Thug Life Army

African American hip hop producer and rap artist Daz Dillinger, formerly known as ‘Dat Nigga Daz’, (born Delmar Arnaud on May 25, 1973 in Long Beach, California), is widely known among hip hop culture for his work with the West Coast legendary gangster rap and hip hop label Death Row Records; at the height of West Coast rap's popularity.

Daz, long time hip hop producer and gangsta rap artist, is also the cousin of hip hop super star Snoop Dogg.

Daz signed a record deal with Marion ‘Suge’ Knights Death Row Records after being introduced to Dr. Dre by Warren G just as Dre began recording his influential 1992 album, The Chronic. Daz Dillinger contributed to ‘The Chronic’ as well as Snoop Dogg's multi-platinum ‘Doggystyle’, Tupac Shakur's (2Pac) ‘All Eyez on Me’ and the majority of Death Row Records multi-platinum releases.

In late 1999, Daz left the Death Row Records and started his own imprint D.P.G. Recordz & Gangsta Advisory Records and the rest is history.

With the recent developments between law enforcement and Daz’s cousin Snoop Dogg, we thought this would be a great time to ask Daz about what he feels is going on. Not only with his cousin Snoop, but with hip hop and rap in general and his current and past hip hop and business ventures.

Much thanks to all those involved in this interview and thanks to Daz for taking time on such short notice to answer our questions.

Find out more on Daz at http://www.dazmusic.com

And on his myspace at http://www.myspace.com/daz

ThugLifeArmy.com:   First thanks for taking time to do this on such short notice.

Daz:   No problem.

ThugLifeArmy.com:   Your cousin, Snoop Dogg was recently involved with the police, can you talk about it? Or do you want to discuss it?

Dillinger:  Yes I definitely want to discuss it. I wholeheartedly believe this is just another form of discrimination. He's Black and on top of that an entertainer, so the police will scrutinize him as oppose to a White entertainer. The white entertainer has to damn near run a person off the road before they get any type of surveillance.

ThugLifeArmy.com:  Daz, what happened with your last album So So Gangsta, it didn''t sell as well as it should''ve. Are you still with So So Def and Jermaine Dupri? Can you bring us up to speed on all of that?

Dillinger: Bottom line, I don''t think that particular business knew how to market my product or my art. I had no say so whatsoever in the artistic development of my project.  And they were trying to market me to a crowd that I am no longer appealing to. I''ve grown. I am a gangster but not an irrational gangster. I am still a gangster but I am not someone who takes lives at whim. There are degrees of being a gangster, and the stick up kid that sold petty dope is no longer me.

My audience is sophisticated. If I am a gangbanger let it be for my people, and let it be for recollection of diamonds, oil and etc. They didn''t even get my input. They didn''t want my input. It is no longer wise to kill one another, it never was.  But when you talk about making plans to empower or to globalize or to get money to rebuild then not only are you a gangster you are marked and no one wants to market that in the industry today. Black people or Black artists are so proud to get 100 shots or take shots or go to jail. They act like its bragging rights, but the President is a full fledged gangster and you don''t see him in jail, nor do you see him getting shot.  That's a gangster one that is above the law so to speak.  So in other words, I was turning my gun in a different direction not on myself, not on my people and they didn''t want to hear that. I didn''t click well with them.

ThugLifeArmy.com:  What is your take on Marion ‘Suge’ Knight (CEO of Death Row Records)? Recently your cousin Snoop Dogg spoke out what do you have to say on it?

Dillinger:  Really I try not to give too much energy to him (Suge Knight). It's sad really because he is a Black man and we have a lot to gain from everyone. But Willie Lynch has us bullying each other. We already suffer enough abuse from the hands of the police, corporate America, the land lord, why do we need another person in our midst acting worse to us than our outright open enemy. Living in terror is a way of life for Blacks we don''t need to experience that at the hands of our own.

That's all I will say on that.

ThugLifeArmy.com: People classify you as a gangster rapper and gangster rap is in; what is the street's definition of gangster rapper?

Dillinger:  A gangster is an outcast first and foremost, but he or she is someone that takes control of a situation that is not or was not in his for her favor. Black men and women in this generation and younger are being gangsters every time they strategize and maneuver a way outside of this corrupt and criminal-criminal system. But there are degrees of gangsters and those who have the less knowledge will do things that make them a pawn on the chess board or even getting checkmate at the highest level. Everybody else is studio.

ThugLifeArmy.com:  Going back to the last album record sales, what do you think of it, do you consider it a flop by industry standards and what are your plans in the future?

Dillinger:  As long as I have an audience out there, I don’t think I flopped.  But by industry standards I am an outcast. I don’t mind it. I rather be an outcast and free than a slave and appeal to a group of people that is not my true audience. I speak to the people that are struggling. I can''t dance, don''t want to dance, and I don''t want to talk about f-king and getting high all the time. That's what they wanted me to do. The people that grew up of my music are now Corporate thugs, they are not in the hood banging and if they are they are OG’s the girls are dealing with relationship issues and trying to make it. So So Def cut 1/2 of my music out and really didn''t want my input; so my plans for the future is to break free like Prince. Slavery is back, this whole world is one big plantation. And I am a run-away slave busting caps back.

ThugLifeArmy.com:  What about Dogg Chit, is it the same or is it revolutionary, does it show your change?

Dillinger: It's the last of the best and the last of the great. It's for those that are still in the bottom of bottoms feeling those sentiments dealing with baby mama drama.  But I am upgrading my music and implementing new lyrics because gangsters who are at this level have more woes than that.  We are chess players, we are reading 48 laws of power, we are not just trying to rep a hood we are trying to get a f*cking country!

ThugLifeArmy.com: What is the future of the Dogg Pound Brand?

Dillinger: I am looking to develop new talent. We had the DPGC Idols and I would like to sit down and develop them a team. They are all talented. Shouts out to: Brian, Lix, Dangerous Rob especially and just everyone that entered. It was a tough process and they are still maintaining. But our brand is here, we are just trying to space age it out.  We are just trying to close the gaps from the 90s until now.

ThugLifeArmy.com: I am sure you heard of Kramer's use of the N-word will you stop using it now? Will you join other rap artists?

Dillinger:  That just reinforces what I believe that slavery is back and it ain’t really went no where. I mean this is one big plantation.

I may slip up every now and then, because I am human. But I am going to make an effort to exclude that word from my language or at least my music. It doesn’t make you harder if you use the word. I think that is what other artists believe. We can still bang without using that word and I am going to work on that.

ThugLifeArmy.com: If Tupac (2Pac) was alive would he be proud of you or upset?

Dillinger:  I think Tupac (2Pac)  would''ve understood how I had to maneuver for the time period, play the game. That's what he did even at Death Row. He was political but knew his audience wasn''t ready for anything preachy. We were both Gemini’s and we are both versatile. We had a mutual respect for one another.

ThugLifeArmy.com:  When do you think your work would''ve been done in the Hip Hop industry?

Dillinger: When I die. I mean if Madonna can still sing at 40 something and so forth why can''t our art have that same longevity.

They want this disposable but it isn''t going anywhere. It's grown up and growing up.

ThugLifeArmy.com: Do you think you are underrated as a Producer of a Multi-Platinum album and all these different acts?

Dillinger: I think I will get my shine eventually.  But because I don''t play the politics, and I am not a Hollywood type of person, it has taken me a little while longer to get the shine that is necessary.

But if it’s all hood, and I just get hood awards year after year that''d be fine with me. I rap for the lower class, struggling class, those who haven''t made it yet. Them appreciating my music is enough for me right now.

ThugLifeArmy.com: Anything you want us to look for?

Dillinger: Look for us DPGC, Arnold White, Young Breezy, Shemia Miller, Dangerous Rob, Lix, Brian and the whole crew just mashing to the fullest in a different direction. We going against the grain saying F-the world. RIP Pac

ThugLifeArmy.com: Thanks for taking time for us and doing this interview; Peace.