Muddy Waters (Def Jam, 1996) by Redman

Redman's third album is one of his greatest.  Dare Iz a Darkside was good, but as the title suggests, it was quite dark.  This album was a great return to the funkiness that made his debut a classic.  I also thought the video for "Whateva Man" was really cool with Meth; it was a great salute to The Blues Brothers movie.

Blackout! (Def Jam, 1999) by Method Man & Redman

"I was gone too but we roam , cellular phones/Doc-Meth back in the flesh, blood and bones/don't condone Spent bank loans and homegrown/suckers break like Turbo/and Ozone, when I, grab the broom/moon-walk platoon hawk my goons bark/leave you in a blue lagoon lost (true)/three nines and a glove with mad soul D-Die in the car/right behind on the bus/Haters don't touch, weigh us both up/now my neighbor doped up/got the cable hooked up. All channels/lift my shirt all Mammal/you ship off keys and we ship Grand Pianos/sawed off shotgun/hand on the pump, sipping on a forty/smoking on a blunt/bust my gun and Red and Meth didn't jump/La la la la, la la la la"

-Redman, "Da Rockwilder"

Doc's Da Name 2000 (Def Jam, 1998) by Redman

Redman's fourth album brought him to the mainstream as part of Def Jam's big end of the century push with Method Man, Jay-Z, and DMX.  Although not as solid as his first and third albums, Doc's Da Name does deliver some great material.  "I'll Bee Dat!" is a great single, with outstanding production by Rockwilder, and Busta Rhymes and Redman deliver a solid collaboration with "Da Goodness."  My favorite cut on the project though is Redman's cover of Ice Cube's "Once Upon a Time in the Projects" called "Jersey Yo."

The Coming (Elektra, 1996) by Busta Rhymes

Along with Michael Jackson, Sting and Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes is one of the best artists to go solo and really come into their own after leaving a group.  "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" is better than Sugarhill Gang's "8th Wonder." "It's a Party" is an overlooked gem and Busta holds his own alongside Redman and Q-Tip on "Ill Vibe" and "Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad" respectively.  Production-wise, DJ Scratch and Easy Mo Bee provide music that unleash the dragon accordingly. 

Dare Iz a Darkside (Def Jam, 1994) by Redman

The darker vibe of this album doesn't detract from it as much as some argue.  I think this album is actually very good.  Redman's sense of humor is still there.  Sermon's beats are different, but Redman is talented enough where The Green-Eyed Bandit can experiment.  The album's first single, "Rockafella," is great.  Unfortunately though, given the Leon Haywood sample on the record (the same one used in the iconic "Nuthin' But a G Thang two years earlier), it was seemingly overlooked.  It would be fair to say that this album was a minor misstep in Redman's career.  But he came back stronger than ever with Muddy Waters in '96 and that would help propel him to become one of biggest rap stars in the late 90s.

Forever (Bad Boy, 1999) by Puff Daddy

Puff's sophomore set is certainly not as strong as his debut, but I don't think it's quite as bad as it is generally written off as.  Rolling Stone described it best when they wrote something to the effect of how the album was too eager to please.  The track "Satisfy You" with R. Kelly was a good hip hop love song and "Best Friend" with Mario Winans was a great record about a higher power.  I thought it was also cool how Puff put Sauce Money on the mic for a record.  Not only is Sauce a talented writer (i.e. Puff's "I'll Be Missing You"), but he's also a great emcee and so I think it's great that Puff gave him exposure alongside amazing artists such as Busta Rhymes and Redman on "Reverse."  And not surprisingly, with The Hitmen behind the boards, this album has top-notch production.

Ill At Will Vol.1 (n/a, 2004) by Redman

Due to numerous delays and setbacks, it seemed that Redman's album Red Gone Wild might not ever see the light of day.  Fortunately, Redman took it upon himself to relase something and stay on the radar while the label politics at Def Jam kept holding up his album.  His mixtape, Ill At Will Vol.1, did that and then some.  Not only does Redman rip through industry tracks like "What More Can I Say" and "Bad Intentons," but he also has original material on here as well.  Those highlights are "Da Countdown", a very, upbeat a high energy record, and "I C Dead People" which samples deceased emcees.  And last but not least, he also uses the mixtape as a platform for his Gilla House crew.  Overall, Ill at Will Vol.1 is a great example a rapper bucking the system and doing what needs to be done in order to get quality music to the people.  And isn't that what rap music is all about in the first place?  It's a beautiful thing.

Whut? Thee Album (Def Jam, 1992) by Redman

Along with Scarface, I think Redman is another rapper that is not given the proper shine for the trail he blazed.  The personality and energy that Reggie has on display on this album has never been matched.  I never heard anything like "Time 4 Sum Aksion" before and that record still is one of the best hip-hop singles ever.  He was the first rapper that made hardcore rap funny.  Ludacris and Eminem both created their own respective lanes, but there's no denying the influence that Redman had on both of their styles.  Eric Sermon's production is superb on Whut?  as well.  And last, but not least, even with Red's outgoing personality- he doesn't compromise lyrical quality.  In summary, this album is incredible.  A certified hip-hop classic.