Redman
Whut? Thee Album

THE REVIEW

The classics need to be rediscovered.

However, in this case, the only thing classic is the date, 1992. Old school? New school? With Redman, these labels are unnecessary; he is Redman and that's it. After all, the good old Reggie Noble comes from Newark... which compared to the cradle of Hip-Hop culture, has the pronunciation in common. But it's a whole different city, even a different state, a whole different story. Then, at some point, thanks to friendship and early collaborations with EPMD, Reggie managed to make his way to the Long Island Sound (which is not a type of beat that originated along the Hudson's shores), leading to a signing with Def Jam Recordings.

And he adds his own touch, a lot of his own. Because Redman is not your average guy... listening to one of his records means leaving everyday life behind and entering a relaxed world consistent with his self-confident personality. The aforementioned subculture remains confined within Redman's head, which becomes your head.

He likes funk. And he infuses it! Everywhere.

Listen to "Blow Your Mind", this masterpiece of a track rests on samples from Funkadelic and Parliament, James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, and Gap Band. Every so often, a sample from George Clinton pops up. He's the producer, allowing limited help from Erick Making Dollars just because he's a friend. And from Pete Rock for one song.

Not enough for you? The flow was devastating for that time, it can't be contained. And the creativity is abundant.

For example, the mental institution scene in the Intro, or the first episode of his alter ego saga Sooperman Lover, or even the meeting and dialogue between his two personalities in "Redman meets Reggie Noble".

And let's not forget that Redman is also a professor and his teaching methods are perfectly explained in "How to Roll a Blunt":

" ... Lick the blunt and then the Philly blunt middle you split
Don't have a razor blade, use ya fuckin fingertips
Crack the bag and then you pour the whole bag in
Spread the ism around until the ism reach each end
Take your finger and your thumb from tip to tip
Roll it in a motion then the top piece you lick
Seal it, dry it wit ya lighter if ya gotta
The results, mmmmmmmm....proper

I would if this shit would stop drippin' wit saliva
And if you gonna lick it, don't drown it with ya spit, shit
I dunno what dick or last puss you licked quick
And how 'bout the non-blunt rollin' females
That always fucks it up 'cuz they don't wanna break their Lee nails
(hee hee hee hee hee, sorry Red for spilling it..)
You better pickup every seed of it ... "