Contrary to the popular belief that Biggie never wrote his lyrics down, Method Man recalled seeing Biggie penned his verse on paper during their studio session.
He chose to stay out of the overblown feud, famously stating that by the time conflict reaches "the real ni**as," someone ends up dead.
The song was originally intended for a Dogg Pound album and featured several other artists like Inspectah Deck, whose verses were later removed by 2Pac and producer Daz Dillinger for the final release.
Despite being a prominent New York artist, Method Man stayed in 2Pac's "good graces" during the height of the coastal tension.
Method Man actually had to sneak out to record with Biggie because Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA initially wanted to keep all collaborations within the group to "keep the money in the family". 2Pac and "Got My Mind Made Up"