All things considered, Redman doesn't quite get the praise he probably deserves. True, the Brick City lyricist is praised by his peers, though in the grand scheme of thing is name is left out of the GOAT conversation at an alarming rate. Yet looking back, it's impossible to deny the quality of his discography, which kicked off twenty-eight years ago to this day with Whut? The Album. Produced in near entirety by Redman and Erick Sermon, the twenty-one track project placed Reggie firmly on the map, thanks largely in part to breakout singles like "Time 4 Sum Aksion."
While some young fans may immediately balk at the dusty and sample-heavy old-school sound, the early nineties remains an integral moment in hip-hop culture, where countless emcees were beginning to make their mark. Off the bat, Redman was distinctive for his outlandish character and sneering yet dexterous verbal delivery. On "Time 4 Sum Aksion," Redman takes to the drum-driven beat with a vengeance, laying out a ridiculous flow as he weaves together braggadocious punchlines. "The Funkadelic devil, hit you with the rap level of 10," he spits. "Then 1, 2, 3, you're pinned / I get action, so everybody jump wit your rump / If you like the way it sounds punk, pump it in your back trunk."
A relic of simpler times, be sure to revisit "Time 4 Sum Aksion" on the day of Redman's big anniversary. Congratulations to the ever-enduring Reggie Noble!
QUOTABLE LYRICS
The Funkadelic Devil, hit you with the rap level of 10
Then 1, 2, 3, you're pinned
I get action, so everybody jump wit your rump
If you like the way it sounds punk
Pump it in your back trunk
