Redman: Malpractice

Hip-hop's Mr. Consistency, Redman has risen to the top of his field creatively and commercially by staying true to his doggedly idiosyncratic vision. Like mentor Erick Sermon, he's found a winning formula—loopy humor, comic aggression, and punchlines galore, all grounded in the trunk-rattling funk of Sermon's production—and ridden it to the big time. Long a cult favorite, Redman has taken the mainstream by storm over the past few years, going platinum for the first time with 1999's Doc's Da Name 2000, recording a best-selling album with Method Man, and collaborating with everyone from D'Angelo to The Offspring to Limp Bizkit to De La Soul. Never one to mess with a winning game plan, Redman sticks to what he does best on his fifth solo album, Malpractice, perfecting his blend of blunted silliness, brash irreverence, and sloppy funk. Redman's flow is tighter, his jokes funnier, and his production sleeker than ever, but otherwise, Malpractice happily offers more of the same. Working with his regular stable of producers (himself, Sermon, and Rockwilder, who has evolved from a Sermon clone into one of hip-hop's most distinctive and sought-after collaborators), Redman has delivered his most consistent and confident album to date. The Rockwilder-produced "Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get In The Club)" aims squarely for club spins without sacrificing Redman's flamboyantly snotty attitude, while the rollicking "Enjoy The Ride" re-teams Redman with Method Man (and protégés Streetlife and Saukrates) for some of their best work yet. One of Redman's strengths has always been his ability to collaborate with a wildly varied assortment of artists, and Malpractice offers more proof of this gift, as the irrepressible Funk Doctor joins forces with everyone from Scarface to Missy Elliott to George Clinton. Nine years, five solo albums, and countless guest appearances into his legendary recording career, Redman continues to make artistic stasis look and sound good.