Redman (rapper)
Redman |
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Redman (born Reggie Noble on April 17, 1970 in Newark, New Jersey), is an African-American rapper who became popular as an artist on the Def Jam label in the early 1990s.
Career history
After Erick Sermon of the seminal group EPMD spotted Redman freestyling in a New York club, Sermon added him to the Hit Squad crew of aspiring MCs (along with K-Solo, Sermon's EPMD, Das EFX and Keith Murray). Redman made his rapping debut on the EPMD songs "Hardcore" and "Brothers On My Jock" off their third album Business As Usual (Def Jam 1990). Redman's 1992 Def Jam debut Whut? Thee Album broke into the US Top 50, achieved gold status in the United States. Prominent hip hop magazine The Source subsequently named Redman the Rap Artist of the Year for 1993.
Redman's solo career continued throughout the remainder of the decade, with each of his albums selling at least half a million copies. His musical style has remained very consistent, rarely deviating from a combination of Redman's unique braggadocious wit and hard, P-funk-influenced beats. In addition to releasing albums under his own name, he is part of the group Def Squad (along with Keith Murray and Erick Sermon) with whom he released the 1998 album El Nino, and also has formed a close partnership with labelmate Method Man (of the Wu-Tang Clan) with whom he released the 1999 album Blackout!. He has also collaborated extensively, both with hip hop artists and with artists from other genres; the long list of artists and groups he has worked with includes Wyclef Jean, Snoop Dogg, Scarface, The Offspring, Eminem, Gorillaz, D'Angelo, Me'shell Ndegeocello, 2Pac, Jodeci, Cypress Hill, The Oak Ridge Boys, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Beverley Knight, IAM and Christina Aguilera. Redman arguably had his best-known international mainstream hit with Aguilera, when he featured on her 2002 single "Dirrty". Another surprising collaboration, which was unable to garner the same support as "Dirrty", was the 2005 underground hit "I Still Need You" featuring the vocal stylings of Conway Twitty. Red has recently announced his hopes for a duet with former N'Sync hearthrob Lance Bass. Since the release of Redman's last studio album he has kept his fans happy by independently releasing the Ill At Will mix tapes which feature various members of his Gilla House crew, including Saukrates & Icarus.
Redman is scheduled to release a new album in 2006 titled Red Gone Wild.
Other media
In 2001 Redman co-starred with Method Man in the stoner comedy film How High, which featured the pair playing two marijuana-addled students attempting to survive at Harvard. Method Man and Redman also appear in Def Jam Vendetta and Def Jam: Fight for NY video games, often as Tag Team partners, and briefly had their own television sitcom, Method & Red, on Fox during the 2003–2004 season.
Redman also features on the video game True Crime: New York City. He provides the voice of himself in a mini-game where he tries to escape New York during a riot. This character also has a cameo in the main storyline.
Aliases
- Funk Doc / Funk Doctor / Funk Doctor Spock / Funk Doctor Spot
- Doc
- Red
- Reggie / Reggie Noble
- Soopaman / Soopaman Luva
- Uncle Kooley
Personal life
After the video game release of Def Jam: Vendetta, VIBE printed a rumour that Redman and Christina Milian were dating. However, they claimed to be just good friends.
Discography
Albums
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Whut? Thee Album
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Dare Iz a Darkside
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Muddy Waters
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El Nino (with Def Squad) | |
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Doc's Da Name 2000
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Blackout! (with Method Man)
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Malpractice |
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Red Gone Wild
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Redman is also credited as a featured artist on several other singles. He has topped the United Kingdom singles chart, with Christina Aguilera, in 2002. In the UK, he has made six Top 40 appearances overall, although only "Smash Sumthin'" credits him as the main artist.
Filmography
- 1999: Colorz of Rage
- 1999: PIGS
- 2000: Boricua's Bond
- 2001: Statistic: The Movie
- 2001: How High
- 2002: Stung
- 2003: Thaddeus Fights the Power!
- 2003: Scary Movie 3
- 2004: Method & Red
- 2004: Seed Of Chucky