Dare Iz a Darkside
| Dare Iz A Darkside | ||||||||||
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| Studio album by Redman | ||||||||||
| Released | November 22, 1994 | |||||||||
| Recorded | March 1993 – August 1994 | |||||||||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||||||||
| Length | 68:37 | |||||||||
| Label | Def Jam | |||||||||
| Producer | Erick Sermon (exec.), Reggie Noble, Rockwilder | |||||||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Q | |
| RapReviews | (9/10) |
| The Source | |
| Vibe | (favorable) |
Dare Iz a Darkside is the second studio album by American rapper Redman. It was released on November 22, 1994, by Def Jam Recordings. The album debuted at 13 on the US Billboard 200. In January 1995, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), exceeding the sales of 500,000 copies in the United States.
The album cover features Redman buried in the ground up to his neck, a reference to the cover of Funkadelic's 1971 album Maggot Brain. In addition, the song "Cosmic Slop" shares its name with a 1973 Funkadelic album.
In 2010, Redman told Vibe Magazine that he never performed any songs from Dare Iz A Darkside in recent years - primarily due to the album being made during one of the dark times in his life. The positive reaction to the album stunned Redman, who said "I was doing a lot of drugs on Dare Iz A Darkside. I have chicks that come up to me and say, 'Yo, Dare Iz A Darkside is my favorite fuckin' album, ever.' I swear, I have not played Dare Iz A Darkside damn near since I did it. Seriously! I was so lost, I was so fucked up during that album".
Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic gave the album a mixed review, remarking that producer Erick Sermon, who plays a large role in the production of the album, "isn't up to his usual standards here." Birchmeier also noted Redman's eccentric personality on Darkside in particular may have alienated fans of his earlier work with EPMD. The Source gave it 4 stars. It is considered a cult classic by a section of Redman's fans who believed the album showed Redman at his most cynical and hardcore.
Information taken from Allmusic.
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