In case you all missed Redman just a tad too much and his show at BBK’s was not enough for you, the nice folks at Scion (www.scion.com) brought him forth to you once again. His never-stopping smirks, his sharp and witty party-flavored lyrics, his constant celebration of life itself were once again on display for everyone to enjoy. His Red Gone Wild album will hit the shelves next month (March 27th) and he sees no signs of stopping. Already working on the next release, Muddy Waters 2, Red’s game has just about completely changed. His Gilla House is in order, his bravado is back in full effect and his fans seemed to have skipped no beat.
In the spirit of changes and continually experimenting with music Red had a live band on stage with him. Famous for pushing the limits of music, he consistently hits the bull’s eye. Artists like Talib Kweli try to do the same, but it’s always a hit or miss with him. The Funk Doctor manages to not only always make it work, but makes it fresh and original.
Rhythm Roots All Stars is a band from LA, comprised of a high number of musicians, playing together whenever they get a chance. Their main focus is on drums and percussion but the very essence of the band is variety. Funk, Latin, Afrobeat, even dancehall music all blend together and put forth a collective of guys, who only a couple of years ago were just a house band. Considering Red’s drive for constant music experimentation this combo worked surprisingly well.
You couldn’t tell it was going to work at all in the beginning. A hungry club packed with Hip Hop heads did not welcome the live band at first. When a Wu show has an opening act it generally gets booed as the crowd is anxiously anticipating Mef’s witty hooks, Ghost’s constant boldness or Rae’s forceful statements. Same way the horde of kids at the Canal Room was in no mood for anything other than having fun, smoking that green and listening to Redman teach ‘em How To Roll a Blunt.
So, Reggie did not make them wait. Jumping on stage after just a few minutes of the band’s performance, he spit his new songs and the classics the same. Years have past, what changed about this man? Not much in terms of having fun. He is more mature when it comes to business nowadays but what’s that got to do with anything?
Before the show, Bongo Davey sat down with WNT to talk about his band, his music and how he ended being the band behind Red that night.
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