“””I get down like that, who am I, funk docta, as I kiss the sky,”” are the lyrics that fans grooved to while anxiously waiting for Redman’s arrival at Baseline Sportswear on Melrose. Redman arrived for an autograph signing to promote his album. Fans of all ethnicities paid respect to the 6’1, toffee-complected man, to let him know they like what he does and what he represents. Reggie Noble, aka Redman, was not selfish about giving out hugs or a handshake to people who uplift his music.
Redman’s listeners are attracted to his funkedelic aura that spits out when he speaks, which disturbingly made me nervous. His facial expressions say “How you doing” in a Funk Docta Spot type of way. My nervousness was something I was going to have to get over if I wanted to talk to the Funk Docta. When my friend Karmel and I approached to ask for the interview he stood over us and gave us a look like we were two little kids at Disneyland asking him to pay our way in and then swing us around on his arms. Did I get the balls? Ha ha, eventually. Redman and entourage ducked and dodged to sneak away from the crowd, just to come back out and stand up against the wall to observe everthing. His demeanor is laid back and subtle. Nevertheless he speaks with his facial expressions, which makes the average person ask “Can he be crazy, deranged maybe?”
Redman keeps it real coming out of the streets of Newark, New Jersey. The Bricks is what he represents. Newark may be the roughest city in Jersey, but it will remain home to Reggie. He keeps his music real to his fans, himself and Brick City. “I represent and stay real because it’s some hardcore peeps that’s in Jersey, Chicago and Detroit that keeps it real, they keep me on my feet,” he says. With the streets of Newark being hard to grow up in and not get caught up in the hype, Reggie managed to graduate from high school and complete two years of college.
Negative he is not—far from it. He being a black man, it’s hard not to get hassled by authorities, but Redman believes in not becoming another case and figures he should cooperate with the cops who harrass people regardless if they’re in the entertainment business or not. Growing up, being close to his mother and older sister Roz, who is also an MC, Redman says “Always love your mama, no matter what happens, she will be there, love your mama. And it’s important that every young person stays themselves, stay in school and thanks God he wakes you up every day.” Redman wishes to get married one day and have eight kids, so I guess you can call him family man, but his kids would just have to call him funk docta (maybe).
Reggie Noble at the age of 11 started out deejaying and at 14 he began rapping. Metaphorically unchallenged like Muhammed Ali, Redman has no problem knocking down lyrical walls, wrecking mikes and area codes. Everyone knows him for Soopaman Luva 1, 2 and 3 and his lyrics that are usually so deep you need flashlights and hard hats to understand where he’s coming from.
In 1987 Reggie collaborated with Erick Sermon (E-Double) from Def Squad and became business partners, roommates and roll dogs. The two and Keith Murray make the core of Def Squad and are apart of his entourage that you hear about in his songs and see bouncing there heads in his videos.
In 1995 Redman hooked up with Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man and recorded “How High,” for the motion picture “The Show.” Their duet made fans of both Redman and Method go crazy for another hit single, which is on Redman’s “Muddy Waters” album that was released last November. “Why not do songs with Meth? We cool, we boys, the audience vibe off of us, we like the reaction, why not?” said Redman while singing in between commercials watching television.
“Muddy Waters” shows how deep he can get, and where he can take it and still have fun with it. “‘Muddy Waters’ is a replenishment of the the first album and when I did the second album I was buried under the dirt, and now the third album is out I’m coming from under the dirt,” he said dancing to some Busta Rhymes. Along with new projects, Redman is working on releasing his own clothing line which is just as funky as the funk docta himself. Explosive is how some people categorize his shows. “I throw water into the crowd to let them know that there’s going to be some activity going on and I’m not just going to be walking back and forth on stage,” said an excited Redman. Not only are his shows explosive, but Redman himself is red hot.”
