|
Name: Daz Dillinger
Album: "R.A.W"
Released: August 29th, 2000
Category: West Coast, Gangsta, Hardcore, Underground
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewed By Incognito on 11/15/00
1. Super Cuz (Skit) -
This is a quick little intro to the record, to me it
seems that Snoop is being impersonated here by someone.
2. Street Games (Interlude)
- A short track about life in a gang, a couple people
tell their stories. I like the beat in the background.
3. What Cha Talkin Bout
- The first song on a record is the most important,
it sets the tone for the whole album. When I heard this
track, I kinda already knew that this was gonna be your
old Dogg Pound Gangsta shit. "We run the streets come
run with my gang, we make paper, big paper all day its
a thang". Daz's rhymes go pretty good over this aggressive
and raw bass/drum type of beat. Though the chorus is
kinda annoying how he shrieks "What cha talkin bout,
what cha talkin bout!" There are better tracks to look
forward to on this record, this isn't one of them. 3
dubs out of 5.
4. This iz Not Over "Till
We Say So"- A more mellow song with D-A-Z singin a pretty
tight hook, "This iz not ooover, this is not ooover,
this iz not ooover till we say sooo". The song is about
gang wars and shit that Daz has experienced in the past.
The beat isn't anything to get jumpy about, but it goes
good with the hook. I dont really play this track a
lot. 3 out of 5 dubs.
5. One-Nine-99 - (featuring
Lil-C-Style and Bigg Pimpin) - Lil-C-Style and Bigg
Pimpin join up with Daz for a dope track. C-Style shines
over Daz lyrically, and the beat is nice, it's a laid
back bass driven type of melody. Ending off the track
is the pimpfull knowledge of the one and only Bigg Pimpin.
His words of wisdom are the best to end off a song like
this. This is an ok track, not one of my favorites.
3.5 out of 5 dubs.
6. Who's Knocc'n At My
Door - (featuring Bigg Pimpin) - This is a phat track,
it's about all these people knocking on Daz's door lookin
for shit like weed and dope. "Can I here money knockin
at my door can the police be comin for the weed and
they are" goes the hook. Bigg Pimpin once again joins
Daz to spread some game, "Yeah this game is like a bubble,
and there's always a playa hata that wants to prick
it". Not a bad track at all, but Daz still can do better.
3.5 dubs out of 5.
7. When Ya Least Expected
- "Can't run, can't hide, gone getcha, when ya least
expected gone liiiiiiieeeee". This song is off the hook,
the chorus is bangin! Daz straight up flows over one
of his own beats. This is definitely one of my favorite
songs on the record, and one of Daz's more better lyrics
wise. He's aggressive on the mic which I like about
him on this track, he
keeps the song going nice and fast with his rhymes,
"Blastin wit the shots after fleeing the scene cause
money, power, and dreams make a hell of a sceme". A
dope song. 4 dubs out of 5.
8. What It Iz - At first
this song was supposed to be the name of the record,
and the first single instead of R.A.W. The beat isn't
bad, and Daz displays some nice lyrics. This song is
basically about cats that have betrayed Daz that he
thought where really his friends. "What it iz, I thought
we was down to the end my best of friends tryin to mash
me and do me in, what it iz", I like the hook done by
Daz. Mac Shawn turns up at the end and speaks upon some
cats he thinks have betrayed him and Daz, prolly in
his opinion Snoop. But anyway this is a nice track.
4 dubs out of 5.
9. I'd Rather Lie 2 Ya
- (featuring Kurupt) - Kurupt joins his Dogg Pound partner
although he plays a really small part in the song. The
beat doesn't stick out to me that much, let alone the
track. I tend to skip over this song a lot. 3 dubs out
of 5 dubs.
10. On Tha Grind - (featuring
Kurupt) - Your classic gangsta shit, with a mellowed
out instrumental and your 2 favorite Dogg Pound playa's
ridin beside eachother. I like this track, and the way
Daz and Kurupt flow here. "Mark up your hood like this,
anybody killa, DPGC fuck y'all niggas", goes Kurupt
rippin up the track. The beat is on a more classic gangsta
tip, it's blazin.
Any Dogg Pound fan will appreciate this song, I did.
4 dubs out of 5.
11. If You Want This
Pussy (Interlude) - A skit to about some bitch wanting
to get fucked by Daz or someone else.
12. Your Gyrlfriend 2-
(featuring Mac Shawn and Soopafly) - This track is the
sequel of "Your Gyrlfriend" off Kurupt's last record.
The beat is tight and Mac Shawn out rhymes Daz and Soopafly.
Though all 3 come up with phat lyrics, it's nice to
see Soopafly spit a couple verses once and a while too.
The hook blows, it's just stupid, I like the original
song better. 3.5 dubs
out of 5
13. R.A.W.- (featuring
Kurupt) - Dogg Pound reunite once again on this record
for there best performance so far. This was the first
single off the record but it pretty much stayed underground.
I love the beat crafted by Daz, it has a powerful bass
that surges throughout the track, and just the trademark
West coast sound that was heard in the early 90s. The
hook done by Kurupt is off the hook too, "Raw, rizzzeady
and willin murders and killings war sawed off Daz and
Kurupt we dont give a fuck". Both Kurupt and Daz rip
up the track with lyrics and flows that go well with
the beat. 4 dubs out of 5.
14. Itz All About That
Money - This song is about an overly used metaphor in
hip hop, money. I personally am sick of cats rappin
about money! Daz's rhymes aren't all that great, and
neither is the beat. It's probably one of the worst
songs on the record, this is just a boring track overall.
3 dubs out of 5.
15. Movin Around - (featuring
Slip Capone) - Hawthorn and Long Beach hook up on this
song, both Daz and Slip Capone come up with solid rhymes
over another pretty tight beat from Daz. The hook is
catchy also, an average song in my opinion. 3.5 dubs
out of 5.
16. U Aint Know'n - (featuring
Tray Dee) - It seems weird that Tray D is on this album
since there was some beef between Snoop's camp and Daz's.
Though I guess Daz was down with Tray D and they collaborated
on this track. The beat is aight, nothin bangin, Tray
D and Daz switch on and off with good chemistry. Though
I don't care for this track much. 3 out of 5 dubs.
17. Agony - Performed
by Laoiya Williams - Daz lets Latoiya Williams, also
known as Toi shine solo on this classic ballad. Soopafly
helped Daz produce this track aslo. It shows the dimensions
of the two producers here, how they can produce some
gangsta, gangsta shit, and then come in and lace this
song for Toi. It's nice to here Toi for hooks and such,
but as for solo blowin here vocal chords out, I dont
really care for. 2.5 dubs out of 5.
18. Feels Good - (featuring
Kurupt and Latoiya Williams) - When I bought this CD,
this track was the first to stick out, I really like
this song, Toi serves well in this case. The beat is
off the hook as well as the chorus. This track is one
of my favorites off the record if not my personal favorite.
It also reminds me of that Kurupt song "Welcome Home",
where Toi guests also. Daz and Kurupt again make for
a tight song. 4.5 dubs out of 5.
19. My System - (featuring
Kurupt and The Mactress) - Kurupt appears for the final
time, and a newcomer name The Mactress also is on this
track. This song is about car systems, a nice lil change,
"My system bumpin down the street, my system bumpin
down the street, my system bumpin down the street with
nuthin but bass!" Daz goes with a plain old beat which
isn't bad because the focus is takin off the beat and
to the lyrics, "Lexus, Benes, Lincoln, jeeps with the
beat and the color TV's with the fresh ass D's and the
killa weed!". Daz just explodes with that rhyme, The
Mactress also throws out some nice flows too. Though
Kurupt is out shined by the two lyrically. This track
is maybe the best lyrically wise by Daz. 3.5 dubs out
of 5.
20. Baccstaber- (featuring
Tray Dee and Mark Morrison) - This is the final cut
on the record, and a good way to go out, you can judge
from the title on what this track is about. I love this
song, Mark Morrison adds flavor to it with his funky
singing style, "Said you was my brother, but you aint
no brother!" Daz hooked up another funky beat to bounce
to and Tray D drops a hot verse also. Ohhh, I almost
forgot Bigg Pimpin returns once again to speak his mined
although he isn't credited for his part. Everything
about this song is blazzzin, hook, beat and rhymes.
This is definitely one of the highlights on the record.
4.5 dubs out of 5.
21. Super Cuz (Outro)
- A short conclusion to the record!
Daz has gone through a lot to separate himself from
the negativity of Death Row, he has departed ways from
his one time home and went on to form his own independent
label with Big-C-style, called D.P.G. Records. R.A.W
is the first release from the much underground label,
and has been very hard to find in any major record stores.Though
I was lucky enough to come across one. Ready and Willing
is Daz's second solo album after his 1998 debut "Retaliation,
Revenge, and Get back". On this record, Daz has taken
the responsibility of producing pretty much the whole
record himself, leaving Soopafly to CO-produce one track.
His fellow DPG sidekick, Kurupt also makes appearances
on several tracks. For Daz, it seems that he likes to
work away from his one time mentors like Dr. Dre and
Snoop Dogg, and stay independent in the rap game. On
R.A.W. Daz comes up with his share of ! ! good and bad
songs, the good being "When Ya Least Expected", "What
It Iz", "R.A.W.", "Feels Good" and "Baccstabers". The
rest do not really draw any attention to me. The production
too has it's ups and downs, though Daz can still create
his share of tight beats. If Daz really wants to impact
hip hop, than I suggest to hook back up with the likes
of Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and a man that he got his
production traits from, Dr. Dre. I would really like
to see that happen in the near future. For me, Daz wont
be imprinted in my mind as one of the west's great producers,
just a good mc that was a part of The Dogg Pound click.
D-A-Z's greatest days may have been back with Death
Row, but for him Daz is just lucky to make it out safe
and be on his own. R.A.W. is a nice record, it's nice
because it reminds you of the deceased Dogg Pound that
once ruled hip hop as a duo. But R.A.W. ! ! isn't anything
to get excited about compared to "Dr. Dre 2001" which
as revolutionized West Coast hip hop. Though for any
true gangsta rap fan, go cop R.A.W. and help out Daz.-
Incognito
|