Rusty Redenbacher Named “Top Hoosier Musician #21” by Indianapolis Star
Long time Indianapolis musician, emcee, producer, DJ, and personality has been named the #21 Musician in Indiana History by the Indianapolis Star. Check a little bit of the article below, but be sure to head to The Indianaoplis Star to read the entire article by Dave Lindquist. #ATFU
Indiana has yet to send a hip-hop act to the top of the charts, but you shouldn’t believe the state lacks a transcendent MC.
Rusty Redenbacher, born in Gary in 1970, has a catalog of razor-sharp rhymes stretching across four Mudkids albums, a duo album with Mr. Kinetik and two solo projects plus a third — titled “Lower” — on the way.
His songs brim with drama, comedy, romance, intelligence, pride, humility, perseverance, celebration and gratitude. On solo debut “Lazarus,” the pop-culture connoisseur served up references to comedian Bill Hicks, “Back to the Future’s” Doc Brown, “F Troop’s” Larry Storch and “Psycho’s” Janet Leigh.
Since the Mudkids emerged in 1998, Redenbacher’s lyrical themes have evolved from relentless optimism to informed pragmatism. Producer/DJ Tyler Knapp supplied digital blips and atmospheric jazz during the Mudkids era, and Rusty assembled his own club-ready beats for “Lower” and 2012’s “The Tinkerer.”
Moving to Indianapolis as a youngster (known then as Russell Johnson), Redenbacher began writing rhymes at age 14. Allow him to contrast his rap skills to the competition’s: “I’m the Final Four, you’re the NIT. I’m a master’s, you’re a GED.” If you’re his target, you’ve been verbally pummeled and left in the dust. What’s to do but smile and acknowledge his style?
On the topic of style, Redenbacher, Knapp and then-Mudkids member Brian “Skittles” Philps elevated sports novelty songs to a level of cool when releasing “Rock ‘n’ Blue (Go Blue)” before the Colts won the Super Bowl in 2007. “To get to 18 it takes a week of Jeff Saturdays,” Redenbacher rapped.
