New Jersey rapper Redman has had a career of ups and downs but is most renowned for the exceptional music he produced in the late-1990s and early-2000s. Following the level of notoriety and success he managed to attain during the ’90s with projects such as Dare Iz a Darkside and Muddy Waters; Redman shifted his position at the turn of the millennium. Becoming one-half of the duo Method Man and Redman.
However, in 1992, when he first emerged on rap’s radar with his debut album, Whut? Thee Album, Redman (real name Reginald Noble) also found himself getting on the wrong side of MC Hammer, who had released his smash hit, ‘Can’t Touch This’ only two years prior.
Although MC Hammer was seen as a gimmick by many rappers, including 2Pac, when he first hit the charts, the hitmaker (real name Stanley Burrell) had a lot of money following ‘Can’t Touch This’ and was the wealthiest rapper from the Bay area. Unfortunately, due to his quirky and slightly childish style, many up-and-coming artists disrespected him, expecting no repercussions.
Burrell’s third project, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em, became a diamond-selling album, making him one of America’s best-selling rap acts. However, Redman, as a youngster in the game, had to learn the hard way about the power dynamics of the music industry when he decided to mock Hammer on his ‘Funky Uncles’ skit.
During an interview with DJ Vlad for Vlad TV, Noble expressed that he wasn’t prepared for Hammer’s response, stating, “That g*ddamn MC Hammer? [He was] very serious about beef! Y’all mu’fuckas laugh, and y’all joke about Hammer? No, no, no, no!! That nigga was deep with niggas! Anybody who talked shit, come to the Bay Area, they was in for it.”
He continued, “I seen it! And he was very serious about beef. ‘Oh. You gon’ talk about my dancing pants? I’ll see you.’ And, he would whoop a nigga out.” However, this wasn’t the end.
In 1995, Redman came face to face with MC Hammer at the final taping of Yo! MTV Raps, where the Oakland act humbled Noble quickly and told him to watch out. Recalling the meeting, Noble remembered, “That nigga came up to me on [Yo! MTV Raps] on the last episode they had. That nigga approached me. He was like ‘Red, I’m a tell you somethin’. You young but I don’t allow nobody talkin’ about my mama. You understand me?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.'”
You can hear Redman talking about his tense encounter with MC Hammer below.
