Daz Dillinger Albums (14)
'Only on the Left Side'
Release Date 8/12/2008
Tracks 17
Label Dog Pound Gangstaz
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What The Critics Say
When legendary West Coast rapper Daz Dillinger started beefing with the Death Row label -- and eventually with his old partner, Kurupt -- he made plenty of news, but it didn't seem like he made any major-label friends. Then 2006 rolls around and Death Row isn't a concern anymore, the Kurupt thing gets patched up, and Ice Cube puts the focus back on the West Coast by dropping the serious Laugh Now, Cry Later while Snoop Dogg gets Daz and Kurupt back together as Tha Dogg Pound and releases the wicked anthem "Cali Iz Active." All of a sudden, cool mogul Jermaine Dupri decides the time is right to call Daz up to his major-label-affiliated So So Def, and the wonderful "Daz Thang" single announces the relationship, bringing the revered but hidden rapper more exposure than he's gotten in many years. For whatever reason, the G-funky "Daz Thang" single doesn't land on So So Gangsta, which is a shame since Daz's first major-label solo release since 1998's Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back could use a little more of that album's old-school G-funk, but Dupri's slickness and the rapper's cold thugging mix surprisingly well, save a little filler. Dupri gives Daz and guest Rick Ross a crooked and creeping beat on the great "On Some Real," and enlists So So Def's house producer No I.D. to bring some theatrical drama in for the grand "Thang on My Hip." By the time "DPG Fo' Life" appears with Snoop, pure West Coast fans who want Daz to stay real will have probably forgotten he's working with the same folks Janet Jackson is, but they'll be reminded when the too sweet "The One" with Jagged Edge rolls around. While some redundancy towards the end and a couple of unnecessary guest stars keep this from being vital, it's generally a well-built effort, and just like Cube's 2006 release, So So Gangsta offers a veteran Left Coaster sounding as hungry as he did in the WC's heyday. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Samplin' to the Beat of the Drum'
Release Date 8/23/2005
Tracks 28
Label Gangsta Advisory
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'Gangsta Crunk'
Release Date 5/31/2005
Tracks 13
Label Gangsta Advisory
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'Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP'
Release Date 1/25/2005
Tracks 19
Label Gangsta Advisory
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What The Critics Say
Any hip-hop heads, apart from the most hateful haters, should be able to find it within themselves to respect Daz Dillinger to some extent. Despite not burning up the charts for a few years, Dillinger seems to now be content with lurking in the underground, releasing adequate-to-reputable albums and mixtapes every few months. Most rappers and producers squeezed into the underground after time spent at the top of the charts turn spiteful real quick and remain that way, growing increasingly embittered with each succession of platinum acts. Dillinger's cool with it all, documented in the thank yous within the liners of Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP: "Everybody out there making it happen... the whole hip-hop unit... we on top of the world right now, lets [sic] keep it that way!" His contentment with the state of hip-hop, and life in general, bleeds all through Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP, a raunchy laid-back party record for most of its duration. It's West Coast through and through, despite hip-hop's swing to the South that has increased in significance since the late '90s. Dillinger defiantly sticks to the same musical sources -- the '70s and '80s electrified funk that became a West Coast signature remains, so Zapp and Funkadelic/Parliament nods are served up nonstop. This has more to do with Dillinger knowing what he does best than creative bankruptcy. Though the album is predominantly hedonistic and fun-loving, its few diversions into full-on menace (the swirling, booming "Get a Dose of Dis Hot Ish" is one of his best productions) and poignant contemplation make the affair well-rounded. Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP isn't destined to wake up the West Coast like the Game's debut album, released just a week prior on a much bigger label, but it should have no trouble pleasing those willing to give it a shot. It's not a bad prelude to the next Dr. Dre album, either, even if it's done on a much smaller budget. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
'I Got Love in These Streetz'
Release Date 2/24/2004
Tracks 18
Label Red Urban
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What The Critics Say
Relative to his days on Death Row Records, when he was part of tha Dogg Pound, the early 2000s weren't a particularly golden time for Daz Dillinger. His 15 minutes of fame had come and gone all too quickly. He'd gone from major-label fame to minor-league hunger, and his music suffered as well, sounding hasty and bitter rather than flashy and brash. However, a quitter he wasn't. While his onetime Dogg Pound partner Kurupt threw in the towel and dropped out of sight for years, Daz ground away on the underground circuit. For instance, he launched his own label and, via his website, churned out a number of releases -- some of them solo albums, others mixtape compilations, one after the other with only months separating them. These weren't especially great releases, granted, but he at least maintained his integrity and refused to quit, even if he now found himself on a serious budget relative to his major-label days when he was presumably awash in Death Row cash. I Got Love in These Streetz is one of his better releases from this era of struggle. It's "street" in every sense: the production sounds homemade, the packaging looks Xeroxed, the themes are hood-oriented, and Daz seems hungry. Sure, that doesn't seem all that appealing, in an MTV sense, yet this is precisely the album's charm. It is what it is, and in a word, it's underground. Daz is going it alone here. He released the album independently on his Gangsta Advisory Recordingz label, produced all the beats himself, hawks T-shirts on the inside cover, promotes his website shamelessly, and proclaims his love for the streets from the get-go (hoping they'll in turn love him). As for the music, well, it's only a notch or two above run of the mill as far as West Coast gangsta rap goes, but give Daz points for integrity and an A for effort. In an age where every rapper brags and boasts about money and fame, Daz isn't ashamed to be himself -- a truly underground gangsta rapper struggling to just get by -- and that in itself is something to write about. For a refreshing change, here's a brother who truly "keeps it real." And that's gangsta in every sense of the word. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Following a number of mixtape-like releases, DPGC: U Know What I'm Throwin' Up finds Daz Dillinger back in good shape. Those mixtapes offered plenty of value for your dollar, but they weren't particularly well-crafted releases, emphasizing guest appearances rather than songwriting. In contrast, DPGC manages to emphasize both: there's a wealth of collaborations here (practically every track, in fact), but there's also a welcomed emphasis on developing the tracks into actual songs. This makes it one of Daz's better releases during the early 2000s, right up there with his other "albums" like Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back (1998), R.A.W. (2000), and This Is the Life I Lead (2002). His collaborations with Snoop Dogg and Soopafly are particularly noteworthy, and the excessive number of skits (practically every other track) is a mixed blessing. They're insightful and often funny but lose their charm after repeated listens. Thankfully, they're short and easy to skip over. Overall, DPGC is one of Daz's best and one to look for if you're a fan. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'To Live and Die in CA'
Release Date 10/1/2002
Tracks 19
Label Hogglife Ent.
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What The Critics Say
Like his Who Ride Wit Us album from a year earlier, To Live and Die in CA is more of a compilation than a proper album. There are more guest rappers here than you can count on six hands, and they all spit their game over the course of 19 tracks, which doesn't leave a lot of room for songwriting or other such craftsmanship. Think of this as a West Coast gangsta rap mixtape with the Daz stamp of approval -- even though Daz isn't featured all that prominently, oddly enough. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
