The Masked Singer has become a widely popular and beloved reality TV series. Originating in South Korea, the show features celebrities who wear costumes to conceal their identities. A panel of judges must guess who the performers are under the masks based on various clues, with a celebrity unmasked every week.

It was “Boy Band Night” on the April 2nd episode of The Masked Singer Season 13. It was Group C’s time to shine before the finale as the contestants under the masks: Mad Scientist Monster, Nessy, Stud Muffin, and Yorkie, took the stage and sang their hearts out to popular boy band songs like *NSYNC’s “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and “Step by Step” by New Kids on the Block.

The episode concluded with the elimination of Stud Muffin. Panelists Robin Thicke, Rita Ora, Ken Jeong, and Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg were shocked when Stud Muffin lifted his mask and was revealed to be a legendary rapper.

The Masked Singer’s Stud Muffin Revealed As Iconic Rapper Method Man

Method Man Is Part Of The Famed Hip-Hip Group Wu-Tang Clan

The Masked Singer’s “Boy Band Night” was a fun-filled episode that saw Group C perform various popular boy band songs. However, before they hit the stage individually, they came together to sing the Backstreet Boys hit song, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” and got everybody on their feet.

Although Stud Muffin gave a spectacular performance and even showcased great footwork with his coordinated choreography to Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison,” he was ultimately eliminated. When Stud Muffin lifted his mask, the panel was surprised to see Wu-Tang Clan member, Method Man.

Before making his big reveal, both Rita Ora and Robin Thicke were adamant that it was Method Man, not only based on his clues but his very distinct voice. In fact, Robin knew it was the legendary rapper based on his breathing! As for Ken, he believed it was former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal, while Jenny also believed it to be an NBA legend — Michael Jordan. They were all superb guesses, but Rita and Robin were right on track!

After his big reveal, the rapper shared, “I had fun with it. I’m always down to do something unexpected, and The Masked Singer let me just go out there and play. That’s what it’s about.”

Rita was extremely excited to see Method Man under the muffin mask after she had previously shared that she knew all of his music. “I can’t believe it. It is such an honor to see you in real life. I always thought you were not real, but you’re a real person!”

Method Man, whose real name is Clifford Smith Jr., is best known for being a member of the legendary rap group Wu-Tang Clan that was established in Staten Island, New York, in 1992. The rapper has also had a very successful solo career and an established acting career.

Stud Muffin’s Clues And What They Mean

Stud Muffin’s Clues Hinted At His Rap Career And Devotion To Working Out

While Rita and Robin knew that Method Man was underneath the Stud Muffin mask after he sang “Jump Around” by House of Pain during Group C’s premiere, his clues were still some of the toughest to figure out. His first performance clues included a “W” on his belt, which was a big hint to Wu-Tang Clan.

• Clue 1: “Becoming Stud Muffin makes sense because I’ve had a muffin top the majority of my life, and I’ve always said if I could have any dream job, I would be a mascot — get people pumped up and nobody knows who you are.”

The first clue could be a reference to Method Man priorizing his health and becoming known for his dedication to his gym. Fans who have listened to the rapper know that he is also a terrific hype man.

• Clue 2: “Here to rep my team” and “strong crew.” Additionally, Stud Muffin is seen working out and sneakers are also showed. He shared, “Me and my crew went from the muffin bottom to the muffin tops, but we’re still those hungry players we were from the jump. Now, this Stud Muffin is here to hype y’all up!”

While the panelists immediately believed it had to be an athlete under the mask, his “team” could have been in reference to Wu-Tang Clan. Going from “muffin bottoms to the muffin tops” could also suggest the hip-hop group starting from the bottom when they formed in 1992 to becoming a cultural phenomenon. As for the sneakers, that also had the panelists thinking it was an NBA player. However, they could be in reference to the Wu-Tang Nike Dunk shoes released in 1999.

While the jar of jam would have definitely thrown the panelists for a loop, it appeared to be a reference to him signing with Def Jam Records for his solo career.

• Clue 4: “One of my teammates used to run with a mascot, and I thought it was so cool, but no. Love the idea, but Nick, love doesn’t cost a thing.”

Here, the rapper is referring to Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, who worked with Jennifer Lopez on a remix of her song, “Love Don’t Cost A Thing.”

Method Man’s second performance clues began with a “history lesson” for Jenny. “Listen up! I’m gonna bake up a little history lesson on boy bands for ya. Pay attention, Jenny. Before NKOTB, BSB, and *NSYNC, it started with crooners like The Temptations, The Four Tops, who inspired groups like Boyz II Men, New Edition, Bell Biv Devoe.”

• Clue 1: A box with a gold chain protected by a steel chain link

The chain was referring to Wu-Tang Clan’s 1992 song, “Protect Ya Neck.”

• Clue 2: “Now I may not be in a boy band, but I know what it means to be part of a brotherhood.”

Another reference to the hip-hop group.

• Clue 3: A wrapped present

Method Man is a rapper.

Additional clues: a toy jet (a reference to his song “How High”); won a Grammy (Method Man won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By.”); B2K’s Omarion shared that they had once performed together (the song, “Luke Skywalker,” features Method Man), Wayne Brady (who won Season 2 as Fox) appeared to also give the clue that Stud Muffin “shared the screen with Ken” (the rapper and Ken were in the same movie together — The 4:30 Movie).

Before Method Man was unmasked he had also shared one last important clue: Stud Muffin District. This was referring to Wu-Tang Clan receiving a street corner named after them in Staten Island.

Several Rappers Have Appeared On The Masked Singer

T-Pain, Lil Wayne, And Tyga Participated On The Masked Singer

While there have not been a plethora of hip-hop artists participating on The Masked Singer, the ones that have all had wonderful and fun-filled experiences on the show.

In fact, the first-ever season of The Masked Singer saw hip-hop artist T-Pain under The Monster suit, and he won it all after the panelists could not figure out who was under the mask. T-Pain did a remarkable job at concealing his identity. While he is known for using auto-tune for most of his songs, he completely fooled the judges and fans by using his real voice. Speaking to the Daily News, he shared, “It was a great opportunity to really show another side of me, and kind of gave me a second coming.”

Another huge surprise was in Season 3, when Robot was revealed to be rapper Lil Wayne. He sang “Are You Gonna Go My Way” by Lenny Kravitz, but was eliminated in the first episode. Still, he had a fantastic time on the show, sharing with host Nick Cannon that he chose the Robot costume for his kids, who love the show.

Rapper Busta Rhymes was also eliminated in the first episode when he made his appearance as The Dragon in Season 4. He told Entertainment Weekly that it was a great experience despite being eliminated early on.

“I wanted to get on the show because everything made sense, as far as the way the opportunity was presented — the professionalism of the production and the network, the incredible accommodations that they extended to us so that we can feel above and beyond comfortable in the process of the whole experience,” he shared.

Other rappers that participated in The Masked Singer also include Bow Wow as The Frong (Season 3), Wiz Khalifa as the Chameleon (Season 5), Tyga as The Dalmation (Season 6), and even Nick himself as The Bulldog (Season 5).