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Dat Nigga Daz Dillinger

Real Name: Delmar Arnaud
D.O.B.: May 25, 1973 Long Beach, California

Label: Doggystyle/Universal Music Group

Also known professionally as Daz Dillinger, Daz is hardcore west coast artist and part of the recording family Dogg Pound Gangsta Clicc. He hails from the original Death Row Records family alongside his cousin Snoop Dogg. He is an important figure in the emergence of the west coast gangsta rap phenomenon as a record producer, group member and solo artist his career has sustained from the early ‘90s to today performing on some of the greatest hip-hop albums ever released. Daz signed a record deal with Death Row Records after being scouted by Dr. Dre from the word of his half-brother Warren G who knew Daz growing up in Long Beach County. Daz was a protégée of Snoop Dogg collaborating with him, Warren G, fellow Dogg Pound (DPG) member Kurupt and other peers on both Dre’s seminal ‘Chronic’ and Snoop’s Doggystyle classics. Soon after he was performing and producing tracks for other family members within Death Row.

His first album was Dogg Food with Kurupt, Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg as Tha Dogg Pound which went multi-platinum selling 3 million copies following trend of previous Death Row records reaching premium sales reinforcing them as the most successful record label of their time. After Dr. Dre jumped ship from Death Row due to creative differences with the CEO Suge Knight, Daz became the main producer for the label and was largely involved with Snoop’s follow-up album Tha Dogg Father and other numerous compilation and soundtrack albums. He also starred on Tupac’s major-selling classic All Eyes On Me. At the time of Death Row’s break up after the death of Tupac Shakur, imprisonment of Suge Knight and the departure of Snoop, Kurupt and Nate Dogg Daz became the only original artist left on the label. In 1998 he produced his first solo album Retaliation, Revenge and Getback marking the turn of a new chapter in his professional career by changing his name to Daz Dillenger. The album reached gold status but was considered a commercial failure when measured against the high standards of Death Row’s previous releases.

By 2000 Daz had finally left the crumbling Death Row Records former powerhouse and pursued his own label called DPG Recordz. On this he released his sophomore solo album R.A.W. This gained a cult status in the underground west coast rap scene for loyal fans, although failing to attain substantial sales success. He remains as the CEO and put his name to numerous EP’s and LP released projects.

By 2002 the relationship between he and former DPG founder Kurupt had turned sour due to animosity raised by Kurupt siding again with the demonic forces of Suge Knight and signing back with Death Row records as the company’s producer. They have each sent each other several dis-records. By April 13, 2005, Daz reunited with Kurupt with the help of their mentor Snoop Dogg at the peace meeting ‘Protect the West’, in which several other West Coast rap icons united to put aside their differences in hope of succeeding together.

Daz’s latest plans are to join forces with Atlanta’s So-So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri releasing an album called So So Gangsta. The release date is still to be announced.

Discography:

  • 1998 Retaliation, Revenge & Get Back (Chart positions: 8) RIAA certification: Gold
  • 2000 R.A.W (Chart positions: ) RIAA certification:
  • 2002 This Is The Life I Lead (Chart positions: 109 U.S.) RIAA certification: 85,793 copies
  • 2002 I Got Love In These Streetz EP (Chart positions: ) RIAA certification:
  • 2003 DPGC: U Know What I'm Throwin' Up (Chart positions: ) RIAA certification:
  • 2004 I Got Love In These Streetz - The Album (Chart positions: ) RIAA certification:
  • 2005 Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP (Chart positions: ) RIAA certification:
  • 2005 Gangsta Crunk (Chart positions: ) RIAA certification:
  • 2006 So So Gangsta (Chart positions: 35) RIAA certification:
  • 2007 Gangsta Party (release date: September 25, 2007