Holdin' Down The Culture
Whether you’re a Def Squad fan, and East Coast Head or simply a person who can appreciate the raw & gritty, Redman’s episode of ‘MTV: Cribs’ is that of legend. At a time when rappers were showing the effects of luxury living including infinity pools, personal chefs and garages that looked like foreign car dealerships, Reggie Noble was the complete contrast.
In 2001 Redman welcomed “Cribs” to his living quarters in New York’s 5th Borough: Staten Island. Shaolin is located only 16 miles from Reggie Noble’s hometown of Newark, New Jersey (30 minute drive with typical NY traffic). From a refrigerator/freezer that had both fish-sticks and a box of $1 bills, a tired shower-curtain, a messy floorspace, two turntables (and an early Stones Throw Records 12″), and a passed-out cousin on the carpet—Redman was a man from the people and of the people. Even though Red had already accomplished a platinum album, a movie deal, and a solidified status as one of Def Jam’s best emcees, Funk Doctor Spot was different simply by being himself.
Thrillst author Chris Faraone reflected on the iconic episode. “An Oral History of Redman’s Notorious MTV Cribs Episode” brings back Redman, MTV producers, and even the sleepy cousin to reflect on the moment.
Red explains,
“While everybody was trying to show a lavish house, the lavish life of living, that’s not always the case….Not every entertainer’s living lavish. They may have a more lavish set on the street, but it’s still real for a lot of cats out here in the entertainment game. We’re okay, but we’re not rich, and that’s what I wanted to display to my fans… I always try and think about what the ‘hood would say when I do things.”
Redman added that his original intention for buying the Staten Island home came as “a real-estate project,” but one of Method Man’s people enjoyed the seclusion of the townhouse which was not only situated away from Newark but separated by water from NYC’s main business and entertainment districts.
Redman recalled on the MTV Cribs crew,
“They show up f*cking early…I wanted to at least clean up a bit, since I ain’t have any real furniture in there and sh*t, and I thought I had a little bit of time and I didn’t. When they knocked on the door I was still sleepy-eyed and they were like, ‘You know what, this is good, let’s just roll with it….We just winged it.” Redman, who was noticeably still sleep when the MTV crew arrived, adds nothing was staged, “Everything you see was real. It’s just everyday life for us.”
In a moment that has becoming iconic in Hip-Hop’s short but storied history, the Jersey emcee stresses that being real is key. “Once you do things and keep things 100% with yourself, you can never lose.”
One can only wonder how many 1990s era rappers would have handled social media? Revisit the Redman’s MTV Cribs episode below. We’ve also included Redman’s 1992 breakthrough on the national stage in the video below that.
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Source: www.thrillist.com
