Daz Dillinger

Last updated

Daz Dillinger
Daz Dillinger.jpg
Daz Dillinger in 2015
Background information
Birth nameDelmar Drew Arnaud
Also known as
  • Daz
  • Dat Nigga Daz
  • Diggity Daz
  • Daz Dilly
  • Dilly Tha Dogg
Born (1973-05-25) May 25, 1973 (age 51)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • record producer
  • songwriter
Years active1992–present
Labels
Member of Tha Dogg Pound

Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973), known professionally as Daz Dillinger or simply Daz (formerly Dat Nigga Daz), is an American rapper and record producer. As a member of Death Row Records in the early 1990s, he is credited with the label in pioneering West Coast hip hop and gangsta rap for mainstream audiences. Alongside Kurupt, he formed the hip hop duo tha Dogg Pound in 1992, with whom he has released eight albums.

Contents

Arnaud learned production from Dr. Dre; his first major production credit was on Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic (1992). He further produced for his cousin, Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle (1993), as well as Tupac Shakur's All Eyez on Me (1996). His debut studio album, Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back (1998) peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and served as his only project with Death Row before founding his own label, Gangsta Advisory Records in 2000 and co-founding D.P.G. Recordz with Soopafly that same year.

Early life

Daz Dillinger was born and raised in Long Beach, California, [1] as was his older cousin Snoop Dogg.

Career

Start at Death Row (1992–1995)

Daz began his music career at the age of 19, when he signed to Death Row Records and learned music production from Dr. Dre. [2] After joining the Death Row label, Daz was featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic , in 1992; he contributed both rapping and production to the album. [3] During this period, Daz also befriended the rapper Kurupt, and the two formed a duo called Tha Dogg Pound.

The Dogg Pound appeared on Snoop Dogg's debut solo album, Doggystyle , which was released as Death Row's second album on November 23, 1993. Formally, Daz received co-production credits on two of Doggystyle's tracks, "Serial Killa" and "For All My Niggaz & Bitches"; however, Daz maintains that he provided uncredited production for large portions of the album, and Death Row CEO Suge Knight has remarked that "Daz did pretty much the whole album [Doggystyle]". [4] [5] Daz also produced tracks for the soundtracks to Above the Rim and Murder Was the Case .

In their single "What Would You Do?", Tha Dogg Pound sided with Dr. Dre against his former N.W.A groupmate Eazy-E and his label Ruthless Records. Later, as the ongoing East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry began to escalate, Tha Dogg Pound recorded the single "New York, New York", which slighted the city. Tha Dogg Pound followed these tracks with their debut album, 1995's Dogg Food , which was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Growth at Death Row Records (1996–1998)

As the East–West rap rivalry intensified, Death Row's lead producer Dr. Dre increasingly distanced himself from the studio, disliking the studio's atmosphere and Suge Knight's leadership.[ citation needed ] In 1996, Tupac Shakur released his first Death Row album, All Eyez on Me ; this album featured only three tracks produced by Dr. Dre, while Daz produced five tracks for the album, including the singles "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" and "I Ain't Mad at Cha". The commercial success of All Eyez on Me raised Daz's stature as a producer, and he provided production to numerous Death Row albums – including Snoop Dogg's Tha Doggfather , Nate Dogg's G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2 , and the Lady of Rage's Necessary Roughness – in 1996 and 1997. Daz also contributed to the soundtrack of the 1997 film Gridlock'd .

Dr. Dre left Death Row in March 1996 to found the label Aftermath Entertainment. After Tupac was murdered in 1996, followed by Suge Knight being sentenced to prison for parole violations in 1997, numerous other artists (including Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg) departed from Death Row as well; this left Daz as the only platinum-selling artist remaining on the Death Row roster. [6] Daz released his debut solo album, Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back , through Death Row Records in March 1998; however, he too left the label later that year.[ citation needed ]

D.P.G. Recordz and indie releases (post-1999)

After leaving Death Row Records, Daz produced for artists like Kurupt, Soopafly, And B-Legit. He also established his own label, D.P.G. Recordz, on which he released his second solo album, 2000's R.A.W . In the following years, Daz has continued to focus on his own indie releases and sales; [1] as of 2023, he has released a total of eighteen solo albums.

Daz and Kurupt reunited to release a second collaborative album, Dillinger & Young Gotti , in 2001; because Death Row still owned the name "Tha Dogg Pound", they released Dillinger & Young Gotti under the name DPG. Despite this collaboration, relations deteriorated between the two rappers after Kurupt signed to Death Row Records once more, and Daz repeatedly insulted Kurupt in songs and interviews. [7] Daz and Kurupt ultimately reconciled at a West Coast unity event that Snoop Dogg hosted in 2005. [8] After gaining rights to the moniker "Tha Dogg Pound", Kurupt left Death Row again, and Daz closed his brief time at Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. Since then, Tha Dogg Pound has released several more albums, including a prolific streak of five albums between 2005 and 2010.

In 2020 Daz united with Queens MC Capone (one half of Capone-N-Noreaga) for a collaborative album titled Guidelines. [9]

Discography

Studio albums

Collaborative albums

Awards

Related Research Articles

<i>Doggystyle</i> 1993 studio album by Snoop Doggy Dogg

Doggystyle is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop Doggy Dogg's appearances on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic (1992), to which Snoop contributed significantly. The West Coast style in hip-hop that he developed from Dre's first album continued on Doggystyle. Critics have praised Snoop Dogg for the lyrical "realism" that he delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow.

Robin Yvette Allen, known professionally as The Lady of Rage, is an American rapper, singer and actress best known for her collaborations with several other Death Row Records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on the seminal albums, The Chronic and Doggystyle. The Lady of Rage has been described as "one of the most skillful female MCs" with a "mastery of flow" and "hard-core lyrics".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death Row Records</span> American record label

Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg (Doggystyle) and 2Pac during the 1990s. At its peak, Death Row was making over US $150 million a year.

Eric Dwayne Collins better known by his stage name RBX, is an American rapper from Long Beach, California.

<i>Dogg Food</i> 1995 studio album by Tha Dogg Pound

Dogg Food is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Tha Dogg Pound, released on October 31, 1995, by Death Row Records, Interscope Records and Priority Records. The album features guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Michel'le, The Lady of Rage, Tray Deee, and Mr. Malik. Two singles were released from the album: "Let's Play House" and "New York, New York".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tha Dogg Pound</span> American hip hop duo

Tha Dogg Pound is an American hip hop duo composed of West Coast rappers Kurupt and Daz Dillinger. They were among the first acts to sign to Death Row Records in 1992.

<i>Murder Was the Case</i> 1994 soundtrack album by various artists

Murder Was the Case is a 1994 short film and soundtrack album starring and performed by Snoop Doggy Dogg. The 18 minute film was directed by Dr. Dre and Fab Five Freddy and chronicles the fictional death of Snoop Dogg and his resurrection after making a deal with the Devil. The film's title comes from Snoop's song of the same name from his debut album, Doggystyle, which had been released a year earlier.

Priest Joseph Brooks, is a hip hop producer and rapper from Long Beach, California. He is a member of the DPGC.

<i>Tha Doggfather</i> 1996 studio album by Snoop Doggy Dogg

Tha Doggfather is the second studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records. After the success of his debut album Doggystyle (1993), Snoop was arrested and charged with murder and in 1995, spent time preparing for the case that went to trial. On February 20, 1996, he was cleared of all charges and began working on his second album without Dr. Dre providing work as a record producer. This was Snoop's final album on Death Row until 2022, when he acquired the rights to the Death Row trademarks from MNRK Music Group, releasing BODR the same year. This would also be his last album under the moniker Snoop Doggy Dogg before it was shortened to Snoop Dogg. Recording sessions took place from February 1996 to October 1996, with Suge Knight as the executive producer on the album, alongside the additional production from several record producers such as DJ Pooh, Daz Dillinger, Soopafly and L.T. Hutton; as well as guest appearances from Charlie Wilson, Kurupt, Tray Dee and Warren G, among others.

Jevon Jones is an American rapper better known by his stage name Tha Realest, and formerly Tenkamenin The Vigilante. His debut album, Witness Tha Realest, was released on July 14, 2009, following numerous delays. Tha Realest is also known, often in a negative light, for his strikingly similar voice to deceased rapper and former label-mate, Tupac Shakur. Tha Realest is also a member of The Regime.

<i>2002</i> (Tha Dogg Pound album) 2001 compilation album by Tha Dogg Pound

Death Row Presents... Tha Dogg Pound 2002 is the first compilation album by American West Coast hip hop group Tha Dogg Pound. It was released on July 31, 2001 by Death Row Records and D3 Entertainment.

Gangsta Advisory Records is the independent record label headed by Daz Dillinger. Some sources state the hierarchy of Daz's labels were flipped 2003 by ordering D.P.G. Recordz under G.A.R. to become its subsidiary and endorsing all license rights of D.P.G.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurupt</span> American rapper and record producer (born 1972)

Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has released eight albums. He also formed the hip hop group The Hrsmn in 1996, with whom he has released two albums. His debut solo album, Kuruption! (1998) was released by A&M Records and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200.

<i>Dillinger & Young Gotti</i> 2001 studio album by DPG

Dillinger & Young Gotti is the second studio album by American hip hop group Tha Dogg Pound. It was released independently on May 1, 2001, through D.P.G. Recordz. Production was handled by member Daz Dillinger, who also served as executive producer, Mike Dean and Blaqthoven. It features guest appearances from Beanie Sigel, RBX, Roscoe, Slip Capone and Xzibit.

<i>R.A.W.</i> (album) 2000 studio album by Daz Dillinger

R.A.W. is the second solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Daz Dillinger. It was released on August 29, 2000 through D.P.G. Recordz, making it his first album to be released under the label. It features guest appearances from Kurupt, Big Tray Deee, Big Pimpin Delemond, LaToiya Williams, Lil' C-Style, Mac Shawn, Mark Morrison, Slip Capone, Soopafly and Tha Mactress.

<i>DPGC: U Know What Im Throwin Up</i> 2003 studio album by Daz Dillinger

DPGC: U Know What I'm Throwin' Up is the fourth solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Daz Dillinger. It was released on May 6, 2003 via Gangsta Advisory Records, making it his first album for the label. Production was handled by Soopafly, Fredwreck, Shon Don, Def Jef, Meech Wells, Mike Smoove, Quaze, and Daz himself, who also served as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Soopafly, Shon Don, Bad Azz, Crystal, E-White, Goldie Loc, Uncle Reo and Whiteboy. The album did not reach the Billboard 200, however it peaked at number 35 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 13 on the Independent Albums charts in the United States.

<i>All Eyez on Me</i> 1996 studio album by 2Pac

All Eyez on Me is the fourth and final studio album by American rapper 2Pac to be released during his lifetime. Released on February 13, 1996, just 7 months before his death by Death Row and Interscope Records, the album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Redman, Method Man, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Daz Dillinger, E-40, K-Ci & JoJo, and the Outlawz, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurupt discography</span>

American rapper Kurupt has released six studio albums, three compilation albums, one EP and seven singles. Since his debut in 1998 he has released through a number of labels, Including Antra, Death Row and Universal. He is a close associate of Daz Dillinger, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

"Pimp Slapp'd" is a diss song by American West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg, taken from his sixth studio album, Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$ (2002).

References

  1. 1 2 Kurt Alexander, interviewer, "Daz Dillinger on his new album, working w/ Tupac and being on Death Row", BigBoyTV @ YouTube, February 23, 2018.
  2. ↑ Vlad Lyubovny, interviewer, "Daz Dillinger details working on 'The Chronic' w/ Dr. Dre at 15", VladTV–DJVlad @ YouTube, August 20, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Rap News Network – Hip-Hop News: Rap Producer Daz Dillinger Interview". Rapnews.net. August 24, 2005. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  4. ↑ Paul Cantor, "Suge Knight reflects on 'Doggystyle' 20 years later", Rolling Stone , November 25, 2013].
  5. ↑ Trent Clark, interviewer, "Daz Dillinger says Dr. Dre took his ideas to create 'The Chronic'", HipHopDX @ YouTube, April 23, 2018.
  6. ↑ Neil Strauss, "Rap empire unraveling as stars flee", New York Times, 1998 Jan 26, § D, p 1.
  7. ↑ "Kurupt Interview (Strikes back to Daz) – hiphop.at Forum – Österreichs größte Hiphop Community". Hiphop.at. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  8. ↑ Archived June 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ White, Roman (December 15, 2020). "Capone Discusses 'Guidelines' Joint LP Featuring Daz Dillinger". The Source. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.