Redman

Reginald Noble, known as Redman, was born on April 17, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey. His early life involved attending Speedway Avenue School and 13th Avenue School, followed by West Side High School. At 16, he was expelled from Montclair State University during his freshman year due to academic performance. Two years later, at 18, he worked as a DJ-MC under the name “DJ Kut-Killa,” performing freestyles at parties and in parks across New York and New Jersey. His career trajectory changed when he was discovered by Erick Sermon of EPMD after delivering a freestyle rap using all letters of the alphabet at an EPMD show in 1990. This led to his signing with Def Jam and the production of his debut album.

Redman officially debuted on EPMD’s album “Business as Usual” in 1990, appearing on two tracks. In 1992, he released his debut album, “Whut? Thee Album,” which blended reggae and funk with his distinct rap style, earning him “Rap Artist of the Year” from The Source magazine and a gold certification. He followed this with “Dare Iz a Darkside” in 1994, an album where he primarily handled production. His 1996 album, “Muddy Waters,” received critical acclaim and featured hit singles like “Whateva Man” and “It’s Like That (My Big Brother),” achieving gold certification. Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Redman released successful albums such as “Doc’s da Name 2000” (1998), which went platinum, and “Malpractice” (2001), which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200.

A significant part of Redman’s career is his long-standing collaboration with Method Man. Their partnership began with their record label, Def Jam, placing them on tour together in 1994. This collaboration expanded into music, film, and television, notably with their joint album “Blackout!” (1999) and starring roles in the 2001 film “How High” and the sitcom “Method & Red.” Redman has also diversified his career into acting, appearing in films like “Scary Movie 3” (2003) and “Seed of Chucky” (2004), and television series such as “Power Book II: Ghost” (2021-2022). He has also produced music under his birth name, Reggie Noble, for various artists.