New Jersey’s Reginald "Reggie" Noble made his first mark on the scene on a track with legendary rap group EPMD and instantly made an impact with his dominant but surprisingly fluid vocal style. After inking a deal with Hip Hop powerhouse Def Jam Records, he released his debut album ‘Whut? Thee Album’ in 1992. An instant hit with both fans and critics, the album is now viewed as a classic after it turned gold and Redman won the coveted ‘Rap Artist of The Year’ award from The Source Magazine.
Redman continued to ride this high with a run of equally successful albums including the likes of ‘Dare Iz A Darkside’ and ‘Muddy Waters’ containing the song ‘Do What You Feel’ which would later become the soundtrack to a Grand Theft Auto game.
Following this, Redman struck up a number of fruitful partnerships with the likes of Def Squad, Tupac (appearing on his ‘All Eyez On Me’ album) and most notably, label-mate Method Man. Their first collaborative album ‘Blackout!’ went to number 3 in the charts, selling over 250000 copies in its first week and continuing a hot streak for Def Jam Records.
They didn’t just pair up musically though, they also began a rather bizarre but highly successful acting duo. Possibly their most notable appearance came in the cult stoner-film ‘How-High’ in which the pair manage to get to Harvard after cheating on their tests with the help of some highly potent Marijuana. No matter how bizarre it may seem, whatever Redman touches is usually a solid gold success.
Redman is primarily known for his collaborations - his guest appearance on Christina Aguilera’s ‘Dirrty’, for instance, or his two Blackout! records with Method Man - but that doesn’t mean he’s lacking an impressive track record in his own right; for evidence, see some of his nineties Def Jam classics, such as Dare Iz a Darkside and Muddy Waters; his uncommon flow, which veers between bordering on spoken word and genuine aggression, brought him to worldwide fame in the process. As far as his live presence is concerned, he tours at a prodigious rate; he’ll often play solo shows that run through his whole back catalogue, usually as part of a heavyweight bill that, in the last year alone in the U.S., has involved him appearing alongside the likes of DMX, Cypress Hill and Warren G. He’s best known, though, for his shows with his old pal Method Man; just last month, they played a slew of UK gigs that fans and critics hailed as their best in years. Through their customary clouds of THC smoke, they played classic joint cuts like ‘Da Rockwilder’, offered up their own take on Wu-Tang classics, and dropped the odd solo banger, too. Redman is the perfect foil for Meth’s relentless energy, and they have an unusual onstage connection; sometimes it’s difficult to recommend small-scale rap shows, but that certainly isn’t the case with those two.