Dolamite: The 3rd Ward New Orleans Hustler Who Represented RedRum Records

#NOLAZINE - During the 1990s, New Orleans developed one of the most competitive and independent rap scenes in the country. No Limit and Cash Money eventually became the city’s most successful labels, but dozens of smaller companies were also documenting life across its neighborhoods.

One of the artists who emerged from that underground movement was Dolamite, a rapper from New Orleans’ 3rd Ward who released music through RedRum Records.

Born Marvin Skinner, Dolamite delivered street-centered lyrics with a confident New Orleans flow. Although his official catalog was limited, songs such as “Hustlas” and “3rd Ward on My Mind” helped him earn recognition among collectors and longtime fans of Louisiana rap.

Representing the 3rd Ward

Dolamite came from New Orleans’ 3rd Ward, an area that has produced numerous influential rappers, musicians and cultural figures.

During the 1990s, New Orleans artists strongly identified with their wards, housing developments and individual blocks. Those neighborhood affiliations became an important part of the music.

Dolamite proudly represented Uptown and the 3rd Ward throughout his recordings. Instead of attempting to imitate artists from New York, California or Atlanta, he created music that reflected the attitude and language of his own environment.

His records discussed hustling, neighborhood life, survival and the pressures surrounding young Black men in New Orleans. The production was dark, bass-heavy and designed to connect with listeners familiar with the city’s streets.

Signing With RedRum Records

Dolamite became part of RedRum Records, an independent New Orleans label founded by Malcolm Perry.

RedRum was active during the mid-1990s and developed a roster that included Dolamite, Big Heavy, Face Forever and other local performers. Like many independent Southern labels of that period, the company operated without the national distribution or marketing budgets available to major artists.

Despite those limitations, RedRum released several projects that have become valuable pieces of New Orleans rap history.

The label’s music represented a darker side of the city’s sound. While bounce music was built around energetic dancing and call-and-response chants, RedRum focused more heavily on gangsta rap, street stories and the realities of neighborhood life.

3rd Ward on My Mind

Dolamite released the EP 3rd Ward on My Mind in 1995.

The project featured “Blowed,” “3rd Ward on My Mind” and “Hustlas,” along with an introduction from Mike Dog. The EP introduced Dolamite as a rapper dedicated to representing the people and culture around him.

“3rd Ward on My Mind” served as a neighborhood anthem. Its title expressed the strong connection between Dolamite and the community that shaped him.

However, “Hustlas” became one of the recordings most closely associated with his name. The song’s memorable chant and raw street atmosphere captured the sound of underground New Orleans rap during the mid-1990s.

The EP was released before online streaming and social media made it possible for independent artists to reach worldwide audiences. Dolamite’s music initially circulated through physical CDs, cassette tapes, local record stores and word of mouth.

That limited distribution has made original copies of his projects difficult to find today. The Good Ol’Dayz

Ruff-N-Da Ghetto

In 1997, Dolamite released his full-length album, Ruff-N-Da Ghetto.

The project expanded on the sound and themes introduced through 3rd Ward on My Mind. Its track list included “Big Ballin With Red Rum,” “Ruff-N-Da Ghetto,” “Conclusion (Uptown 3rd Ward),” “Spitting Boo-Koo Game,” “Hustler 1” and “Stress Got Me Tripping.”

The album also included records such as “Caught Up,” “6 Feet Deep,” “Holla at Me” and “Bring It On.”

The title Ruff-N-Da Ghetto reflected the environment that inspired Dolamite’s music. His lyrics did not present the streets as a simple fantasy. They also acknowledged stress, danger and the possibility of becoming trapped in a difficult lifestyle.

The project showed that Dolamite could carry a complete album while staying committed to the raw identity that made his earlier EP memorable.

Working With Other New Orleans Artists

Dolamite’s importance extended beyond his solo projects.

He appeared on releases by other artists connected to New Orleans’ independent rap community. His credits included collaborations with performers such as Big Heavy and other artists associated with RedRum Records.

In 1996, Big Heavy released Doggin’ ’Em, another RedRum project from the same underground scene. Dolamite and Big Heavy represented a period when rappers frequently collaborated across small local labels without receiving much attention outside Louisiana.

These connections helped create a network of artists whose music documented neighborhoods that national record companies were largely ignoring.

Although many of these projects never entered the Billboard charts, they became locally important because listeners heard their lives, language and communities represented.

New Orleans Rap Beyond No Limit and Cash Money

Dolamite’s story is an important reminder that New Orleans hip-hop history is much larger than its most famous record companies.

By the time Master P and Cash Money Records gained national recognition, a strong underground scene was already operating throughout the city. Independent labels such as Parkway Pumpin’, Big Boy, Take Fo’, Tombstone, Mobo and RedRum were recording artists with different interpretations of New Orleans life.

Some specialized in bounce. Others focused on lyrical rap, horror-influenced music or gangsta rap.

RedRum Records occupied a gritty street-rap lane, and Dolamite became one of the label’s recognizable voices. His music helped document the 3rd Ward from the perspective of someone who understood the community.

A Limited but Memorable Catalog

Dolamite never released a large collection of nationally distributed albums.

His recognized solo catalog is centered primarily on 3rd Ward on My Mind and Ruff-N-Da Ghetto. However, the amount of music an artist releases does not always determine that artist’s cultural importance.

For collectors of rare Southern rap, Dolamite’s recordings represent a specific moment in New Orleans history. They capture the period before streaming, when local rappers had to press their own physical projects and build an audience neighborhood by neighborhood.

Years later, songs such as “Hustlas” began appearing on digital collections and New Orleans bounce compilations. Those reappearances introduced Dolamite’s voice to listeners who may have missed his original releases.

Dolamite’s Place in New Orleans Hip-Hop

Dolamite may not have achieved the commercial success of Master P, Juvenile or Mystikal, but his music remains part of the city’s larger story.

He represented the 3rd Ward, helped define RedRum Records and created music that preserved the atmosphere of underground New Orleans during the 1990s.

His career also demonstrates why documenting local artists is so important. Without record collectors, longtime fans and online music archives, many independent releases from that era could easily disappear.

Dolamite was part of a generation that created music without guaranteed radio play, major distribution or national media coverage. Those artists recorded because they wanted their neighborhoods and experiences to be heard.

For anyone studying the complete history of New Orleans rap, Dolamite and 3rd Ward on My Mind deserve a place in the conversation. His catalog was small, but his music carried the unmistakable sound and spirit of Uptown New Orleans.