Redman

Biography:

One of the greatest rappers that is still making records, Redman (real name Reggie Noble) got his start in hip hop when his mother got him a set of turntables at the age of 10. Young Reggie would receive pointers on DJing from his uncle, who DJed a club. He would work on his rapping and turntabling skills in his home town of Newark, New Jersey. However, things were not well in the Noble household. Reggie was kicked out of his house by his mom after she suspected him of selling drugs, most likely pot judging from his lyrical content. With no home of his own, Redman turned to his friend and producer, Erick Sermon. Double-E taught Redman the ins and outs of hip hop and soon, Red found himself rapping.

Redman made his rap debut on the EPMD tracks Hardcore and Headbanger. Soon after the release of those tracks, Def Jam began to take notice of the young star. He was signed in 1992, and later in that year, Redman would release his first solo album, Whut? Thee Album. Lead by the single Blow your mind, the bouncy Time 4 Sum Aksion, and the entirely appropriately titled How to Roll a Blunt. In 1993 he was named Top Rap Artist of the Year by The Source magazine. A year later, Red would release his follow up Dare Iz a Darkside. A little bit harder than his previous album, Dare Iz a Darkside followed the same formula that Redman had used before.

1995 saw the beginning of a very special relationship, for in that year Redman released How High, a collaborative effort with fellow Def Jam artist and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man. Reggie and Jamal would make several projects together, the first being Muddy Waters, Red's next album, and in 1999 the collaborative album, Blackout!. Two years later the two would do their best Cheech and Chong impression with the weird stoner flick, How High, which featured The Phenom as a botanist who's friend dies and plants a marijuana plant in his ashes. This allows Meth to get high and see the ghost of his friend. He runs into Redman at a test early in the movie and the two manage to get into Harvard. Needless to say, hilarity ensues.

Redman's fourth solo album was Doc's Da Name 2000, even though it was released in 1998. This album would be followed by another collaboration, this time by the Def Squad, which consists of Redman, Erick Sermon and Kieth Murray. The three would also do a remix of Body Movin' by the Beastie Boys and also re-rapped the rap classic Rapper's Delight originally done by the Sugarhill gang. Doc's Da Name also contains a song called Beet Drop, wherein Red, Kieth and Erick rap out their own version of the end of The New Style, also done by the Beasties.

In 2001 Redman released his most recent album, Malpractice. The album was catapulted onto the charts by it's catchy and bootyshaking single, Let's Get Dirty, which also appeared on the soundtrack for Tony Hawk 3. The track featured DJ Kool, and the album features a whole slew of rappers, so many I can't even name them all (mostly because I don't remember all of them). The album kept in line with the trends seen on previous albums. Dr. Trevis, and Uncle Quillie both make appearences as do radio station announcers from wKYA, Kicking Your Ass radio as well as Sooperman Lover and approximately one shitload of pot references and mentionings.

Redman has rapped with those from the old school and those from the new. He has appeared on several soundtracks and compilations. His current project is another movie with fellow head Method Man.

• Method Man
• Eminem
• Kieth Murray
• Missy Elliot
• Limp Bizkit
• George Clinton
• DJ Kool
• Busta Rhymes
• Toni Braxton
• Snoop Doggy Dogg

Discography:

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