Max Bell saw a bag of weed on the floor.
Reggie Noble is a lot like Devin the Dude. Both are perpetually lifted and gifted MCs overlooked by too many. Yet both have legions of blunted devotees across the globe. The primary difference between the two really comes down to their respective reactions to the almighty mary jane. Whereas the Dude uses his Sour Diesel to fuel smooth, laid-back and often comedically self-aware records, Redman inhales in order to blow down Brick City brownstones and beat tenants over the dome piece with brass-knuckle bars and the soles of muddied boots.
Red announced Muddy Waters 2 awhile ago, so there’s no telling whether it will actually materialize. He’s also said something or other about a project called Muddy Waters 2: the Preload EP. So I’ll save excessive hyperbole regarding the Funk Doc’s lyrical (and production) prowess when one of said projects comes to the LCD-lights of the Interweb. For now, he’s released Redman Remixxes to whet cotton mouth palettes.
Billed as 20 tracks, Redman Remixxes is actually 16 full songs and four odd skits. The latter finds Redman playing ‘Funky Get Work,’ a radio DJ who only takes calls from those “without balls in their mouth” — stoners cannot resist a good tangent.
This is a mixtape in the truest sense of the word, as Red solidly bodies beats from Eminem, Nas, Jay, Justin Timberlake, and more. There are a few features from Red’s affiliates, but they don’t distract much from the main attraction. Sparking the finest medical and lyrical supremacy remain the most constant tropes, though stale topics like these are highly potent when penned and delivered by Docta Spock. He’s also one of the few smoker rappers who possesses the verbal dexterity to convincingly turn Dead Prez’s “Hip-Hop” into a song called “Zip Lock.”
Above all, Redman Remixxes is a welcome return to form. Redman’s never lost his energy — do yourself a favor and see him live — but he’s had a few missteps you can look for on Youtube if you so choose. Thankfully those missteps do not appear here, and Sooperman Lova soars next to birds and planes on wings made of phillies and ink-soaked loose-leaf once again.
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