The Ticallion Stallion Method Man shows no signs of slowing down. He currently graces the screen as attorney Davis Maclean on the Starz, 50 Cent-produced series Power Book II: Ghost and on The Godfather Of Harlem, where he brings crime boss Sam Christian to life. If that’s not enough, Iron Lung reminds us of his roots with his recently released video for "The Last Two Minutes" from his upcoming Methlab III project. And this week, Meth graces the cover of Essence magazine’s February digital issue.

Meth explains to Essence that he wants nothing more in his third decade in the entertainment industry than to be taken seriously. “I was a Black boy living in some of the worst areas of New York. I’ve always felt like I wasn’t enough, I’ve been told that from the gate, ‘You don’t belong here’ without words sometimes,“ says the Wu Tang M.C.

When speaking of the transition from music to acting Meth says “The so-called gate keepers, the higher ups didn’t have any use for a 44-year-old rapper. There was a changing of the guard in Hip-Hop, and I was cool with that. I had to evolve with the business and if that meant acting so be it. I was going to throw all of my eggs in one basket."

Meth also spoke about being viewed as a sex symbol. “I don’t understand that shit. I go to the gym for my own peace of mind. I don’t do it to become someone’s pin up, I do it for me."

"People like attention, I’m the same as everybody else," he admits. "But at the end of the day, take me seriously—not lightly."