Guests make up weight of album

Fat Joe is a New York native, a fact he makes clear in each of his raps. The mood of his albums simply reeks of New York gangster rap, and “The Darkside Vol. 1” is no exception.

Fans of New York rappers Nas, Notorious B.I.G. or Big Pun might love this album. It is full of the these rappers’ influence with some impressive lyrical moments and lives up to the title “Darkside,” with frequent mentions of drug use and violence — even for a rap album.

The album also contains a stellar lineup of features. Trey Songz, R. Kelly, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes turn some average tracks into standouts.

Still, the album may be too reliant on collaborations, as the best tracks all have guest appearances.

“The Darkside” is by no means the most impressive rap album of the summer. It is worth a listen for that great New York style but suffers from being too average.
Not a bad album, but nothing new or overly impressive here.