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Muddy Waters (album)

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Muddy Waters
Studio album by
Redman
ReleasedDecember 10, 1996 (1996-12-10)
Recorded1995–1996
Studio
  • Rockin' Reel Recording Studios (New York, NY)
  • Mirror Image Studios (New York, NY)
GenreEast Coast hip hop[1]
Length1:07:17
LabelDef Jam
Producer
Redman chronology
Dare Iz a Darkside
(1994) 		Muddy Waters
(1996) 		El Niño
(1998)
Singles from Muddy Waters
  1. "It's Like That"
    Released: 1996
  2. "Whateva Man"
    Released: January 28, 1997
  3. "Pick It Up"
    Released: May 13, 1997
  4. "Smoke Buddah"
    Released: 1997

Muddy Waters is the third studio album by American rapper Redman. It was released on December 10, 1996, through Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place at Mirror Image and Rockin' Reel Recording Studios in New York City. Production was handled by Erick Sermon, who also served as executive producer, Rockwilder, Jerry Duplessis, Pras, Ty Fyffe, and Redman himself. It features guest appearances from Erick Sermon, Jamal, Keith Murray, K-Solo, Method Man, Napalm and Rockwilder. The album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 12, 1997 for exceeding shipments of 500,000 copies. The album spawned three charted singles: "It's Like That", "Whateva Man" and "Pick It Up" and a promotional single "Smoke Buddah".

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]
Muzik8/10[4]
Q[5]
RapReviews10/10[6]
The Source[7]

Muddy Waters was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. Steve Huey of AllMusic, though critical of the album's numerous interludes, stated that "lyrically, Redman is as strong as ever", and of the overall work, remarked that "Muddy Waters solidifies Redman's growing reputation as one of the most consistent rappers of the '90s".[2]

Redman has stated that he had planned on releasing a sequel to the album entitled Muddy Waters 2, considering it is his most classic work.[8]

Commercial performance

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In the United States, the album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 on the week of December 28, 1996 and stayed on the chart for 17 weeks. On the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, Muddy Waters repeated the success of his predecessor, Dare Iz a Darkside, also debuting at number-one. A little more than 2 months later, on February 12, 1997, the album received gold status from the RIAA for selling half a million units. As of October 2009, the album has 767,000 copies sold in the US alone.[9]

The album's lead single, a reunion duet with former Hit Squad group-mate K-Solo "It's Like That", peaked at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100. A follow-up single from the album, "Whateva Man", reached number 42 on the same chart. The third and final single off of the project, "Pick It Up", did not made it to the Hot 100, however, it found mild success on R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Songs charts.

In the United Kingdom, the album managed to debut only on the Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart at number 27. The album repeated its success twice, again climbing to the 27th spot on this chart in the weeks ending January 25 and February 1, 1997. None of its singles went charted.

The album eventually debuted in Germany at number 100 on the chart in the week of February 10, 1997, becoming the rapper's first album to break through in the country.

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"Reggie NobleRedman2:17
2."Iz He 4 Real"
1:36
3."Rock Da Spot"
4:11
4."Welcome" (Interlude)
  • Noble
  • Sermon
Erick Sermon2:06
5."Case Closed" (featuring Napalm and Rockwilder)
Rockwilder2:58
6."Pick It Up"
  • Noble
  • Sermon
Erick Sermon4:11
7."N.I.N. (Skit)" (featuring Chris Tricarico)NobleRedman0:57
8."Smoke Buddah"
Redman2:34
9."Whateva Man" (featuring Erick Sermon)
  • Noble
  • Sermon
Erick Sermon3:09
10."Chicken Head Convention" (Skit)NobleRedman1:17
11."On Fire"
  • Noble
  • Sermon
Erick Sermon3:50
12."Do What U Feel" (featuring Method Man)
4:14
13."The Stick Up" (Skit)NobleRedman0:55
14."Creepin'"NobleRedman4:00
15."It's Like That (My Big Brother)" (featuring K-Solo)
Redman2:55
16."Da Bump"
  • Noble
  • Sermon
  • Isaac Hayes
  • Darryl Ellis
  • Paul Richmond
  • Ruben Locke Jr.
Erick Sermon4:11
17."Uncle Quilly (Skit)" (featuring Naja)
Redman0:59
18."Yesh Yesh Ya'll"
Erick Sermon3:59
19."What U Lookin' 4"
  • Rockwilder
  • Redman (co.)
4:07
20."Soopaman Luva 3 Interview" (Skit)
Redman0:55
21."Soopaman Luva 3"
  • Erick Sermon
  • Redman
4:12
22."Rollin'"
Erick Sermon4:09
23."Da Ill Out" (featuring Jamal and Keith Murray)
Erick Sermon3:35
Total length:1:07:17

Personnel

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  • Reginald "Redman" Noble – vocals, producer (tracks: 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 13–15, 17, 20, 21), co-producer (track 19)
  • Dana "Rockwilder" Stinson – vocals (track 5), producer (tracks: 5, 19)
  • A. "Napalm" Stanton – vocals (track 5)
  • Chris Tricarico – vocals (track 7)
  • Erick Sermon – vocals (track 9), producer (tracks: 2–4, 6, 9, 11, 16, 18, 21–23), executive producer
  • Clifford "Method Man" Smith – vocals (track 12)
  • Kevin "K-Solo" Madison – vocals (track 15)
  • Naja – vocals (track 17)
  • Jamal "Mally G" Phillips – vocals (track 23)
  • Keith Murray – vocals (track 23)
  • Tyrone "Ty" Fyffe – producer (track 3)
  • Prakazrel "Pras" Michél – producer (track 12)
  • Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis – producer (track 12)
  • Dave Greenberg – recording (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 14, 17, 19, 21, 23), mixing (tracks: 1, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 19)
  • Troy Hightower – recording (tracks: 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 20–22), mixing (tracks: 2–6, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 18, 20–23)
  • Tony Dawsey – mastering
  • The Drawing Board – art direction, design
  • Nina Schultz – photography
  • Kevin Liles – A&R

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "50 Greatest East Coast Hip-Hop Albums of the 1990s". The Boombox. October 20, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Huey, Steve. "Redman - Muddy Waters Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Redman". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  4. ^ Ashon, Will (February 1997). "Redman: Muddy Waters" (PDF). Muzik. No. 21. p. 111. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "Reviews". Q. London. April 1997. p. 128.
  6. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (December 1996). "Redman :: Muddy Waters :: Def Jam/RAL". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  7. ^ Reeves, Marcus (February 1997). "Record Report". The Source. p. 79.
  8. ^ Paine, Jake (November 4, 2010). "Redman Says That "Muddy Waters 2" Is Happening, Summer 2011". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "XXL Scans: Def Jam's Entire Discography & Record Sales". HipHop-N-More. October 18, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  10. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Redman – Muddy Waters" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  11. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  12. ^ "Redman Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  13. ^ "Redman Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  14. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  15. ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  16. ^ "American album certifications – Redman – Muddy Waters". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
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