After
Daz Dillinger's Death Row debut,
Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back, was greeted by an indifferent audience despite being a quality West Coast release, the rapper/producer returned in mid-2000 with
R.A.W. on his own Dogg Pound Records label. Aesthetically similar to his days with Death Row,
R.A.W. should please anyone who misses the mid-'90s G-funk sound, particularly
Dillinger's more acclaimed work:
tha Dogg Pound's
Dogg Food,
Snoop Dogg's
Tha Doggfather, and
2Pac's
All Eyez on Me.
Kurupt plays a big role here, as does
Soopafly, another of
Dillinger's peers from the Death Row days; other guests include Mac Shawn, Tray Deee, and
Lil' C-Style. "What It Is" stands out on the album, mostly because
Daz speaks up about his bitter feelings toward Death Row and, surprisingly, his cousin
Snoop Dogg. "Who's Knocking at My Door" also stands out with a great beat, and "I'd Rather Lie to You" finds the rapper tackling some serious issues. Overall, this album is hurt by its lack of major-label polish and also from its compiled feel. Mostly because of these reasons, and also because
Daz isn't one of the West Coast's best rappers, this album isn't as great as it could be. As might be expected, the production is the album's most notable feature, making
R.A.W. worth seeking out if you are a fan of
Dillinger's trademark West Coast beats. And finally, though the album isn't as well-crafted as
Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back, it does find a more mature
Daz, which is a welcome change over the theatrical Death Row posing that hampers his mid-'90s work. ~ Jason Birchmeier