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Home > Rap > The Darkside, Vol. 1
The Darkside, Vol. 1 by Fat Joe

Fat Joe

The Darkside, Vol. 1

Release Date: Jul 27, 2010

Genre(s): Rap, Gangsta Rap, East Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap

Record label: E1 Entertainment

65

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Album Review: The Darkside, Vol. 1 by Fat Joe

Fairly Good, Based on 4 Critics

Entertainment Weekly - 79
Based on rating B+

Someone has to uphold New York rap traditionalism. Why not Fat Joe? He makes a reasonably convincing case for himself as an elder statesman of the style on his 10th album, The Darkside Vol. 1, firing off no-nonsense crime rhymes over soul samples as if the ?90s never ended. His inspiration trails off slightly toward the end, but at least half of these tracks will delight purists.

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AllMusic - 70
Based on rating 7/10

Longtime fans, and maybe even casual listeners, might have felt they were already well aware of Fat Joe’s dark side, especially on his early work and the Jealous Ones Envy trilogy of albums. Surprise -- he’s got even more hate in his heart, as The Darkside, Vol. 1 amps the anger, spraying machine-gun style across the world of hip-hop so recklessly you’d expect he’d never be offered another collaboration or guest shot.

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RapReviews.com - 70
Based on rating 7/10

Fat Joe :: The DarksideE1 EntertainmentAuthor: Steve 'Flash' JuonWhen Fat Joe Da Gangsta got his start back in the early 1990's as an affiliated D.I.T.C. member, his debut album struck many as having better production than rap skills. Over the next ten years+ Joe improved his diction and lyricism to the point that by "All or Nothing" in 2005 that Joe had won over his most ardent critics, proving he could offer compelling tales of gritty street life even while simultaneously engaged in a nasty public feud with 50 Cent.

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NOW Magazine - 40
Based on rating 2/5

If Fat Joe's last few albums were episodes of a TV series, you wouldn't make it through the season. You'd stop watching, unless you're an amnesiac who doesn't mind repeatedly suffering through the same clichéd narrative: fat kid from the Bronx perpetrates criminal acts, mainly crack-related (see I Am Crack), becomes a rich rapper, accumulates the required accessories of that lifestyle and carries on with his crack obsession. [rssbreak] Mir-crack-ulously, Joey Crack manages to flip off the autopilot a couple of times on The Darkside and talk about something interesting.

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