Redman’s Most Hilariously Stony Moments and Contributions to Weed Culture

In addition to being Wu-Tang Clan adjacent, the East Coast rapper Redman is known for his sticky thumb. He claims to have started smoking weed when he was 16 years old, is a vocal supporter of state and federal cannabis decriminalization, and otherwise has made no secret of his fondness for the Devil’s lettuce. After all, he starred alongside fellow Def Jam signee Method Man in the 2001 stoner flick How High and helped write and record a song of the same title laced with lyrics such as “Fuck the Marines, I got machines/To light the spliff and read Mad magazine.”

But there’s a new, hilarious chapter in Redman’s chronicles of chronic: He recently posted a video with his mother, who reportedly found several dime bags of weed estimated to be at least 20 years old (we’re left to assume the bags were his). After some adorable play-bickering between the two, Red reverently presents the ultrastale nugs as historical relics from the golden age of East Coast hip-hop, calling up the likes of the Notorious B.I.G., the Lox, Cam’ron, Lil’ Cease, and Norega.

“We gon’ sell it on eBay,” his mom jokes.

In honor of Redman’s concert at Blackbird Ordinary this Thursday, New Times has listed some of his finest moments in cannabis.

That OG joint. Red’s stony proclivities were on full display when he and Method collaborated on the criminally underrated 1999 album Blackout!, which contains more weed references than a dispensary brochure. In fact, the album opens with Red snarling, “It’s Funk Doc, where the weed at, bitch?/I speed backwards down a one-way from cops, see that shit?“

Stony opportunists. Method and Red teamed up again in 2016, but not in the studio — they formally endorsed the cannabis-dispensary-locating app BlazeNow. It might prove to be a savvy business move given the way recreational dispensaries are popping up across the nation. (Sorry, Miami, you’ll have to wait at least until felons’ votes count.)

An aficionado’s taste. In 2016, Red made a list of his favorite smoking songs for Rolling Stone, laying down a mix of classic hip-hop, R&B, and reggae joints. In his own words: “What makes a good weed song? Well, a good weed song to me is a song that has the right sounds, instruments, and hook, only fit to the herbal ear. That vibe that catches you while you’re smoking or even when you’re not smoking. I’m always smokin’… so my ears are always open. A good weed song is a song you can throw on and only real smokers can relate. And real smokers don’t have to necessarily sing the words all the way through.”

(Stupid) movie stars. The movie How High is, for the most part, stupendously stupid, but it has a few memorable moments — like when Method and Red meet in a parking lot at Harvard University. (The ghost of their deceased friend Ivory helped them cheat on their SATs. No further questions? Good.) They join forces because one has a blunt wrap, and the other has weed; it’s obviously a match made in heaven. Other highlights include the discovery of Benjamin Franklin’s bong. And now we can see why Red would treat his old nugs like artifacts of historical importance.

Redman. 8 p.m. Thursday, January 17, at Blackbird Ordinary, 729 SW First Ave., Miami, 305-671-3307; blackbirdordinary.com. Tickets cost $40 via eventbrite.com.