Wu Tang Clan’s Method Man recently got his Lincoln Navigator repossessed by the government. He’s owed $52,500 in back taxes to the state since 2002. Method admits he knew about the issue – and assures us he has plenty of money. He just neglected to pay the bill. How is that? Well, he says he’s been high. A lot. And he just plum forgot.

Method Man was going to pay his bills … but then he got high. Despite recent reports that the rapper is so broke that his 2008 Lincoln Navigator was repossessed to pay back taxes, Method Man — whose real name is Clifford Smith — insists his cash flow is just fine. In fact, he says, his penchant for marijuana is to blame for the mishap.

Citing the Wu Tang member for being $52,503 in arrears on his personal income taxes, the state Department of Taxation showed up at the Staten Island native’s home at 6 a.m. March 19 with “four NYPD cops and the repo team,” Meth told us. “I knew why they were there. It wasn’t like ‘Oh my God! Noo!! Don’t take it!’ like it is on that TV show [“Operation Repo”]. I was half-dressed, and it was so early that I just said, ‘Okay, you’re taking the truck. … Aight.’”

The back story, according to the rapper, is simple. “Myself, I’m a pothead,” he said on the set of a video shoot for his new album, “Blackout 2,” with Redman. “It’s no secret. Everyone knows that. I go on the road and forget everything else. Sure, [the tax department] sent letters to my house saying, ‘We need this money.’ They started sending them in 2002. Here it is, 2009, and I never paid this s— because I don’t think like that!”

“I could have easily just written them a check for whatever amount, but no — I waited until they knocked on this door and were like, ‘We got your truck and we outta here,’ ” he laughed. “Now I’m thinking we’ve gotta get our truck back, which means I have to get all my paperwork together,” the rapper continued. “That means days of going through mail, ’cause I got mail like woah.

I’ve found checks from 2005 that have never been opened yet. And we’re talking a significant amount of money! But I never opened [the tax department’s] letters … so this is how the tax man came to Meth’s house and took his truck. Not because I was broke! I got plenty of money!” When we referenced the famous Afroman song “Because I Got High,” Method Man just laughed. “Exactly!” he said. “Because I got high, I forgot to pay. It was stupid. I’m an idiot for that.”

[From the NY Daily News]

Well if nothing else, it sounds like Method Man is pretty relaxed about the situation. That thing about finding checks from 2005 is sorta insane though. Maybe he’ll find enough old checks in his mail to cover his tax debt. That’d work out nicely.

I’m a little surprised that Method Man doesn’t have a professional who looks out for his finances. It seems like if you’ve got money and call yourself a pothead, it’s probably a good idea to make sure someone responsible keeps an eye on your cash. Not only do taxes not get paid, but dollars have a way of going missing when you’ve got enough of them that you might not notice. Just a little suggestion as to Method’s next step. After he gets done opening up all that mail of course.

Here’s Method Man performing at the Rock the Bells festival at the First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre in Chicago in July. Images thanks to WENN .