Comedic Edge Earns Redman MTV 'Jam Of The Week'

01/14/1999 4:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Billy Johnson Jr

(1/14/98, 1 p.m. PST) - Redman has never been a big MTV artist, but that has changed with his latest video, "I'll Be Dat," which has been designated the music channel's "Jam Of The Week." The rapper developed the video's comedic edge with director Little X, says Chonita Floyd, Def Jam Records' director of marketing.

"[Redman]'s philosophy is everyone wants to rhyme about bad things, but everything is not bad," Floyd says. "Even hardcore people laugh, and might even cry."

The video for "I'll Be Dat" defies the typical rap video stereotypes. For example, petite background dancers are traded for full-figured ones, Redman Cola taste-testers can't stomach one sip of the fictitious drink, and a beauty riding a bicycle past drooling onlookers smashes into a parked car.

Incorporating humor into his works is nothing new for the Newark, N.J. artist. On his last album, Muddy Waters, Redman introduced the hilarious "Chickenhead Convention" interlude, which pokes fun at shameless women. An even funnier episode of the interlude, dubbed "Million Chicken March (2 Hot 4 TV)," appears on his latest effort Doc's Da Name, which was released Dec. 8.

The decision to present Redman as a caricature on his album cover, however, was made in desperation, Floyd says. Unable to get the rapper to show up for an album cover shoot, Def Jam representatives came up with another idea. "We saw this drawing and said, 'Let's go with it,'" Floyd says. There is also talk of developing a Redman video game.

Redman, who is also a member of the Def Squad with Erick Sermon and Keith Murray, debuted with 1991's Whut? Thee Album, earning instantaneous acclaim for his underground hit "Time 4 Sum Aksion." He has since released three additional solo albums, not to mention numerous classics with his good friend Method Man.

A Method Man feature is on the way...stay tuned.

-- Billy Johnson Jr., Los Angeles

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