Iconic hip-hop legend Method Man is contemplating never returning to the HOT 97 Summer Jam again after taking the stage at UBS Arena, New York, on Sunday, June 2, with the other half of the duo Method Man & Redman.

The much-sought-after hip-hop concert marked its 30th anniversary, “commemorating HOT 97's legacy of innovation and cultural influence in the hip-hop community.” The 2024 Hot 97 Summer Jam lineup included several explosive names like, Doja Cat and Friends, Sexyy Red, French Montana, Favido, Lola Brooke, Cash Cobain, Bay Swag, Honey Bxby, Fivio Foreign, 41 [Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, Tata], Sleepy Hallow, Connie Diiamond, 310BABII and Ty Dolla $ign and friends.

Celebrity host A BOOGIE took the reins as the mega hip-hop platform celebrated the life of pioneering Brooklyn DJ Mister Cee, who found a booming career at the radio station with his Throwback at Noon and Friday Night Live sets. Additionally, Big Daddy Kane, Jadakiss, EPMD, Eric B & Rakim, Method Man & Redman and Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz also made it to the roster as special performers at the concert.

“Generation gap”: Summer Jam audience fails Method Man & Redman

Unfortunately, the crowd that filled the arena possibly didn't get the memo on Method Man & Redman's game-changing relevance in the world of hip-hop. Hot 97 was quick to boost the duo's morale. Feeding into their infectious energy, the radio station shared a clip of ‘Da Rockwilder' artists' performance at the Summer Jam, captioned, “NO ONE brings the energy like #MethodMan & #Redman.”

Sadly, the audience in attendance did not reciprocate with the same energy. Method Man didn't vibe with what had transpired at the musical fest and shared a video posted by @ticalathletics on his Instagram Stories, showing a nearly dead-silent crowd poised with camera flashes in their hands. The ‘Blackout!’ singer sarcastically quipped at the scene before him, referencing the audience possibly feeling bored during their performance.

Pasting a huge sleeping face emoji, he wrote: "Us: Gotta love that SUMMER JAM crowd energy…

Crowd: …………"

Why Method Man ruled out performing at future Hot 97 Summer Jam festivals

While an army of fans rose to Def Squad and Wu-Tang Clan spinoff duo's support, there was no fooling Method Man, who addressed the unfortunate series of events at Hot 97's concert. Sensing the widening “generation gap,” the hip-hop legacy act acknowledged feeling distastefully out of place as he commented on the Hot 97 Instagram post, “Not our crowd at all.. thanks again, New York and the whole tri-state (that showed up to the event) plus Pete and Ebro I got love for you guys, but never again.. at this point the generation gap is just too wide for me.. #nevercomingback”

Method Man's history with Hot 97's Summer Jam

Born, Clifford Smith, Jr., the American rapper, record producer and actor is no stranger to the Summer Jam gathering. Previously performing alongside his hit hip-hop collective, Wu-Tang Clan, in 2013, Method Man and his fellow members of the group have had a long-standing feud with the radio station. Although they made a thunderous comeback to the music festival's stage in 2013, Wu-Tang Clan was banned from Hot 97 in the year 1997.

After releasing their 1997 double-disk album Wu-Tang Forever, the group headed out for a national tour with Rage Against the Machine. Although they were booked to headline the Summer Jam fest that year, the deal took a nasty turn as the radio station's coercive remarks revealed a big red flag.

According to a Hot97.com article, Inspectah Deck said, “The deal was, as far as I remember, you gotta come back and do this Hot 97 Summer Jam or we’re not gonna play any more of your records on your station.” Eventually, as the members took the Summer Jam stage “on their own dime” to perform for free, a ticked-off Ghostface Killah made his feelings clear by screaming his heart out, “F*ck Hot 97!” The crowd chimed in and that was that. The radio station severely responded to them by not playing their record “for like the next 10 years,” according to Deck. Notably, it affected their presence overall, with other stations cutting them off.

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