Method Man has been in a collaborative state of mind lately, after last year's The Blackout 2 with Redman and the forthcoming [article id="1622330"]Wu-related effort with Raekwon and Ghostface[/article] -- but the MC is still a soloist at heart.

He's working on his new album The Crystal Meth, and the Def Jam star has his sights set high in terms of output, aiming for a classic on his next opus.

"I just want my classic," he told MTV News. "People always say, 'You already got a classic first LP,' but not to me. I want my classic LP, the five-mic-er for myself. Not based on The Source's five mics but a five-mic-er to myself. I don't feel like I have to prove myself to anybody. But I feel like I have to prove myself to myself.

"It's like when your child brings home an 80 on a test," he continued. "That's a good grade, but you know they can do better."

The Crystal Meth will be the veteran rapper's fifth solo album and first since 2006's 4:21 ... The Day After. Method Man is currently promoting his joint project with Rae and Ghost and the trio recently shot a video in New York for the lead single "Our Dreams." The three are set to travel overseas soon where Method Man will start writing more for his forthcoming effort.

He told MTV News he only makes solo albums now because [article id="1616797"]his fans keep calling for them[/article].

"This is the most comfortable I've been in my whole career, because I don't have all those obligations that I've had before," Meth explained. "You know, doing the Wu-Tang, then the Wu-Tang solo projects, then my project, then me and Redman. Right now, I can do it at my own leisure. Honestly, I don't want to make an album by myself, but it's something that's required, and the fans want that, so I'm gonna do that."