If I'm ever going to get any discographies finished, then it's imperative that I at least start to work my way through them, rather than continue reviewing the debut albums from every hip-hop artist on the face of the Earth until I'm nothing but a pile of dust and bones. Don't worry, I'll definitely cover a lot more different artists in the future, but in order to make these marathons official, today I'm going to be reviewing my first sophomore album.
Following the success of the incredible Whut? Thee Album, Redman decided the only sensible thing for him to do was to take a lot of drugs (fun fact: Redman doesn't even recall making his second effort due to the amount of different substances he was intaking during the project's creation). This led him to a dark place, apparently one so unpleasant that Erick Sermon didn't want to be around Reggie any more, which meant he was forced to make a lot of the beats for his inevitable sophomore effort himself. However, despite the haze that he was in during the album's creation, Redman was at least able to remember what the last album sounded like, and therefore was able to make something completely different, rather than accidentally copying something that had already been released, not unlike what Busta Rhymes did with Blockbusta, which was a clear remaking of the shit he had taken that morning.
Redman, despite his near-incapacitated state, did eventually get the album out, and was even properly promoted by the label with a scheme called "Month Of the Man" where both Redman and Method Man (in the process of releasing his album Tical, which I covered in my last review) would promote their upcoming albums at the same time with vinyl releases and hilarious promotional videos. This support was something Redman didn't get to enjoy quite so much on later albums released on Def Jam (see Red Gone Wild: Thee Album and Reggie) - he probably regrets being too out of his mind at the time to realise that he was actually experiencing great promotion. The album, intriguingly titled Dare Iz a Darkside (Redman is now 2 for 2 in the "misspelling words in album titles" competition), was a reflection of Redman's manic and out-of-it state of mind, and this is evidenced through the random and often ridiculous lyrics, as well as the dark, self-produced bassy beats. Since this was supposed to reflect Red's personal thoughts and brain processes, the album, like the last, had very few features, and the album art shows pictures of Red goin' crazy by himself in a dark and bleak-looking room.
Personally, I remember that this album didn't hit me too much when I first heard it, and the time that it truly connected me was on a coach back to the UK from Paris, after having not slept properly for between 24 and 48 hours, which induced a similar feeling to being high. As I put this album on while we were travelling back, it just made sense, if you see what I mean, and that was truly the time that this album was able to connect, for me at least.
The project is widely heralded as Redman's second classic to this day, and a lot of his fans would consider it to be his best album. With the 2010s and 2020s seeing hip-hop turn far more experimental than ever before, this album has aged pretty impeccably, and gets more and more recognition from modern hip-hop fans by the day for being such a weird and zany experience. But that's not really important, is it? The real question is: do I like it? Let's have a look.
1. Dr. Trevis (prod. Redman)
Reintroducing the character from the previous project's intro, this introduction surely goes down as one of the best skits in hip-hop history. The creepy violins and sound effects give this the perfect atmosphere, and Red's moans of pain in the background increase the disturbing and dark vibes this carries. Really great way to begin.
2. Bobyahed2dis (prod. Redman & Rockwilder)
That title is hilarious as hell, and the song... well, it's brilliant. The horns that come in in the background teamed with that incredibly infectious bassline make for surely one of the best beats of all time - this is just so damn funky. This song is weirdly structured - after an instrumental intro we get some speaking from Redman, before some other bloke called Jeff Stewart comes in and starts talking for ages as well. We then get a bit of a hook/bridge type of thing, before Redman finally comes with the bars, and man they are good. "And I don't need to be a special ed to get dumb". I mean, WHAT? That is a CRAZY bar, and the fact that it ends the verse makes it stand out that much more. The sampled line from the Whut? Thee Album track "Blow Your Mind" (there are other samples, but this one stands out the most) towards the end sounds nice as hell too. The random nature of this song just makes it even better. Incredible track.
3. Journey Throo Da Darkside (prod. Redman, co-prod. Erick Sermon)
Redman takes us on another lyrical journey over a hard self-produced beat, and it very nearly sounds as good as the previous track. Quite a lot of these bars are brilliant, so I'll list some of the best. "The way I kick, you swore that Jim Kelly was in this motherfucker", "Due to difficulties I won't be done by ten", "It's a true lie that I bring drama like Schwarzenegger", "Ridiculously I will rip an MC", and many more that I don't have time or energy to list. Lyrically, this is one of Red's best performances EVER, no lie.
4. Da Journee (prod. Redman)
Damnitt, Redman! I thought you knew how to spell "journey"! Maybe that last hit of acid has been playing with his memory a bit. Anyway, this song is pretty good, but I didn't think Redman's performance here was as impressive as on the previous two songs to be honest. The beat bought some interesting vibes, though. When I was coming home from Paris (which I talked about in the introduction paragraphs), those gunshot sounds at the end sent me even further into a trance - they are WEIRD.
5. A Million and 1 Buddah Spots (prod. Erick Sermon, co-prod. Redman)
The B-Side to the single "Can't Wait" (which we'll get to later) is an impressive affair, tainted by the fact that this track glitched ridiculously on my first copy of this CD, which I replaced later on. There's nothing that annoys me more than a skipping disc. Lyrically, this song is great, and the beat, the first here done mainly by mr. Sermon, brings some damned energy. This is a great one.
6. Noorotic (prod. Rockwilder, co-prod. Redman)
Rockwilder takes the theme music from one of Red's fictional radio programmes, "N.I.N." (later used in a skit on Muddy Waters), and puts into a bass heavy beat that is possibly the best of that type on here (not counting the beats with more instrumentation, like "Bobyahed2dis" and "Can't Wait"). Meanwhile, Red delivers some of my favourite verses from him ever. "Fuck that, let's get to the point, my shit's the joint, I roast" - the way he delivers that deserves an Oscar on its own.
7. Boodah Session (prod. Redman)
It wouldn't be a Redman album without at least one insufferable skit, now, would it?
8. Cosmic Slop (feat. Erick Sermon & Keith Murray) (prod. Redman, co-prod. Erick Sermon)
One of the first Def Squad group tracks, this is also definitely one of the best. The beat on here is powerful, with its intense pianos providing the most haunting soundscape yet on this album, and all of the rappers give some of their best performances I've heard from them. The best verse in my opinion belongs to Keith Murray, who delivers some great rhymes towards the end of the track - I especially love the way he says "amazing manifestations" - isn't it just great when rappers use big words? Those high-pitched voices in the middle were bloody horrific, though, so this ain't completely perfect, that's for sure.
9. Rockafella (R.I.P.) (prod. Redman)
Since the lead single was dedicated to Reggie's friend who sadly passed away, Red decided to show listeners what the guy was made of, and he actually shows some real potential. I could talk all day about the problems with all the gang-related violence in America, but instead I'll decide to give shout out to the transition into this song, with Erick's "Pop in the disc and who the hell is this?" from "Cosmic Slop" being one of the best ways to start up a following track I've ever heard.
10. Rockafella (prod. Redman)
11. Green Island (prod. Redman)
This remained Reggie's longest song up to the track "WutchooGonnaDo" off Red Gone Wild (well, solo track at least - the "Def Squad Delite" track by Def Squad was almost 7 minutes, remember), and even that one had a long skit on the end. This track is manic, with Red doing some weird obnoxious singing over this Hawaiian, palm beach sounding instrumental, and it sounds pretty odd if I'm honest. The verses are all phenomenal though, even the hilarious Uncle Quilly verse. The concept for this is pretty funny as well, and the nod to "Redman Meets Reggie Noble" at the end was very much appreciated. Absolutely hilarious track.
12. Basically (prod. Redman)
Redman spits some mind-boggling bars over some hard production, on what he himself considers an "interlude", but what really should be considered a full song. This is a dope lyrical display, and definitely one of the best songs on here. The diss to Run-DMC was pretty damn interesting as well.
13. Can't Wait (prod. Erick Sermon, co-prod. Redman)
14. Winicumuhround (prod. Erick Sermon, co-prod. Redman)
Notable for sampling part of Hurricane G's part on Red's track "Tonight's Da Night", also notable for having the word "cum" in the title. The beat on here is energetic as hell, and I like the way that Red acknowledged that the phrase in the aforementioned title was also used in a sample on the hook of the track "Watch Yo Nuggets" from the previous album. That's something that a nerd like me just lives for. This one is very good, even if it doesn't do too much to stand out from the pack.
15. Wuditlooklike (prod. Redman)
Apparently, Red liked the idea of cramming all the different words in the title into one word so much that he immediately did it again. I have no idea why these two songs were sequenced next to each other, but it is what it is, I guess. The interpolation of Jim Carrey's famous "Eeeeeelike a glove!" from the film Ace Ventura is a hilarious way to open this up, and this song actually stands out by having one of the trippiest instrumentals here. Big fan of this one.
16. Slide and Rock On (prod. Redman)
Didn't like this song one bit. The intro is corny, the beat is dull, the samples on the hook sound like SHIT, and the verses do nothing to stand out. Utterly miserable listen. How the fuck did this end up on the album?
17. Sooperman Luva II (prod. Redman)
After that abomination, Red decides he has to save the listeners from his own music by reintroducing us to the one and only Sooperman Luva, who's name is inexplicably spelt differently to how it was last time we saw him (the "luva" was actually spelled correctly last time). This track is thankfully excellent, though, with the storytelling being even more captivating than before, and the beat giving a fairly radio-friendly vibe, yet still sounding pretty gutter. The sound effects that end this track are really intriguing too.
18. We Run N.Y. (feat. Hurricane Gee) (prod. Redman)
Samples KRS-One's "Sound Of Da Police", as does the infamous Jay-Z song "Takeover", so there's your first reason to listen to this if you haven't already. Dr. Trevis pops up for the first time on an actual song (rather than just a skit), and the results sound excellent. Hurricane G (or "Gee", as she was going by at the time) sounds annoying as usual on here, but at least her lyrics are good, and Redman delivers some excellent verses over this layered and menacing production. The best thing about this is that Red isn't even from New York (he's from Newark, New Jersey, as fans of Doc's Da Name 2000 will surely know), which I think is just hilarious to be honest. One of the best songs here.
19. Dr. Trevis (Signs Off) (prod. Redman)
This outro appears to take you up a lift, out of the hell that Redman attempted to present on this album, ironic since most of this album is genuinely heavenly. The beat from the aforementioned "Rockafella (Remix)" plays for a bit here too, which is worth noting.
The following is a bonus track only on the CD, since those paying less money deserve to get an extra song, of course. Why didn't they do vinyl-only bonus tracks? That would have made a hell of a lot more sense.
20. Tonight's Da Nite (Remix) (prod. Redman)
The title is spelled differently to on the original, which is hilARIOUS, and also has a bit of foreshadowing - this song is completely different to the original. This one is more upbeat and funky, and actually wouldn't sound out of place on Whut? Thee Album, and that is without doubt a good thing. The beat is excellent, and Redman's verses (at least until he starts droning on about random shit at the end) are very energetic. This is a great track, and surprisingly pretty much on a par with the original, which is very unusual for a remix (see Red's own "Blow Your Mind (Remix)").
Overall, Dare Iz A Darkside is very nearly as good as Redman's classic debut album. On the one hand, this album has only one skit (not counting the intro and outro), which is always going to be a positive (sadly, Redman would never leave an album so free of skits again, at least not until he was far beyond his musical prime), as Redman's skits are never particularly great (something that becomes more and more abundantly clear as we work our way through his catalogue). However, this album does get a bit samey as we make our way into the second half, and there's one absolutely DREADFUL track on there too (see if you can guess which one). Therefore, this album is slightly below Red's debut for me. Still, this album probably does display the greatest lyricism we ever got from Redman, and also the best beats that he ever produced himself. It's a difficult one to rank the albums of mr. R. Noble, and it will become even more difficult when we get to his next album, but the one thing that is clear is that this is a classic album, and a must hear for anyone who enjoys Busta Rhymes, Ol' Dirty Bastard, or any kind of slightly left-field hip-hop. A phenomenal piece of work.
Best Tracks: Bobyahed2dis, Journey Throo Da Darkside, Noorotic, Green Island, Basically, Can't Wait, Sooperman Luva II, We Run N.Y.
Worst Tracks: Slide and Rock On
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