Welcome aboard, and......
Are you looking for this kind of color on your barbecue during the first part of your cook? Barbecue men from yesteryear didn't know what the
Maillard reaction was, but they sure knew what they liked and
tending meat on the pit was very important.
View attachment 655960
As others mentioned, simple sugars in your rub or something like apple juice for spritzing, combined with your pit temp (and drafting of your pit) can cause early darkening. Some commercial rubs use turbinado sugar which can handle higher temps. And,
Too much of even a trusted rub can be the culprit also. I go pretty light on seasonings, they are after all, meant to accent the meat. The old saying "less is more better" holds true.
Foil is a tool, not a rule. Wrapping can help if your barbecue (especially brisket and butts) are not tendering up like you planned, or your food is too smokey, or is getting too dark, or is drier than you like. The old saying "wrap on color, pull on tenderness" is true.
Water for spritzing works great for setting bark, and keeping it moist, so maybe play around with that option. Spray oil or spray butter (in moderation) during the early stages of cooking can have an influence too.
You have plenty of tips in this thread, use them one or two at a time and see what works for you.