Wow. Red got slept on. Known better today as an actor in and embarrassing stoner movie and TV show, it’s easy to forget Redman was a nasty rapper back in the day. His delivery is forceful and energetic, enough so that he reminds me of Busta Rhymes. But unlike Busta, he never seems like he’s shouting, and his enthusiasm never gets in the way of his diction.
I like to judge MCs in several categories:
Lyrical content (The substance of the lyrics. This includes punchlines.)
Rhyming ability (The accuracy and consistency of the rhymes.)
Flow (How the words and syllables fall on or off the beat.)
Charisma (How engrossing is the MC? This can be through lots of energy (Busta), authority (Rakim), or cool confidence (Jay-Z).)
Vocal Quality (The actual sound of the rapper’s voice, the only category they have very little control over. This is why I hate KRS-1.)
By these rubrics, Redman is one of the best MCs ever. There’s not one category he lags in. His voice sounds great, and it’s in a middle register that’s easy to decipher. He’s forceful and energetic, as I mentioned above, which makes me want to pay attention to what he’s saying. His flow is solid, frequently emphasizing the 2 and 4 beats of every measure. His rhyming is consistent, and his lyrics are about pot, sex, and violence. What’s not to like?
My favorite tracks are “How to Roll a Blunt” (which is exactly what it sounds like) and “Blow Your Mind.” There’s a bunch of filler on this record, but it’s really long for a rap album (21 songs), so that’s not such a big deal. I’d say 10 of them are worth your time, but even the so-so songs are laced with P-Funk samples and dirty jokes. This is a party record, so if you cut out half the songs, your party will be half as long. A better move would be to hit ‘play’ and get drunk.
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