You are now about to embark on a unique adventure where time,
sound, and reality all have different meaning. No you won't be
hanging with Pee-Wee Herman money, your guide for this ride is
none other than Reggie Noble BKA Redman, and the place with all
the bass just happens to be The Dark Side. There's no need to go
into how Redman came on the scene housin' $%&! right ? What!
Your memory is failing you? Don't ask somebody, I'm about to
school ya. After years tearing it out the frame doing classic
freestyles across the Tri-state area, Redman burst out upon the
Hip-Hop scene in 1991 by catching wreck with his gift of vocab on
the EPMD tracks "Hardcore and "Brothers On My Jock." Soon after
he gained more props by releasing his first funky single "Blow Your
Mind" off the now Gold debut album "Whut? Thee Album." It
contained gem tracks such as "Time 4 some Akshun" and "Tonight's
The Night." Besides that, Redman was also a powerful force in The
Hit Squad, a crew in Hip-Hop so revered any mention of the name
brought instant respect.
But that was two years
ago, and a lot has
happened in between. In
1993 Redman was
voted by The Source as
the top rap artist of the
year. And Now Redman
returns to reveal "Dare
Is A Dark Side", his
highly anticipated
follow-up on Def Jam
Recordings. The title for
the new platter came
easily as the mc has gone through a barrage of stress, trials and
tribulations career wise, in addition to the everyday struggle of
maintaining out in society. After a quick trip to the corner store for a
couple of phillips, he broke it down to me, "My meaning of the dark
side is deep and real. All that shit I was GOING thou, I was like "This
don't make sense." So you know what? I may just let shit go on this
album to the dark side. Everybody's got a dark side, but they don't
let it come out by pretending and grinning up in your face, and when
they get home, they're on a whole different note. It wasn't about no
gimmick. It's strictly real. The shit is dark but it's still funky."
Ah yes, the funk. That word combined
with Redman go together like rice and
beans. "Dare Is A Dark Side" packs the
same quality head-noddin' funk the
Hip-Hop nation came to love about
"Whut...", but it also contains if possible a
heavier bottom groove on 17 tracks. For
example the first single, "Rockafella"
contains hypnotizing bassline that
symbolizes traditional east coast funk,
cleverly merged with snippets of samples
that will undoubtedly bring mad love from
the west. "Rockafella" is also a personal
special jam as it's dedicated to his man
Rockafella, who was tragically gunned
down just before the process of Redman putting him on. Redman
states, "He had mad songs and he gave 'em to me because I was
trying to let people hear him and stuff.
So I was like fuck it, I can't do nothing but let the world hear him (on
the intro). The track "Cosmic Slop" features Redman gettin' biz with
his present Def Squad family members Keith Murray and Erick
Sermon the only way they know how. "Can't Wait" is a padlock to be
a favorite in the rides as it carries the same vein of the previous
butter track "Tonight"'s The Night." The joint "Green Island" finds
Reggie Noble flippin' lyrics over a Caribbean -type beat to be
believed. Other dope tracks such as "Da Game" and "Slide And
Rock On" spotlights Redman doing what he does best, rhyming his
ass of while even more importantly, showing us his captivating
personality that gets heads open. Not too many mc's can lift the
choruses from "Hey D.J." and a Prince jam, and in a comedic
fashion, flip them, and be talking about blunts, But the treats don't
end there. The funkadelic devil does a wicked duet with Hurricane G
on "Werun N.Y." and every single person that dug the first album
"Sooperman Luva." Redman has succeeded again on the
production tip. He knocked five joints himself, while benefiting from
the fly skills of the Funklord Erick Sermon and coming Funky Noble
Productions producer Rockwilder who completed the package with
him.
So there you have it. Redman is back wit' the dope. After hearing
this joint for one listen y'all won't be so afraid of the "dark" anymore.
