RED MAN MUDDY WATERS

Reginald "Reggie" Noble was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. In 1990, Reggie made his world debut on the EPMD album Business as Usual appearing on tracks "Hardcore" and "Brothers On My Jock". In 1992 Redman released his debut album, Whut? Thee Album, which Allmusic noted for blending "reggae and funk influences" with a "terse, though fluid rap style".[1] The album peaked at number forty-nine on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. He was named "Rap Artist of the Year" by The Source. Redman followed this up with his 1994 album, Dare Iz a Darkside. The first single, "Rockafella", samples Leon Haywood's "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" and George Clinton's "Flashlight", two of the most sampled songs in hip hop.[2] 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 unique braggadocious wit and hard hitting beats. Redman is also the originator of the pop-culture gesture, "Raise the Roof", due to the gesture being performed in the video, "Pick It Up" from his 1996 album, "Muddy Waters". 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 Niño, and also has formed a close partnership with labelmate Method Man (of the Wu-Tang Clan) who, with him, made a featured appearance with the Dogg Pound in Tupac Shakur's 1996 album All Eyez on Me in the rap song Got My Mind made up where both rapped with Kurupt in verse two and Meth also did the chorus, and with whom he released the 1999 album Blackout!.