Even in Darkness by Dungeon Family (Album, Southern Hip Hop): Reviews, Ratings, Credits, Song list - Rate Your Music
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Even in Darkness
By Dungeon Family
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ArtistDungeon Family
TypeAlbum
Released6 November 2001
RYM Rating 3.41 / 5.00.5 from 502 ratings
Ranked#502 for 2001
Genres
Descriptors
playful, urban, male vocalist, rhythmic, eclectic, energetic, melodic
Language English

Track listing

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2nd Generation
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Issues

2 Issues

2 Issues

Credits

Credits

12 Reviews

Page 1 2 >>
▼ 4.00 stars
  •   1 Intro: Presenting Dungeon Family
  • 4.50 stars 2 Crooked Booty
  • 4.00 stars 3 Follow the Light
  • 4.00 stars 4 Trans DF Express
  • 4.00 stars 5 On & On & On
  • 4.00 stars 6 Emergency
  • 4.00 stars 7 Forever Pimpin' (Never Slippin')
  • 4.50 stars 8 6 Minutes (Dungeon Family It's On)
  • 4.00 stars 9 White Gutz
  • 4.00 stars 10 Rollin'
  • 4.00 stars 11 They Comin'...
  • 4.00 stars 12 Excalibur
  • 4.00 stars 13 What Iz Rap?
  • 4.50 stars 14 Curtains (DF 2nd Generation) (Outro)
This is yet another one of those hidden gems. I didn't know about this album until after a couple years of listening to OutKast and Goodie Mob. Anyway, Dungeon Family (For those of you who don't know) are OutKast and Goodie Mob combined, in addition to: Cool Breeze, Big Rube, Sleepy Brown, Ray, Rico, Mr. DJ, Backbone, Witchdoctor, and Freddie Calhoun. Even Killer Mike is on here too! And he's so dope. Of course, Andre, Big Boi, and Cee-Lo are the best on here (Cee-Lo just has that awesome singing-rapping style) but everyone else seems to keep things moving. The rapping is so great because you have so much variety in the voices. The lyrics are fun, fresh and clever. The production on here is also very strong. It's that organic, funky, southern fried sound that Organized Noise is known for. I really can't get enough of this. Consistency isn't an issue either as it's about 58 minutes which is the perfect length for an album. Pretty much every song on this album is fire, I don't really dislike any of it. There are also plenty of standouts. I don't really have a ton to say about this one, I just love it so much. For those who have fully digested OutKast and Goodie Mob, you really need this in your collection.
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 4.00 stars
I'm pretty confused as to why this rating is only a 3.4, I mean, whats not to love about this? The hooks are awesome, the production bumps and these guys all rap very proficiently. GOOD RECORD
Published
▼ 4.00 stars
  • 4.00 stars 1 Intro: Presenting Dungeon Family
  • 4.50 stars 2 Crooked Booty
  • 5.00 stars 3 Follow the Light
  • 4.00 stars 4 Trans DF Express
  • 4.00 stars 5 On & On & On
  • 4.00 stars 6 Emergency
  • 4.00 stars 7 Forever Pimpin' (Never Slippin')
  • 4.00 stars 8 6 Minutes (Dungeon Family It's On)
  • 4.00 stars 9 White Gutz
  • 4.00 stars 10 Rollin'
  • 4.00 stars 11 They Comin'...
  • 4.00 stars 12 Excalibur
  • 3.50 stars 13 What Iz Rap?
  • 3.50 stars 14 Curtains (DF 2nd Generation) (Outro)
Lyrics: 4.0
Beats: 4.0


Dungeon Family's Even in Darkness is one of the most slept on albums, period. If you compare just how popular Outkast (and to a lesser extent Goodie Mob) albums are compared to this, it's just ridiculous. This is an Outkast album pretty much. The production is provided by Earthtone III and Organized Noise, and guess what? That's the same production credits that you get on an Outkast album. Dungeon Family just means that there is more people rapping, and that includes a Cee-Lo in his prime (+ the rest of Goodie Mob), Killer Mike, Witchdoctor... it's not like anyone in this crew is short of excellent! On top of that you get the amazing productions (continuation of Stankonia pretty much), songs with original structures and just pure southern madness. I don't know if it was lack of promotion that didn't do this album justice, but damn everything that's needed to make a great album is included here and there's pretty much no flaws with it. I've loved this from the first time I got it, and it remains something that I think is really great and didn't lose much of its power with the years. Fans of Outkast should not sleep on this, it's really the missing link between Stankonia and Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. BREAK
Published
▼ 3.50 stars
  • 3.00 stars 1 Intro: Presenting Dungeon Family
  • 4.50 stars 2 Crooked Booty
  • 4.00 stars 3 Follow the Light
  • 4.50 stars 4 Trans DF Express
  • 4.00 stars 5 On & On & On
  • 3.00 stars 6 Emergency
  • 3.50 stars 7 Forever Pimpin' (Never Slippin')
  • 4.00 stars 8 6 Minutes (Dungeon Family It's On)
  • 3.00 stars 9 White Gutz
  • 3.50 stars 10 Rollin' (feat. Society of Soul)
  • 3.00 stars 11 They Comin'...
  • 3.50 stars 12 Excalibur
  • 3.50 stars 13 What Iz Rap?
  • 4.00 stars 14 Curtains (DF 2nd Generation) (Outro)
Even in Darkness (Produced by Organized Noize unless noted) [LaFace Records 2001]

1|Intro: Presenting Dungeon Family (feat. Killer Mike)|1:38 (Produced by Earthtone III) 3 - 3.25
2|Crooked Booty|5:04 (Produced by Earthtone III) 4.25 - 5
3|Follow the Light (feat. Shuga Love)|4:24 4 - 4.25
4|Trans DF Express|4:48 4 - 4.75
5|On & On & On (feat. Nivea)|4:00 (Produced by Earthtone III) 3.75 - 4
6|Emergency (feat. Mello)|5:02 3
I'm not sure if I'm actually this indifferent to the song, but my main impression of it is endlessness.
7|Forever Pimpin' (Never Slippin')|1:40 3 - 3.5
8|6 Minutes (Dungeon Family It's On)|5:34 4 - 4.25
9|White Gutz (feat. Bubba Sparxxx)|4:26 3 - 3.5
10|Rollin' (feat. Society of Soul)|4:20 3 - 3.75
11|They Comin'...|3:23 (Produced by Earthtone III) 3
12|Excalibur|5:32 3.5 - 4
13|What Iz Rap?|4:01 3 - 3.75
14|Curtains (DF 2nd Generation) (feat. Blvd. International, Brother James, C-Bone, ChamDon, Killer Mike, Nathaniel, Lil' Will & Slimm Calhoun)|4:40 4
I think it says plenty about where DF was headed that C-Bone is the only guy here still doing anything recording-wise, and that's mainly because he's Big Boi's boy.

Overall: 50 - 52.5 3.66/5 71 - 75%: Impressive; well above average; TRY IT

Even in Darkness is just such a weird album, right? I've had it sitting on my iPod for over a month now, hoping I could figure out what I have to say about the thing, but I'm in the same position I've been for a decade: Even in Darkness is a classic example of being so underrated it's actually overrated while at the same time being the inverse. If I had to guess why that is, obviously I'd get to pointing my fingers at the various egos at play pretty early. Everything about this album's execution just feels like a dozen prototypes looping through each other. The best analogy I can think of is all-star sporting events of any kind. On paper, these are often the best competitions of the year without question. But then the game actually happens, and even at its best it tends to look like a middle schooler's sketch of the sport.

What makes Even in Darkness unremarkable to me, more than anything else, is how little I feel like the crew tried once they stumbled onto a decent idea. Organized Noize are legends but Even in Darkness is clearly one of their less remarkable projects. The music tends to feel a little robotic, as if they just plugged some instruments into a formula and called it a loop. At Even in Darkness' best you're not mistaking it for the painstakingly singular projects Dungeon Family had been releasing in more pared down circumstances. That's an unfortunate weight on Even in Darkness' shoulders, but it is a real one. Even in Darkness can sound very much like it's supposed to be impressive, yet for whatever psychological reason it just isn't, not fully. Cee-Lo steals the show with Big Boi and Andre right behind, and normally you say that about any album it's an automatic sell. Most of the album just gives off this dully unsatisfying vibe that it's the second best thing this combination had to offer.

Truthfully, Even in Darkness is a pretty damn good album. I have a weird time with it, though.
Published
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 4.00 stars
Considering who's on this album, this is the most underrated in hip hop. This is the Dungeon Family, which contains OutKast on the heels of their #1 single "Ms. Jackson", not to mention this came out when "The Whole World" was a big single. Goodie Mob, the hip hop group in which Cee-Lo (AKA the "Crazy" and "Fuck You" guy) is a member, is on here. Killer Mike is on here. Organized Noize and OutKast (people who are solely on the credits of ATLiens and Aquemini) produce the whole thing. This album barely has more ratings than fellow collective record We Are Young Money, which was absolute dogshit. Simply these are artists predominantly known for social commentary making an album of fun southern rap. Absolutely worth a listen.
Published
2.00 stars
Didn't cut it

Wa-wa all-star lineup, wa-wa dirty south, wa-wa-wa classic.

I don't like much southern rap. I like Cee-Lo, Outkast is OK (but not on this album) - the rest on here are a bunch of nobody fillers who get drowned out by the few good verses done by those aforementioned MC's and producers with actual skill.
Published
3.00 stars
Hwah?? Why oh why did this come out half-baked? Witchdoctor, Goodie Mob, Sleepy Brown, Outkast, P.A. (and some other guys). That should result in amazing shit. But it's only ok. My guess, as it is for the rest of these frighteningly plentiful sub-par super-collabs in rap, is that too much talent in one room doesn't make for a good work environment. Though many of them had already hit their peak, I'd say this sadly marks the official decline of the Dungeon Family. A graceful one for some of them, but a decline is a decline. The South's golden age was over, and their commercial golden age was on the rise with out the faithful stewards of the Dungeon Fam to watch over things.

Rating: 3
Highlights: On & On & On, 6 Minutes, They Comin', What Iz Rap
Published
1.00 stars
This album is fire when Cee-Lo starts a-rappin', even Outkast shines brighter here then on their other exploit of thee turn of thee century. Unfortunately having a full family doesn't really bring that Wu-Tang style of every verse being great; instead it just makes those stars stand above thee rest. Still, "Trans d/f Express" has katchiness in spades 'n' "Crooked Booty" is one of thee most fabulous hip hop songs of thee past 5 years with its erratic beat 'n' soulful singing - an experiment that paid off. This album is strange because I would surely recommend one hear it; altho reminiscing on it, it's really not that great.
Published
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Catalog

Ratings: 502
Cataloged: 427
Track rating sets:Track ratings: 42
Rating distribution
Rating trend
Page 1 2 3 .. 6 .. 10 .. 13 .. 17 .. 20 .. 23 .. 27 .. 30 .. 34 >>
21 Mar 2024
Perpo  4.00 stars
12 Mar 2024
Czandler_Bing  3.00 stars ➅ / ➉
10 Mar 2024
Water2112  5.00 stars Long Live Walnut Street
8 Mar 2024
forbiddencolours Owned3.50 stars
8 Mar 2024
hahahawkers  4.00 stars Extraordinary
2 Mar 2024
stupidPilled  4.50 stars rad as fuck
26 Feb 2024
PadekR  ▼4.00 stars Lovely
  • 4.50 stars 1 Intro: Presenting Dungeon Family
  • 3.50 stars 2 Crooked Booty
  • 5.00 stars 3 Follow the Light
  • 4.50 stars 4 Trans DF Express
  • 4.00 stars 5 On & On & On
  • 3.50 stars 6 Emergency
  • 3.50 stars 7 Forever Pimpin' (Never Slippin')
  • 4.50 stars 8 6 Minutes (Dungeon Family It's On)
  • 4.00 stars 9 White Gutz
  • 3.50 stars 10 Rollin'
  • 4.00 stars 11 They Comin'...
  • 4.00 stars 12 Excalibur
  • 3.50 stars 13 What Iz Rap?
  • 4.00 stars 14 Curtains (DF 2nd Generation) (Outro)
20 Feb 2024
Weed_Alien  2.00 stars
15 Feb 2024
KCharbzz12  3.50 stars
11 Feb 2024
Herzog4life  3.50 stars Good
4 Feb 2024
Buzika  3.50 stars
29 Jan 2024
vipero16 Digital▼4.00 stars
  • 4.00 stars 1 Intro: Presenting Dungeon Family
  • 4.00 stars 2 Crooked Booty
  • 4.00 stars 3 Follow the Light
  • 4.00 stars 4 Trans DF Express
  •   5 On & On & On
  • 4.00 stars 6 Emergency
  •   7 Forever Pimpin' (Never Slippin')
  • 4.00 stars 8 6 Minutes (Dungeon Family It's On)
  • 4.00 stars 9 White Gutz
  • 4.00 stars 10 Rollin'
  • 4.00 stars 11 They Comin'...
  • 4.00 stars 12 Excalibur
  •   13 What Iz Rap?
  • 4.00 stars 14 Curtains (DF 2nd Generation) (Outro)
19 Jan 2024
KahiaNyaaa  3.50 stars PRETTY GOOD
5 Jan 2024
Pyngyn Digital3.00 stars Hat-P-7b
4 Jan 2024
bosco211  3.00 stars
Cover art for Even in Darkness by Dungeon Family
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2nd Generation
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Track listing

Credits

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Contributions

Contributors to this release: meridia, CrazieCabbie, coolidge, diction, voodookat, Nodima, aslikein, Superkyle, Jafs, shadowthrone
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