Daz Dillinger

Daz first made his mark on Dr. Dre's classic The Chronic, lighting up the mic alongside Snoop, Kurupt, RBX, and Rage. He was also a key player on Snoop's debut, and in 1995, he and Kurupt teamed up as Tha Dogg Pound and released Dogg Food, essentially picking up where Snoop's Doggystyle left off. His trademark Cali flow and Kurupt's battle-style raps worked together well, proving that the G-Funk sound Dre had helped pioneer was still alive and well. Daz learned a lot from the Dr., especially on the production tip, and is prominently featured behind the boards as well as in front of the mic. As a producer he's worked with Tupac, Heltah Skeltah, MC Eiht, and many others. One of the last original artists on Suge Knight's ill-fated Death Row Records, he released his solo debut Retaliation, Revenge, and Get Back in 1998. While not a huge commercial success, the album showcased his well-rounded skills with it's infectious beats, modulating keyboards, and raw, intoxicating funk. His lyrics stick to traditional true blue themes of bangin', rollin', and gettin' his smoke on, chronicling a day in the life of a West Coast G. He still works non-stop, putting out numerous releases on his independent label. In 2005 he released one of his best works to date, Dogg Pound Gangsta LP, he also reunited with long-estranged DPG homie Kurupt, and linked with Jermaine Dupri, to launch another imprint called So So Gangsta.