Personnel: Redman, Erick Sermon, K-Solo, Jamal, Keith Murray, Method Man, Rockwilder, Napalm, Chris Tricarico (rap vocals); Naja (spoken vocals).

Producers includes: Reggie "Redman" Noble, Erick Sermon, Rockwilder.

Engineers: Troy Hightower, Dave Greenberg.

Despite a heavy dose of Redman's eccentric humor, Dare Iz a Darkside often threatened to disappear in a haze of blunt smoke, so for his third album, he and producer Erick Sermon backed off the muddled sonics of Darkside and returned to the hard funk of his debut set. There isn't as blatant a P-Funk/Zapp influence on Muddy Waters; the beats are more indebted to the new New York hardcore movement, and the tracks themselves are sparer and more bass-driven. Lyrically, Redman is as strong as ever, and if his subject matter hasn't changed all that much, he's still coming up with clever metaphors and loose, elastic rhyme flows. He projects more energy than Method Man (who appears on "Do What Ya Feel"), but isn't quite at the madman level of Busta Rhymes. The numerous skits tend to drag the album's momentum down a little, but overall, Muddy Waters solidifies Redman's growing reputation as one of the most consistent rappers of the '90s -- even when the music is unspectacular, he manages to deliver the goods on the microphone. ~ Steve Huey

For his third album, Redman returns to the funk-inspired music that made his debut a classic. Produced by Def Squad leader Erick Sermon, Rockwilder and the Funk Docta Spot himself, MUDDY WATERS is a beat-driven album, with both smooth, bass-heavy samples and original hard-core tracks. Not much has changed about Redman's delivery, which is still rough and rugged with mouthfuls of lyrics. The album is blessed with the wordsmith tactics of not only Redman, but fellow Def Squad members Keith Murray, Erick Sermon and K-Solo. Redman proves here that he is approaching veteran status with flair and style.

Rolling Stone (2/6/97, p.49) - "...ranks as one of the most consistent MCs in rap....Erick Sermon's beats are stripped down but tight--designed both to make you move and to give Redman plenty of room to let loose his nasty tongue....choppy, offbeat verses and memorable call-and-response choruses..."

Q (4/97, p.128) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...Packed with blunted melodies, spattered with skits, MUDDY WATERS is impressively self-possessed....Redman remains unshakable, hardcore to the bone."

Muzik (2/97, p.111) - 8 out of 10 - "...raggedy, head-top rhyming. The Screamin' Jay Hawkins of hip hop."

Vibe (2/97, p.106) - "...MUDDY WATERS slides in and finds Redman crashing back to Earth--equally intense, funny....The best moments on MUDDY WATERS come on the songs Redman produced himself....boundless energy and raging fire."

The Source (2/97, p.79) - 4 Mics - Slammin' - "Def Squad lion Redman has no problem blazing up the path between mainstream and the underground....The sonic approach creates a dance-floor friendly vibe which seems perfectly appropriate for the Funk Dr. Spock's return to dry land..."

Rap Pages (2/97, p.59) - "...expect to excavate the usual Funkadelic relic remains, namely hard hittin' funk tracks frequently anchored by hooks utilizing snippets of other Hip-Hop tunes....MUDDY WATERS greatest strength is in its flow..."