Redman

Real Name: Reginald Noble
D.O.B.: April 17th, 1970 Newark, New Jersey

Label: Def Jam Recordings

During the early career of The Funk Doctor Spoc, Reggie Noble was a part of Hit Squad headed by Erick Sermon of EPMD along with Keith Murray. He was picked up by A&R executive, Tracey Waples after hearing him on an EPMD posse cut, "Headbanger" for their Business As Usual album. He also dropped a verse on a Hurricane G joint, "Tonight's Da Night". By 1992 he entered his solo career with "Whut? Thee Album", an Erick Sermon-produced effort. The stoned comic, Redman unleashed his bizarre act of absurdity over lyrical accounts of pure Brick-City daily accounts smoked wrapped in a blunt. His whole career Redman would remain a strong advocate and open user of marijuana.

"it's not important for me to get blunted, it's just that i like to get high. I handle my business in the day and get fucked up at night."

All Music Guide credited the album for stirring together "reggae and funk influences" with a "terse, though fluid rap style". The album dropped on September 22, 1992 and peaked at fifth spot on Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. United States sales certified the album gold. The début garnered two number one charted singles. The Source named him "Rap Artist of the Year".

Redman's sophomore joint hit shelves on November 22nd, 1994 - "Dare Iz A Darkside". This time the production credit is split between Redman and Erick Sermon who arranges the track around the more classic funk grooves of old. Dare featured the single, "Rockafella" which sampled George Clinton's "Flashlight" and Leon Haywood's "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You". (Both tracks are credited as being two of the most sampled songs in hip hop.) It produced the second single, "Can't Wait" posting both singles on 10th and 11th spots on the Hot Rap Singles respectively. The album was once again well received commercially, surpassing the initial album to take pole position on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums and certified gold by the RIAA.

On December 10th, 1996 Redman released Muddy Waters. The album was again co-produced by Redman and Sermon, aside from several guest-producer tracks. The album featured two Billboard Hot 100 singles, "Whateva Man" and "It's Like That (My Big Brother)". Rolling Stone commented on his work as "choppy, offbeat verses and memorable call-and-response choruses" with a "stripped down but tight" production. All Music Guide noted that lyrically, Redman is "as strong as ever" with his "clever metaphors and loose, elastic rhyme flows". By now Redman had achieved a noble status among peers in the industry, his reputation sealed as one of the most consistent emcees of the 1990s. Again his album took the number one hip-hop album spot and certified gold in sales.

During this same year, the defunct EPMD ended the Hit Squad posse, Erick Sermon created Def Squad the trio posse with Keith Murray and Redman. Their first group album, El Niño was released to positive commercial feedback. It reached #2 on The Billboard 200 and and dropped the single, "Full Cooperation".

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 hitting 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 Niño, and also has formed a close partnership with labelmate Method Man (of the Wu-Tang Clan) with whom he released the 1999 album Blackout!.

Redman had his best-known international hit with Christina Aguilera, when he was featured on her 2002 single "Dirrty". Around this time he was also featured on a popular remix of Pink's track Get This Party Started. Since the release of Redman's last studio album, he has kept his fans happy by independently releasing the Ill At Will mixtapes, which feature various members of his Gilla House crew, including Saukrates and Icarus. Other members under Redman's Gilla House imprint include Ready Roc, E3, Runt Dog, and Melanie. Under his birth name, Reggie Noble, Redman has done production for himself, many of his crew members, and even Shaquille O'Neal on his 'Shaq-Fu: Da Return' album.

In March 2007, Redman released Red Gone Wild. He says that the reason for the long wait to drop the album is because of the fast-changing pace of Hip Hop on his MySpace interview.