Redman – Whut? Thee Album

Solid debut. Redman already demonstrated his lyrical prowess early on with his verses on EPMD's "Hardcore" and "Headbanger", but his first LP takes it to the next level. Reggie further proved himself to be a skilled lyricist with lots of clever wordplay and screwball humor galore. He also played around with different personas and characters which would become a fairly consistent theme in his next few albums throughout the decade. The beats which are supplied by Erick Sermon and occasionally Redman chiming in on the boards are nothing but neck-snapping boom bap with the E's signature barrage of funk samples from anything with George Clinton, James Brown or Roger Troutman attached to it. There are some unexpected ones thrown in there too like the small horn snippet from the Stevie Wonder hit "Superstition" found on the chorus to "Watch Yo Nuggets". Pete Rock also adds some of his own unique flavor to the instructional fan favorite deep cut "How to Roll a Blunt". Or how about the lovely sped-up Isaac Hayes sample used as the backbone to "Tonight's Da Night"? Redman kept it rugged and raw without taking himself too seriously, making it a very enjoyable listen for anyone who loves early 90s East Coast hip-hop that gets you hella hyped with nearly every track.