S. Samuel
Redman recently discussed the state of New Jersey-bred rappers and why he and Joe Budden need more emcees from their home state to step up and grab the microphone.
For Red, New Jersey is just one or two artists away from gaining its much-awaited respect as a hip-hop breeding ground.
“I tell everybody in the interviews, it’s still a lot of room for Jersey cats,” Redman said in an interview when asked about the presence of prominent Jersey emcees. “I know Joe Budden is holding it down. But we need more. Me and him just can’t do it on our own. It’s so much talent out there. You got Ransom out there, he’s coming up. He’s been hitting hard, he just needs that one to get up there to say ‘All right, he’s official. He’s Jersey.’ My nephew’s next, he been putting in mad work. I’m building him as an artist though. I had him on the road with me for like five years, so he’s well in-tuned with how to be an artist. He’s well in-tuned to how to perform, go out and service the crowd and rock the mic, and he’s ready. So I’m telling all my Jersey cats, like, I see a lot of cats out there that’s coming — We need something to solidify, ‘This is how Jersey runs. We got our own anthem. When sh*t is going down over here, I know we’re five minutes from New York but we’re still in our own world.'” (Good Fella Radio Show)
A few weeks ago, Joe Budden sat down with SOHH and discussed how he is taking a more mature approach to his music and life.
“I don’t really want to say [turning] 30 is what’s doing it, I kind of use it as a marker, as a cursor,” Budden told SOHH. “I think that people change everyday and this decade I’ve been putting musicout, I’ve seen a lot, heard a lot, I’ve learned a lot. And I just think it’s time to start applying some of these things and start acting wiser. [It’s time to start] making better decisions, being smarter, having better judgements and just start exercising being a better person in general. I think when you practice that it starts to reflect and that’s how I felt [my latest album] Mood Muzik 4 turned out. I was practicing better decision-making.” (SOHH)
New Jersey native Rah Digga recently talked to SOHH about her perception of hip-hop’s weaknesses.
“I think the females and everyone out just needs to keep making their music and bring it back to the basics,” Rah explained to SOHH. “A big problem with not just females but artists in general is that they think they have to make some kind of grand stand re-entrance or they have to put on some crazy production or something to make it in the industry when the answer is real simple and plain, take it back to basics.” (SOHH)
Redman’s latest solo album, Reggie, debuted on the sales chart around mid-December.
Rap veteran Redman’s Reggie debuted on the chart this week at No. 118. With seven days under his belt, Red’s new album has shelled out 10,600 records to date. (SOHH Sales Wrap)
Check out Redman’s interview below:
