Method Man Says He ‘Doesn’t Want to Be Seen as a Sex Symbol’ and Wants to Blend In

Method Man wants to be known for greater than just his looks. During a recent appearance on the show, he shared the importance of prioritizing respect over his status as a sex symbol.

On the show, Tamron Hall asked him about a quote from his 2023 speech. Men’s health cover. “In the article, you said, ‘I’m not a sex symbol.’ You said that sometimes you don’t want to be desired; you just want to be respected.” Hall also touched on Method Man’s tendency to take his shirt off in public, such as at a recent Usher concert: “How do you reconcile not wanting to be desired with constantly having your shirt unbuttoned?”

He quickly responded, “That’s the thing; now that I have it, I’m going to show it, but not for that reason.” The legendary rapper continued, “I’m showing it while I still have it. But that’s the thing, right? I love the admiration. I love it. Does it ever get awkward? Absolutely. Sometimes you just want to blend in, and I’m that type of person.”

Hall replied, “You can never fit in.” Method Man continued, “Sometimes I do. Again, I can appreciate the admiration. And then there are the only things where he’s like, ‘The Greatest Man Alive.’ I mean, you can pour fuel on the fire all you want, but honestly, I think we’re all beautiful and sexy in our own way, so let’s be sexy together.”

In his cover, the artist shared that he just isn’t a sex symbol. “That’s the fucking point, man. Put the words together. Sex and symbol. What’s the symbol? I ain’t doing nothing. So what’s the symbol?” he said. “I’m not gonna lie, I love every damn minute of it, but I don’t want to be that guy who, when the clock starts ticking, is still trying to be sexy.”

He continued, “I mean, Smokey Robinson will always be sexy to someone. I’m not using him as an example — I’m just saying that considering where Smokey is now, if Smokey was around at the same time as he was then, it would look ridiculous. And Smokey knew he was a sexy motherfucker. You get to a certain age where you just stop caring, and I think that’s the sexiest thing in the world.”