulletproof in terms of confidence. And there is no human that.

[Method Man]

Is. That. Well, that's going to resonate with the audience. You can command the camera so much that you don't even have to say a word. And the camera stays on you while someone else is talking. That means you're doing the work. People like Morgan Freeman get that. People like Tom Cruise. You know, like I said, I'm still working on that level of it. I'm having real human experiences when I'm doing these parts. And that's the best thing I get out of it right.

[Pablo Torre]

There. When you look back at your catalog, is there a point in which you're like, this is when I realized, I'm gonna have fun doing this. I'm gonna enjoy what could be very hard for people to imagine.

[Method Man]

Doing. Yeah, yeah. Especially with the. And I did a movie called the cobbler with Tom McCarthy. Now, Tom is like. He's an award winning, you know, writer, director. It was a great project. And, you know, basically Adam Sandler is the star of the movie. And most of the actors are trying to. Let me just give you the premise of it really quick. The premise of the movie is a cobbler, a guy who makes shoes or repair shoes and.

His mom just dies. He's kind of depressed and his shoe machine breaks down. But there's this old one that he has in the back. So he uses that shoe machine, not knowing that this is a special shoe machine. And any shoes that he works on with this machine, if he puts those shoes on, he changes into the person who owns the shoes. So all of us as actors are thinking, okay, Adam Sandler is turning into our characters. We have to act like Adam Sandler.

I'm going through it. I'm going through it. I'm thinking, I gotta act like Adam Sandler. But then Tom and my coach made it clear to me that why would you want to act like Adam Sandler if he's turning into you? You want to be who you are?

[Pablo Torre]

Okay.

[Method Man]

Boom. That's the red pill. What's the pill they take when you want to go when you want.

[Pablo Torre]

To. The red pill is the one that opens your eyes to what the Matrix is only the reality. And you're also now storming the Capitol on January.

[Method Man]

6Th. Yeah, there you go. I love that analogy. We're on the red pill now. And now it's like, holy oh, wow. I didn't think to approach it like that. So that's what it is. That's what doing the work is. So now I want to try other things. I want to experiment and do other things. And Tom is just so accommodating every day on set that it made it so easy and so comfortable. That was the most comfortable I've ever been on set, and it made me want to do more.

[Pablo Torre]

Work. Can I tell you that the time I did pay money to watch you act.

Was in a film that is near and dear to.

[Method Man]

Me.

[Pablo Torre]

Okay. Because it took place at my alma.

[Method Man]

Mater. Ah. How high? Say less. Yo, what the are we gonna do now? You think we gonna do? We gonna smoke his ass, then we gonna start asking questions. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wait. This is a mother president.

[Method Man]

Man. What the are we doing? He want to stay in Harvard. You a nasty.

[Dan Le Batard]

Mother.

I can't smoke a.

[Method Man]

Finger.

This not.

[Dan Le Batard]

Working. Is that your first foray into acting here or how that.

[Method Man]

Was?

I think.

[Pablo Torre]

Second. That was.

[Dan Le Batard]

2001. How do you feel watching that? Because you are an accomplished actor.

[Pablo Torre]

Now. Could you also just explain you did a great job summarizing the premise of the cobbler. Could you explain the premise of how.

[Method Man]

High? I'm gonna explain to the same way it was pitched to us when we picked this script. This guy, Dustin Lee Abraham, I give him the majority of the credit. The writer, Brad Kaya, also was a writer on it. He came in, he was like two guys getting to Harvard by smoking their dead homie. And that's the premise of the film. Two guys who are down on their luck get into college by cheating because they smoke the ashes of his dead.

[Pablo Torre]

Homeboy. You're taking the sat, but your performance enhancer is the ashes you've smoked, which I cannot stress enough, is a key aspect to the whole setup of this, which pays off in that.

[Method Man]

Scene. Yeah, that's what the industry's going next. I'm telling you, it's going to be Adderall weed. Well, without the.

[Pablo Torre]

Adderall. And just to be clear about what that scene was, this is a climactic part of the.

[Method Man]

Film. Spoiler.

[Pablo Torre]

Alert. Spoiler alert. Could you. Could you please explain what was happening at that point in the crescendo of this.

[Method Man]

Film? Okay, so what happens in the crescendo of the film is we're about to get our asses kicked out of college, so we come up with a plan to basically sabotage this big soiree that the campus is having. I toss A bit of the bud inside a fireplace, the whole place gets lit. Next thing you know, you got Ben Franklin popping up from the dead. My Boy Ivory popping up from the dead. Everybody's high. The Dean is making inappropriate gestures. It's a lot going on, man. And that was the hardest part to film. I hated it, filming that part of the movie. Cause by that time, I was over it.

[Pablo Torre]

Man. By the time you had to dig up the body of John Quincy.

[Method Man]

Adams. No, we were good.

[Pablo Torre]

There.

[Method Man]

Okay? We were good with that blender. You know what? That ran a little long, too. And we were in that cemetery way too long. And it was cold. And then once the rain. They started with the fake rain stuff. I was pissed. If you look at the B roll footage, you will see we were.

[Pablo Torre]

Pissed. I want the meth.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cut. This is a thing that you hear from actors all the time. They think of Hollyw as one type of glamorous. And then the fake rain comes, and they're like, why did I choose to do. Why did I choose to do nine takes of.

[Pablo Torre]

This? It's so that years later, a podcaster could talk about how their solution was to dig up a smart dead guy and smoke his body to make sure you didn't fail out of school. And that.

[Method Man]

Was. And that was John Suggest doing that. Kids. It didn't work. Actually. If you look at the movie, the didn't.

[Pablo Torre]

Work. A cautionary.

[Method Man]

Tale. Cautionary tale. Yes.

[Pablo Torre]

Sir. It is one of the greatest things I've ever.

[Method Man]

Seen.

God, man. Shout out to Rhett, man. Salute to you.

[Pablo Torre]

Brother. Unbelievable. An unbelievable thing that I think made Harvard University look.

[Dan Le Batard]

Better. I hope that you're proud of yourself, though, with all of the acting work that you have done. And I don't mean to diminish the. Whatever. The silliness of that that you felt. I sort of felt it on his body. Because over the.

[Pablo Torre]

Last. He didn't like. The only clip I prepared for this was a clip of.

[Dan Le Batard]

That. He's just. He's a really good actor, and he's. He's worked really hard at being a really good.

[Method Man]

Actor. I'm aw. That. That was not.

[Pablo Torre]

Thespian. Meth was in Garden.

[Method Man]

State. All right, hold up, hold up. Who here just saw some titties? Raise your hand if you just saw some titties.

Thank.

[Pablo Torre]

You. I mean, you were acting with Natalie.

[Method Man]

Portman. That was great. Now, Natalie. Crazy. Cause her. I don't know what her impression of hip hop was or whatever, and. But she expected me to have, like, this big entourage. And if Any anybody knows me, I travel.

[Pablo Torre]

Light. You're here alone. It's you and your many pieces of jets.

[Method Man]

Paraphernalia. That's it. And she thought that, you know, a big waffle smoke would be coming out the trailer. But I had lines I had to remember. And I don't smoke when I work. It's just a thing I don't do. We did that in how high? And we learned our lesson anyway.

So it was like me just standing there talking to her and, you know, I'm enunciating well. And all kinds. I don't know. It's just this thing. I have it and that I do. And she seemed disappointed. I can remember that about Natalie Portman. Cool as though. And Peter Skarsgarden, super dope. And I think I'm part of that family now because I have scenes with him as well as his wife, Maggie Gyllenhaal.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes. You've made.

[Method Man]

It. I've made it big time.

[Pablo Torre]

Brother. You're. I mean, I'm trying to imagine at what point, Dan, you realize that meth is not merely a method man, but a renaissance.

[Method Man]

Man. Talk about it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Somewhat. Yeah. So the graduation from. And this is. This is a path.

[Pablo Torre]

Here.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right. Because you're not just talking about whatever it is that he had to overcome. I don't think I can even imagine it. But when he's dabbling in therapy and saying, you have no idea, his.

[Pablo Torre]

Eyes. He wants to do a 10 hour.

[Dan Le Batard]

Podcast. But whatever got him to. Whatever got him with the scars he needed to have to get to Wuang, which I don't know what the most impossible parts of that journey were, but I'm guessing that the grand majority of people would have failed for him to continue to seek growth after that, with all of the temptations and all of the learning that's done about doing business with family and friends and entertainment and. And being a lone wolf among a team and being someone who's a glue guy on a team, even while he's the star. And there can be all sorts of contaminants if he carries himself like the star. To see what he's done with his second career and to see the way that his family matters to him and where he want to learn about how do I be a better dad person. Yeah, it's just been. It's been an honor to even be anywhere near watching that growth in.

[Method Man]

Adulthood. I really appreciate that, brother. Because whether people know it or not, we walk around with this tough exterior. Right. And there's a lot of times where people say, well, what do you give the man that can have anything he wants? Acknowledgement at the end of the day. Pretty.

[Pablo Torre]

Much. I wanted to ask, actually, about a version of acknowledgment that you both. That I, I think, have recently realized by myself as well, which.

[Method Man]

Is. Thank you for that.

[Pablo Torre]

Dan. Oh, well, I appreciate it. Something that I. I'm thinking about as I hear you guys just love each.

[Dan Le Batard]

Other. I really appreciate him. Like, I just. I just appreciate the unrelenting.

[Pablo Torre]

Authenticity. No, it's. It's genuine. And. And it reminds me also that, like, you guys are both performers, pretty.

[Method Man]

Much.

[Pablo Torre]

Yes. And so the question of you wanting acknowledgment. It's not just that, though. I mean, that's cosmically, maybe the most fundamental.

[Method Man]

Aspect.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. But the idea of what it feels like to be on a stage.

So an athlete feels, of course, a version of.

[Method Man]

This.

[Pablo Torre]

Yes. And you're a huge JET fan, which I assume is several chapters of your traumatized memoir at this.

[Method Man]

Point. Maybe. I think so. I think it plays a.

[Dan Le Batard]

Part.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. But just the notion of, like, what. It's like the high. Speaking of highs. The high of being on a.

[Method Man]

Stage. Nothing like it. I mean, that, you know, you feed that dopamine. This is probably why I still have butterflies before I go on stage or before I start a scene. Cause you never know. You never know if it's gonna go right or if it's gonna go wrong. And it's that not knowing. I revel in that. I love that.

It's a weird, uncomfortable feeling, but I love it. Because that not knowing and knowing that I had to earn it every time I go out there, or in my mind, feeling like I have to earn it every time I go out there keeps me on my toes. But when you're out there and they're giving it to you, you'll die for that. You'll die for those people. That's what it feels like. I will give y' all everything I have and leave it all out here for you. Before I.

[Dan Le Batard]

Leave. It won't surprise you that he has miles more confidence than I do when he talks about that. Real reluctant performer. If you come from writing and radio, where you're not being seen, you're on stage, but not right. It's not. It's.

[Pablo Torre]

Not. But this is. Beth, this is the funny thing about Dan. Dan is absolutely what he's describing. I've seen him also get butterflies on, like, a stage in front of his own.

[Method Man]

Fans.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. But he's also the guy who's wearing a Speedo with stuffed cat just, like, painted on him. Charles.

[Dan Le Batard]

Barkley. To make fun of myself, though, the Speedo is me losing a bet I never thought I would lose because I had LeBron waiting, Aiden Bosch, and they had Dirk.

[Method Man]

Nowitzki. It's.

[Pablo Torre]

Not. You've seen this. You've seen.

[Dan Le Batard]

This. It's not a bet I thought I was gonna lose. I was terrified. Thank you. Thank you for the acknowledgment.

I. That, yeah. That is reluctant, and it's a byproduct of Barkley is a byproduct. I did not think I was going to lose that bet to Charles Barkley. Do you think that if the Dallas Mavericks had lost that championship, that he would have fulfilled that bet? Because I don't think.

[Method Man]

He. I don't think Charles. I think Charles would have did everything in his power to talk himself or talk you out of making him honor.

[Dan Le Batard]

That. I. I am.

[Pablo Torre]

Not. 2013 was a hell of a.

[Method Man]

Year. Enjoying it, though. I mean, Chuck looked like he.

[Dan Le Batard]

Really. I believed Chuck actually said. In terms of career achievements for me, Chuck said that this is the most fun I've ever had, which is a hyperbole, obviously, but that man has had fun. So to be in the conversation, to have him say that is.

[Method Man]

Actually. That was. That's one of his.

[Dan Le Batard]

Moments. Honor.

[Method Man]

Yes. Love.

[Dan Le Batard]

That.

But I'm not a natural.

[Method Man]

Performer. That is Bit eccentric, though, you.

[Dan Le Batard]

Know, I didn't think I was going to.

[Method Man]

Lose. Sorry.

[Dan Le Batard]

Eccentric. I didn't think I was going to lose the bet. I didn't. It's LeBron Wade and.

[Method Man]

Bob. Nobody. Nobody saw Nisky.

[Dan Le Batard]

Coming. The Shawn.

[Pablo Torre]

Stevenson. J.J.

[Dan Le Batard]

Berea. Come on.

[Method Man]

Man. Come.

[Dan Le Batard]

On. He wouldn't post up. JJ Bea stung in his ass.

[Pablo Torre]

Crack. What is the most. The most meth. The most traumatic sports memory you have as a.

[Method Man]

Fan? Oh, Richard Todd throwing those.

[Pablo Torre]

Interceptions. Richard.

[Method Man]

Todd. Yeah. Throwing those.

[Dan Le Batard]

Interceptions. That's not AJ.

[Method Man]

Dewey. That was aj. AJ in that. Yeah, in that one.

[Dan Le Batard]

Game. Oh, so the muddy game in Miami, 14 to nothing. You.

[Method Man]

Were. And Shula did that on purpose, man. With the field, man. But.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. Oh, now finally we can get.

[Method Man]

Some. Miami admit.

[Dan Le Batard]

That.

[Method Man]

Intercepted. And that's trying to be a touchdown. AJ.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dewey. What a day for Dewey. You were a kid. You were. So. This is a formative. When he talks about.

[Pablo Torre]

Childhood. I know. Okay, so. I don't.

[Dan Le Batard]

Know. Look, he's still mad about.

[Method Man]

This. I was like eight, nine years old, brother. This was terrible. It was bad. No, I. I really loved Richard Todd. I Thought he was a rough and gross quarterback. I mean, he was playing with his ribs broken. I've never heard anything like that at eight years old. Eight or nine, I always thought, like, oh, it's a rap. Once your ribs break, you gotta take a sit down. But he was out there doing his.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thing. He's talking about the formation of a lifelong allegiance that has him voicing the 30 for 30 on the sack exchange as a career honor. Because it awakens the child in.

[Method Man]

Him. It actually does. Dan, you are absolutely right. And not to mention, they just had the rivalry rivalry. And it was legends day. So a lot of the guys came out, and I actually got to shake hands with Wesley Walker. I was like, bro, you have no idea. At that point, I couldn't have cared less who else was out there. And Vinny Testaverde was there, too. But Wesley Walker, I was like.

[Dan Le Batard]

God, I get a feeling that the way that he gets starstruck around athletes is probably like nothing else in celebrity. Like, he meets plenty of.

[Method Man]

Celebrities. Absolute excellence, period. So, you know, guys are like, for one, everyone doesn't make it to the big league. And you have to respect the guys that actually make it there because they did the work to get there. And not only that, they accomplished something everybody can't do. So for me, I would never knock our defense for giving up 21 points in the first half. I would never do that. But I will say, as coaches and defensive coordinators, we need to work on some things. Seriously. I mean, I'm just keeping it a buck. You know, we got Cook at quarterback right now. I mean, Tyrod didn't even make it out of the first quarter. And we got this backup in there, and I'm rooting for this kid. Cause I'm Jet all day. But it's weird because you. You have this. This third string who's now the backup who's not getting enough reps. And now you throw him in a situation where he has to pass. You're gonna get what you get. So I'm not faulting the kid. I think the kid did the best he could do with what he had. Because we would give Shador the same grace. Right? Same grace. And I'm not comparing him to Shador at all. Don't. Let's not go viral for this. You just.

[Pablo Torre]

Did. Brady Cooks is better than Shador.

[Method Man]

Sanders.

[Dan Le Batard]

My. It's been said. You can't retract it. It's already been said. Method man, put it on the.

[Method Man]

Scroll. All right, I'll stand on it. I'll stand on it. I'll stand on it. But honestly, us as jets, we can tank the rest of this year. We're just hoping that the Indianapolis Colts tank the rest of their year so they can get, I don't know.

[Dan Le Batard]

Mendoza, you know, give away something.

At quarterback.

[Pablo Torre]

Least. Cubano. Cubano.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sounding. Fernando. You're not going to tell me Fernando. No es Latino.

We were never supposed to be in this position. But by the glory of God.

[Method Man]

The great coaches, great teammates ever we have around us, we were able to pull this off. Whoever thought the loser be here but now the losers are flipping.

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Another thing that makes me laugh when I think about how you guys are similar but different is that I think Dan once had an edible and thought his leg was falling.

[Dan Le Batard]

Off. No, I thought my girlfriend was trying to steal my kidney is what I thought. Y But this was I was over. I didn't do any of this until I was, you know, I was in my late 40s and so I just made great choice. The amateur mistake of this edible's not doing anything. Give me another one. And now I thought my brother and my girlfriend were conspiring to sell to Steal and sell my kidney.

[Method Man]

Man. And you know the worst part about it? You gotta ride that song bitch out. It's no downer for that. You got to ride that.

[Dan Le Batard]

Out. She called. She called my brother telling him you got to calm. Because my brother had a lot of experience with weed. So you've got to calm him down. And all I thought was of course you called my brother. He's the one that I would trust. And now I don't trust.

[Method Man]

Him. Now, dad don't. With edibles. I can tell you that it's not your bag, brother clearly. What tells you that it's not a lot of people's bag, cuz I do not do anything edibles. Y' all can have those. So I'm.

[Pablo Torre]

Good. What's it. What's your.

[Method Man]

Regimen? Smoke. That's it. Flour. That's all. I love.

[Pablo Torre]

Flour. Are you somebody who is welcome the.

[Method Man]

Legalization. Yes.

[Pablo Torre]

In. In. Yeah, the tri.

[Dan Le Batard]

State. Still weird to me. I cannot tell you how strange it is to me to be walking the streets of New York City and just see people walking around the street smoking. I will not get used to.

[Method Man]

It. I wish Florida was on board.

[Pablo Torre]

Though. It's crazy that Florida.

[Method Man]

Isn'T. Yeah, well, not too crazy if.

[Pablo Torre]

You. I mean.

[Method Man]

Yeah. Fair. Yeah. Immediately retracts my previous. Oh, no, no retractions.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right? No, no.

[Method Man]

Retractions. It's amazing. Yes. And. But you know, the laws are still a bit weird and stuff, especially about, you know, state lines and things of that nature. But yeah, it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool. I came out of the airport the other few weeks ago and you can smell it as soon as you walked.

[Pablo Torre]

Outside. The legal amount that you can legally possess in New York is. Is up to 3.

[Method Man]

Ounces. I did not know.

[Pablo Torre]

That. Which is a.

[Method Man]

Lot. I need to put that in my bag when I.

[Pablo Torre]

Travel. That's what I'm saying. You just walk around with.

[Method Man]

That. Why not? Yeah, that's. That's. That's pretty dope. But I had no idea.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wow. What about bonafides? To be giving him weed information he doesn't already have. I think of him as a paramount weed authority. I don't think.

[Method Man]

Of. I don't. You know what? I. We don't. I don't do the laws. I don't know much about them. I just know we used to get in trouble for. For.

[Pablo Torre]

That. As far as the laws aggregate.

[Method Man]

That things of that I don't know. I don't do those. I don't do those. Find out Later.

[Pablo Torre]

But. But Generation X, Right. You grew up with a certain type of weed, and now weed is a scientifically engineered.

[Method Man]

Instrument.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. And are you enjoying what is new weed, relatively.

[Method Man]

Speaking? I've always welcomed.

[Pablo Torre]

Evolution.

I've.

[Method Man]

Always. I mean, I watched my mom and. Sorry, mom. But yeah, I watched my mom with the big shoebox, too. Top and the. In the trees, and she would use a playing card to do this with it. The reason why she would do that is so all the seeds can fall out of the. To the bottom, and you can pluck all of those. We don't got to do that no more. No sticks, no seeds, no. We don't need Acapulco. Go some.

Badass weed.

Yeah, man. I think everything evolves, and I think that the marijuana culture is. I mean, it was here before me, it'll be here after me. But you got a few pioneers that saw this one coming a long time ago. I'm just a little cautious about government.

Interference, in a sense, as far as THC levels and things of that nature. And when we start getting technical about things. Also, guys, real quick, I don't know if you guys know this or not, but that FedEx weed that y' all sending across state lines and all that, they know. I just want to let you. They know. They're just waiting for it to get the felony weight, and then you're going to get one of those letters. So be careful. Be careful. Yeah, I know some of the.

[Dan Le Batard]

Rules. He lives by his own rules, but he knows some of them. He knows the ones he needs to.

[Method Man]

Know. So let's. Let's just. Yeah, I'll leave it.

[Pablo Torre]

There.

On the list of people where I'm like, I hope that we can have a blunt conver. That's actually.

[Method Man]

Not. Oh, that was a great pun, though. That was a.

[Pablo Torre]

Great. It was genuinely unintentional intended. Nonetheless. On the list of people that I want to have a blunt conversation with you about, though, is a guy named Martin Shkrel.

[Method Man]

Shkley. Yeah. Yeah. I'm limited on my information about Shkreli, but I could tell you this. He played his villain role pretty.

[Pablo Torre]

Well. So I want to explain to Dan. Do you know who Martin Shkreli.

[Dan Le Batard]

Is? I know this.

[Method Man]

Story.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. He's that hated pharma guy who bought the only Wuang album there is in existence that everybody wants to hear that they have not been able to.

[Pablo Torre]

Hear. So. In 2017, Martin Shkley, bit of the background, was convicted in federal court on two counts of securities fraud, one kind of conspiracy. He was Sentenced to prison, find millions of dollars, so forth and so on. There's a civil case, on and on. He is a scammer, right? Who is permanently banned, not unrelatedly, from serving as an officer of any publicly traded company. And at some point, he gets the idea to do what?

[Method Man]

Meth? Buy the Wu Tang single album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Yes.

[Pablo Torre]

Sir. And Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. Had you foreseen the possibility that this would be this kind of a.

[Method Man]

Story? I love the story that RZA told. Cause RZA said when he met the guy. Cause RZA was very instrumental in the whole thing with this whole album. He said when he met the guy, the guy was great, cool dude and everything, you know, he said. But after that, once he got the album, he turned into again this super villain. Like, this was his origin story. And. And it just turned into this thing. And then him and Ghostface got into it. And I was like, oh, okay, I see the theatrics now. This guy's playing a role, but he don't know who he's playing with right now. You know what I mean? And you know, karma is a. And so is life. So you should know not to cross either one of them hoes at.

[Pablo Torre]

All. And so Martin Shkreli, he spent about $2 million at auction to buy Once Upon a Time in.

[Method Man]

Shaolin.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. 31 track album that I need you to explain to me, as a matter of fact, of it was conceived to be itself a commentary. Like, the whole premise of, we're only making one of these things. The only way to get it is to bid on it. Yeah, that itself is this larger.

[Method Man]

Statement. And here's the thing. We weren't privy to any of this information, which is why it was a fallout with clan members who were dealing with one individual. I won't say his name, but we were dealing with one individual who was one of Ridge's proteges. And, you know, he sent out these tracks here. I need you to spit on this. I need you paid. Brothers accordingly. Okay, whatever. But it's just for us. This is protocol. It's like you send me a track, I spit on it, get my money, I send this back. Whatever, Whatever. Royalties. I don't. However that works. That works itself out. Publishing, however. But we didn't hear anything else after that until we heard this is a single album and we're selling it, auctioning. And so brothers are scratching their heads like, wait a minute, hold up. If I knew that that's what this was gonna be, maybe I would have been a bit more artistic on it because I know where we're going with this. Or maybe I would have took a little bit more time and wouldn't have approached it as a guest appearance. I would've approached it as a Wu Tang project. We didn't know it was a Wu Tang project until it was. So now we're looking at it and then.

We'Re seeing that it was sold for 2 million. Bing sting. Things start going off, okay, well, where's that money going? And how's this work and how does that work? And then the Shkreli thing happens. And now I'm like, this is a circus. I don't want any parts of this. I don't care if I ever hear that album at this point, you know. And right now I don't know who owns it. I think a few maybe you can find that out. I know the feds had it for a minute and somebody else came and purchased it. And I don't think we're, they're entitled to any of that money as.

[Pablo Torre]

Well. I was going to ask, have you seen any residual.

[Method Man]

Tax? So, and if I have, they, they, you know, my bank account pretty tight. So, you know what I'm saying? I, I, I don't be noticing sometimes. So I'm just saying I'm just keeping it a.

[Pablo Torre]

Buck. I was wandering around New York City and someone invited me to one of these. I didn't go, unfortunately. I, I really regret it just because I wish I could tell you what your album is like. Yeah. Have you heard.

[Method Man]

It? I only heard the songs that I'm.

[Pablo Torre]

On. Yeah.

[Method Man]

Okay. So you want to hear.

[Pablo Torre]

Them? I mean, I don't have $2.

[Method Man]

Million, but when we go off, I'll play something for you. It's just my verses, though. No one else's verses are on there. Three.

[Pablo Torre]

Joints. Yeah, I would love to hear that because the only way to hear it otherwise is to go to one of these listening parties held by a digital art collective. A a Dow. This is one of those again, just like Crypto era. Just like I don't even know what the this is, but they own it. And they're only. They purchased it in July 2021 from the US government. Government again. An incredible mad lib which had seized it from Martin Shkreli. This, this Dao, a Pleaser Dao is a collective of 74 members who collectively own the album. Via NFT. Yeah, via non fungible token. And they bought it for $4.

[Method Man]

Million.

[Pablo Torre]

Jesus. And they're, they're Only allowed because the contract on the album was 88 years. 88.

[Method Man]

Years. 88.

[Pablo Torre]

Years. Of course. Number 88. So in 2103, you can hear it, but until then, you got to go to, like, a listening party where they're playing it for people. I'm thinking about, like, the ways in which you have responded to this bizarre future that has become the.

[Method Man]

Present.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. And I look up, and you're photographing a New York jets.

[Method Man]

Game. Talk about that. Like.

[Pablo Torre]

Whoa. I mean, you went analog. Dan, did you see.

[Dan Le Batard]

This? I have not seen.

[Pablo Torre]

This. Can you explain? I mean, I. I make you explain everything, but, like, meth was wearing a photographer's.

[Method Man]

Vest. They asked me. Three weeks prior to that. We did a meeting and the whole. Would you like to. Well, Jessica. I forgot her last name, but I love Jessica. She's one of their reps there. She said the question was presented to her. And before she even asked me, she said yes. Cause she knew I'd want to do it. She asked me. I said, yeah, what does it entail? You get to be on the field all day? Say less. Let's just freaking go. I show up that day, and basically you walk the whole freaking field, with the exception of going on the field until the end of the game. And I was just out there trying to be the best photographer I could be. But the problem was I spent a little bit too much time on the Cleveland Browns side of the field taking too many pictures, way too many pictures of the Cleveland Browns when I should have been more focused on the.

[Pablo Torre]

Jets. Cause you're an impartial.

[Method Man]

Journalist. Impartial.

[Dan Le Batard]

Indeed. So that's pensive sex symbol meth, knowing he's being photographed. The other two are goofy childhood meth.

[Pablo Torre]

Just. How about.

[Dan Le Batard]

It? Can you. Can you believe I'm out here with the.

[Method Man]

Jets? That was all performative right there.

[Pablo Torre]

Looking off into the.

[Method Man]

Distance.

I still got my arm sleeve, too. Shout out to Perry and all the guys down there. Security. Yes, sir. Ken.

[Pablo Torre]

Respect. Oh, my God. I mean, I. I don't know if I want the jets to be one of the last notes that we have in this.

[Dan Le Batard]

Conversation. Because I asked him to bring over. I asked him if he still had the Wu Tang.

[Method Man]

Recruit.

I looked for it, too, and I do not have it. Whenever we record with rza, we leave with nothing. Nothing at all. He doesn't give tapes. None of that. He just takes it and he does his 1, 2, 1, 2. But honestly, I haven't heard it since I did.

[Pablo Torre]

It. Well, the story was that it was Also, Kevin Durant being recruited to the Knicks. Do you remember anything about the track or about.

[Method Man]

The. I don't remember the track, but I remember we shot a visual for it. And that was a long day in a dirty part of New York. It was just one of them dirty alleyways. And. And I was.

When is this gonna be over? Let's hurry up and get this over. We took pictures, all that. It was about a four to five hour process and then it was over.

[Dan Le Batard]

So. But you were trying to help the Knicks. You were.

[Method Man]

Trying. We really wanted KD to come, and I knew KD wanted to come to New York. He just wasn't clear on where he wanted to.

[Pablo Torre]

Go.

So I just gotta jump in here to say that about three months ago, we got a tip that kind of reminded me of the tip we got previously about the 2010 New York Knicks recruitment video for LeBron James, which we uncovered here at. Pablo Torre finds out, you know, the whole Sopranos reunion.

[Method Man]

Thing. Now we just gotta find a.

[Pablo Torre]

Place for your friend LeBron to.

[Dan Le Batard]

Live. What's he.

[Method Man]

Like? Well, he's a modern guy, but he respects.

[Dan Le Batard]

Tradition. Here's something classy on the east.

[Pablo Torre]

Side. Was it big enough? But this tip, the new tip was that the Wu Tang Clan had in fact been paid, paid by the same organization, James Dolan's Knicks, for the NBA free agency window of 2019.

And what we were told was that the Knicks paid the Wu Tang Clan to write and record and film an original song to woo Kevin Durant. And after asking our sources to comb through their phones and their hard drives, all of us racing to do this, ahead of our interview with Method man, who was involved in this song. We finally, finally found it a few hours actually after meth walked out of the studio. And so what you're about to see and hear is a video that was hiding in plain sight on a message board apparently called Wu Tang Corp.com and the caption is quote, Ghost Ray, RZA, YDB and Meth Beat is weak and versus our commercial for KD, but flows are crazy. Nice artifact, end quote. And the video title, and I love a YouTube video with like less than 2000,000 views on it or whatever. The video title posted to YouTube by a cinematographer who worked on this, it would seem, who goes by the name of @ bleed blue, quote, the multi million dollar Wuang Clan music video meant for one person. This is a multi million.

[Method Man]

Dollar video and it was only meant.

[Pablo Torre]

To be seen by one person and one.

[Method Man]

Person only. And that's Kevin.

[Pablo Torre]

Durham ran. And because this was five years ago and this is a project that I worked on, I. I still basically have access to the video and we could show it. And I just gotta be the first to say beyond the. I want to be precise here, 2,745 people who have seen this random YouTube video before. Now, the thing is kind of crazy, as this verse from Ghostface Race kind.

[Method Man]

Of indicates.

Now is to get a go we gonna ride with you, die with you spikes on set 1.5 seconds left we gonna build you a statue right in front of the Garden north go all these other organizations garbage visit the teams they whack benches, targets we got money, big billboards know how to market come on orange and blue in that cake he hoodie three some have caught the outcomes all goody buzzer beat is another leader ur touch down the.

[Pablo Torre]

Word to spread like but what I do want to make sure to show you is the verse from our good friend Method man in which he shouts out the Knicks roster one player at a time and has one Timberland on top of a basketball while, you know, wearing his orange and blue jersey with the number 35.

[Method Man]

On it. Real rap, no cat, no pressure. This is where you, you ought to be no lectures I'm court Sodom in the red fox no Esther, Kevin Knox, Richard Robinson, the beast, Dennis Smith Jr. N we the east all we need's a shot of in the crease the Knicks we more empty than the paces and we hotter than the heat Fresh pair of K these designers on the feet stepping in the garden in that blowing orange no retreat want surrender you put a 41 here, remember? I mean, there's lots of reasons you should come here. Remember Biggie from here a ring of 73 that was done here. Been a warrior long enough, we need another one here. I'm saying we even got your jersey styles if all you need a reason I can give.

[Pablo Torre]

You 35. And then you get some cameos from young Dirty Bastard and Jada Kiss and ASAP Ferg before the RZA.

[Method Man]

Himself takes us home high as war Fraser, enough paper to buy your own skyscraper have your legacy in Madison Square Garden next 2020 boy I beg your paron two, three, zone you can zone with your squadron shoot a pick and roll. Oh, he dunked on Harden. The crowd goes bananas instantly. Play on that Jumbotron camera I like that sound when that basketball pounds the ground seven pounds of presses passed around 22 ounces of rubber defensive cover all we need is you to play that three, four for us and this is better than Cheddar. It's a love letter, an invitation for you to be together with the Woo in New York City that never sleep. The five bubbles keep you in the hall Heart.

[Pablo Torre]

Real deep.

The song ends with a graphic of the MSG jumbotron. And there's a New York skyline emblazoned at top it with the quote, K.D. colon, the city is yours. But then there is a.

[Method Man]

Brief epilogue. Listen, homie, we need you in New York right now. We need you on the Knicks, right, right, right, right. Now, a lot of people gonna give you a lot of reasons to come to New York and play for the Knicks. But I'll just say this. You come here, you be the Prince of the City. Play for us, New.

[Pablo Torre]

York Knicks. You know what.

[Method Man]

I'm saying? We want you, man. The Knicks want you. Come through, baby. Make a move. Make a solid move, man. We want you to come and join the New York Knicks. Yo, know what it is? Like I said, we're gonna build you a gold statue. The Garden is synonymous with the Knicks. And I mean, there's something about that building that brings out the best in place players. Score for us. Hit buster shots for us. Do it for the clean. Do it for the team. Do it for the Wu Tang, baby. Real talk, man. Love you, man. Love everything you do, man. Trust me, the game will never be.

[Pablo Torre]

The same. You may now know how the story ended. Kevin Durant chose the Brooklyn Nets despite having seen this video presented to him by the Knicks. But as for the promise that was made to me by Method Method man, it does bring me back to the real set of tracks, the real set of Wu Tang songs that have been lost to history that I was told that I could hear in our studio, even though you know you guys can't. At least not yet.

[Method Man]

Dan Meth.

[Pablo Torre]

Yes, sir. It's been.

[Method Man]

A pleasure. Thank.

[Pablo Torre]

You, sir. And it's time to listen to.

[Dan Le Batard]

Those tracks. He's playing it. You better either get out of here or beep it or something.

[Method Man]

He's starting. I'm looking for it. I'm.

[Pablo Torre]

Looking forward. As soon as he hits play, we're to end.

[Dan Le Batard]

The show. That's.

[Pablo Torre]

Not.

[Method Man]

Right. Yeah. Yes, it is. Yes.

[Pablo Torre]

It is. This is a Christmas gift just.

[Method Man]

For me. It is perfect. Trust me. Oh, God, I hope I can.

[Pablo Torre]

Find it. This is going to.

[Method Man]

Be tough.

Oh. Oh. We out of.

[Dan Le Batard]

Here, y'. All.

[Pablo Torre]

Salute. Respect.

This has been Pablo Torre Finds Out a Meadowlark Media production and I'll talk to you.

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[Method Man]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Method Man]

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[Method Man]

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[Method Man]

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