Method Man has had quite the career. Having already conquered the hip hop realm both as part of the Wu-Tang Clan and as a solo artist, the New York legend has become a force to reckon with in Hollywood. In addition to films like Shaft, Concrete Cowboy, and This Is the Night, fans have also been able to check out Meth‘s acting chops on the small screen — most recently via the wildly popular series Power Book II: Ghost, where he stars as the unrelenting lawyer Davis MacLean.

This week, Method Man — real name Clifford Smith, Jr. — appeared in Essence as their latest digital cover feature, where he spoke on his transition from rapping to acting, acknowledging the fact that the move was necessary for him given the new generation’s dominance in hip hop:

“The higher-ups, the so-called gatekeepers didn’t have much use for a 44-year-old rapper … I guess my background turned some people off. Some people aren’t willing to give you a chance, especially when you’ve already had one and you kind of squandered it. … There was a changing of the guard in hip-hop. 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 my eggs in one basket.”

He also gave his opinion on being known 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 sex symbol or a pinup on someone’s wall. I do it for me. … People like attention. I’m the same as everybody else. But at the end of the day, take me seriously, not lightly.”

You can check out more from said feature here — some pictures and videos of Meth can also be seen below.