Redman - Tonight's Da Night (Uncut)

What this video is

Released in 1993 as the third single from Redman's debut album Whut? Thee Album (Def Jam/RAL), 'Tonight's Da Night' captures a pivotal transitional moment in East Coast hip-hop, where funk-sample-driven production coexisted with hardcore street lyricism. Produced by Erick Sermon and Redman, the track samples Mary Jane Girls, James Brown, Raydio, and Isaac Hayes—a hallmark approach of the golden age boom-bap era.…

Why it matters

A canonical document of early-90s hardcore boom-bap rap, representing the Newark/New Jersey branch of the East Coast golden age. The track's dual identity—smooth R&B-sampling verses giving way to aggressive hardcore delivery—mirrors the genre's broader tension between commercial accessibility and…

The director

Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969, Miami Beach, FL) attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1990. He began his career directing rap and hip-hop music videos in the early 1990s, eventually helming over 100 videos for artists including Wu-Tang…