* En anglais uniquement
One of the key members of the mid-'90s Death Row Records empire, producer/rapper
Daz Dillinger worked alongside some of the West Coast's best rappers. Along with
Kurupt,
Nate Dogg, and
Snoop Dogg,
Dillinger (at time known as
Dat Nigga Daz) was one of the Long Beach, CA, clique that had been introduced to
Dr. Dre through
Warren G during the preliminary stages of the legendary Chronic album. Though
Dillinger played only a minor role in the success of that album, his subsequent contributions to
Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album as a rapper quickly established him as an up-and-coming West Coast talent. And when his production helped make
2Pac's
All Eyez on Me such a success, he was chosen to be
Dr. Dre's successor for the production of
Snoop's Tha Doggfather album.
Around the same time, he was part of a duo also including
Kurupt known as
tha Dogg Pound that released a somewhat overlooked album, Dogg Food. Then, following the departure of
Dr. Dre, the death of
2Pac, and the imprisonment of
Suge Knight, Death Row suddenly lost its momentum -- and
Dillinger's career with it. During the late '90s, he continued his efforts as a prolific producer but saw his long-finished solo album for Death Row, Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back, get continually pushed back until it was finally released in 1998 to an indifferent audience; the album did feature "In California," though, which proved to be a minor hit.
In 2000,
Dillinger released his second album,
R.A.W., on his Dogg Pound Records label. The record found
Dillinger dissing
Suge Knight, Death Row, and even his cousin
Snoop Dogg. Yet without major-label push, the album was greeted quietly. When
Kurupt announced his new position as vice president of Death Row Records in 2002,
Daz cut all ties with his former partner. This lasted until 2005 when the duo joined forces once again for the
Dogg Pound album
Cali Iz Active. A year later,
Daz signed with
Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label and released
So So Gangsta. ~ Jason Birchmeier