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Daz Dillinger

From Alfawiki
Daz Dillinger
Born
Delmar Drew Arnaud

(1973-05-25) May 25, 1973 (age 53)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Rapper, music producer
Years active1992–present
Known forMember of Tha Dogg Pound; production work on The Chronic, Doggystyle, All Eyez on Me

Delmar Drew Arnaud (born May 25, 1973), professionally recognized as Daz Dillinger or simply Daz, is an American rapper and music producer. During the early 1990s, as part of Death Row Records, he significantly contributed to bringing West Coast hip hop and gangsta rap into the mainstream. In 1992, he teamed up with Kurupt to establish the hip hop duo Tha Dogg Pound, which went on to release eight albums.

Arnaud developed his production skills under the mentorship of Dr. Dre, earning his first prominent credit on Dre’s solo debut, The Chronic (1992). He went on to produce tracks for his cousin Snoop Dogg’s debut album Doggystyle (1993) and for Tupac Shakur’s All Eyez on Me (1996). His inaugural solo album, Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back (1998), entered the top ten of the Billboard 200. After parting ways with Death Row, he founded Gangsta Advisory Records and co-established D.P.G. Recordz alongside Soopafly in 2000.

Early life

Raised in Long Beach, California, Daz Dillinger is related to several notable entertainers including cousins Snoop Dogg, Brandy, Ray J, and Mercedes Moné.

Initial phase at Death Row (1992–1995)

At age 19, Daz began his professional journey by signing with Death Row Records, where he honed his production expertise under Dr. Dre’s guidance. He contributed both vocals and production work to Dre’s The Chronic (1992). Around this period, he partnered with rapper Kurupt to form the duo known as Tha Dogg Pound.

Tha Dogg Pound appeared on Snoop Dogg’s debut album Doggystyle (1993), which was Death Row’s second major release. Although officially credited on only two tracks, Daz asserts that he was responsible for producing much of the album; according to Death Row CEO Suge Knight, "Daz did pretty much the whole album." He also contributed production to soundtracks such as Above the Rim and Murder Was the Case.

The single "What Would You Do?" by Tha Dogg Pound was released in support of Dr. Dre during his feud with former N.W.A member Eazy-E. As tensions escalated during the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry, they issued "New York, New York", a track that took aim at the city. Their debut album, Dogg Food (1995), achieved platinum certification from the RIAA.

Development within Death Row Records (1996–1998)

With the intensification of the East–West rap feud, Dr. Dre distanced himself from Death Row due to dissatisfaction with its environment and Suge Knight’s management style. In 1996, when Tupac Shakur released his first album under Death Row, All Eyez on Me, Dr. Dre produced only three tracks while Daz handled production on five songs, including hit singles "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" and "I Ain't Mad at Cha". The commercial success of this album raised Daz’s profile significantly and led him to contribute production work across multiple Death Row releases—such as Snoop Dogg’s Tha Doggfather, Nate Dogg’s G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2, and the Lady of Rage’s Necessary Roughness—as well as the soundtrack for the 1997 film Gridlock'd.

In March 1996, Dr. Dre exited Death Row to launch Aftermath Entertainment. Following Tupac’s death in 1996 and Suge Knight’s incarceration in 1997 for parole violations, numerous artists including Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg left Death Row, leaving Daz as its last remaining platinum-selling artist. Daz released his first solo album, Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back, through Death Row in March 1998 but departed from the label later that year.

D.P.G. Recordz and Independent Projects (Post-1999)

Following his departure from Death Row Records, Daz expanded his production work to include artists such as Kurupt, Soopafly, and B-Legit. He established his own imprint, D.P.G. Recordz, through which he released his sophomore solo effort, 2000's R.A.W.. Since then, his focus has shifted primarily to independent projects; by 2023, he had released a total of eighteen solo albums.

In 2001, Daz and Kurupt came together once more to create their second joint album, Dillinger & Young Gotti, under the moniker DPG due to Death Row's ownership of the "Tha Dogg Pound" name. Their relationship deteriorated after Kurupt rejoined Death Row, leading to public disagreements until they reconciled at a West Coast unity event organized by Snoop Dogg in 2005. After reclaiming the rights to "Tha Dogg Pound," Kurupt exited Death Row again; meanwhile, Daz briefly aligned with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. Between 2005 and 2010, Tha Dogg Pound released five albums.

In 2020, Daz partnered with Queens-based rapper Capone from Capone-N-Noreaga on their collaborative album titled Guidelines.

Discography

Solo Studio Albums

Collaborative Albums

Awards

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