The Foundation- Wordsmith Edition

Redman
“Whut Thee Album”
Review by Wordsmith

Redman made his debut in 1990 on EPMD’s “Business as Usual” album on the tracks “Hardcore” and “Brothers on my Jock”. His delivery on the mic was flawless, confident and exuberant when it came to changing tones during a verse. Reds sound was so different that he basically gained a fan base off of those two records. We are talking about a time when an artist had features on their albums it was a big deal; you were lucky to get two songs featuring another artist as oppose to today’s Albums predominantly carrying features to sell more records. This allowed the listener to really hone in and be excited to hear a verse from another artist and Redman took full advantage of that.
Two years later, Redman’s opportunity came as a solo artist and he releases his debut album “Whut Thee Album”, which I thought was a dope title after fans had to wait two years for a solo offering. I even appreciated the fact that Red wrote “Whut Thee Album” incorrect as it gave a glimpse to Redman’s mind frame when it came to the presentation of his music. Opening up the album with “Psycho Ward” was genius to me because it set the tone for the album and showed us that Redman has personality, acting skills and a unique sense of breaking boundaries musically. By the time the “Time 4 Sum Aksion” sample via B-Real of Cypress Hill drops you know this album is going to be amp all the way through. Those who grew up in the golden era know that “Time 4 Sum Aksion” was and is Redman’s main single that broke him nationally. Heading into “Da Funk”, “News Break”, and “So Ryff” it is quite clear Redman spent hours as a kid playing his dad’s vinyl George Clinton, Parliament and Bootsy Collins records at a feverish level. There is a sense of detail when it comes to Red sampling from the aforementioned artists because they fit so well into the created instrumental. Yes, Redman didn’t do much producing on his first effort as Rockwilder and Erick Sermon carried the load, but you can tell he had input on the funk samples used. As the “Inhale” side of the album wraps up the album seems to get darker/grittier with tracks like Rated R, Watch Yo Nuggets w/ Erick Sermon, Blow Your Mind and Hardcore. It’s like Red chose the A side of his album to be his darker moments so you can inhale his worst first.
Side B of Redman’s album is titled “Exhale” so by this time he is expecting you to digest who he is and prepare to be high as hell throughout the rest of his album; literally. Opening with “Funky Uncles” is perfect because it’s a lighter and funnier side to Redman and he plays several characters with their own unique voices during this skit. Keeping things on the light side Redman introduces himself to his alter ego Reggie Noble. Their isn’t too many artist that will mention their government name on an album much less battle him, so again Redman is showing his range as an artist and storyteller. “Tonight’s Da Night” is and will forever be a classic by Red because the story and sample mesh so well together. It was that 90’s anthem for hitting the clubs, so that should tell you how much the rap game has changed when hear today’s club hits. The following surprise is literally a surprise as the listener is treated to a remix of “Blow your Mind”, but I have to be honest it was not needed on this project. At the most it should have been a hidden bonus track and not a part of the official track listing. The rest of the album is all about smoking weed to the highest degree as Redman gets ”Sessed One Night”, show us “How to Roll a Blunt” and kicks off his series of “Sooperman Lover” stories that ended up continuing through his next few releases.
Overall, if you didn’t grow up in the 90’s there weren’t a lot of albums that openly talked about smoking weed, so for Red to make that his main focus yet dazzle us with uncanny lyrics and storytelling was a feat in its own. Red truly introduced us to his true self and didn’t create an image for the sake of being a star.

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The Foundation: Junclassic Edition

My first instinct was to speak about my favorite album ever Enta Da Stage by BlackMoon and how it influenced me to rhyme and got me rockin’ fatigues and alla that.

But there’s an album that came out in 1999 that left an eternal impression on my existence as a NYC emcee and lover of underground hip-hop. Funny that Stones Throw is reissuing it now too.

Wikipedia says that Operation Doomsday came out in April 1999. That was a very ill time in my life. I was in school doing my undergrad thing. Writing heavy and recording on shitty equipment but recording none the less. Was getting money in all kinda ways and just living life. Rekindled things wit my first love who I fell out wit two years prior and she ended up living in Queensbridge that summer so I basically moved in wit her. Used to get bent in Da Bridge and hop to the KFC three blocks away bumpin’ Doomsday and GZA’s Beneath The Surface.

I remember one night in July my ex called me frantic saying she heard some automatic gunfire. I told her to turn off the lights and go back to sleep. That Sunday Night Marley took a minute on Future Flavas to tell brothers In Queenbridge (where his grandmother still lived I learned later) to put the AKs down and stop the violence. I was “damn a A to the mathaf*ckn K?” No wonder shortie was so mad that I told her to be easy. ‘99 was a ill year.

But ‘chea, the first thing that bugged me out about Doomsday was the production. The beats seems polished and were syrupy R&B loops but he was spittin’ some raw ass shit to ‘em. “Red and Gold” is a perfect example. DOOM set the shit off with, “I remember when/last past November when/Clown kid got pounded in wit’ the Timberland.” I thought “Rhymes like Dimes” was soo dope. Used to always get bent with the towels under the doors in the NYU dorms and chuckle to Bobbito’s part at the end. “We tricked you!”

I remember coppin’ the dopest lil’ green pager and on my voicemail I had the title track to “Doomsday” on that jawn. I couldn’t believe DOOM flipped that sade sample so well. Erybody used to ask me what song that was. I actually thought the shortie on the hook was Sade! On the Stones Throw reissue they now list her name as Pebbles The Invisible Girl. Shortie’s voice was sooo dope on that too me. And DOOM’s flow on that jawn is priceless. “She has a sexy voice sound like Jazzy Joyce.” He had them lines that were succinct, man. You had to agree with him. And the way she ends the song… and they bring the beat back…. Crazy…

When Tommy Gunn shouted out Rockaway Blvd on “Who Do You Think I Am” I lost my mind. Them’s my stomping grounds right thurr My G!! And Tommy’s machine gunn flow was unheard of from a NY emcee back then.

When I heard “Dead Bent” I was like “This is some OTHER shit!”

Even the cover had me buggin like, “Ain’t he gon’ get SUED???”

It was just raw, fam. One dude against not only going the odds, but going against everything that HipHop was at that time. Dudes was flossing Crystal wit Jigga and Jermaine Durpri. The Lox had just taken off they shiny suits as well. So half the game was Jiggy and the other half was thuggin it out wit DMX and The Ruff Ryders. DOOM ain’t fit in wit none of that. And we needed that nerdy street nigga to step up and spit some shit. Plus DOOM was doing his own beats too, with X Ray’s help ofcourse. So that Do It Yourself ethic really sparked the atom bomb that has become East Coast underground hip-hop.

I salute Operation:DOOMSDAY. It’s a timeless classic. I’ma save a check or two just to cop that expensive ass collector’s item set with the lunchbox and collector’s card set that come wit’ it.

junMaf*ckn aka junclassic 1 Half of Dynamix