With rap music at its commercial peak, some artists handle interviews like a presidential candidate or an athlete who’s wary of losing an endorsement deal. That’s not the case with rapper/producer Daz Dillinger whomakes up one half of California-reppin’ duo Tha Dogg Pound. Our Q&A sessions have been more like smoked-out powwows and the artist known as “Dat Nigga Daz” is a straight-shooter.

As an artist on Death Row Records during its prime, Daz contributed both beats and rhymes to his cousin Snoop Dogg’s debut album Doggystyle, Tupac’s All Eyez On Me and Dr. Dre’s masterpiece The Chronic. Tha Dogg Pound’s 1995 debut album Dogg Food is double platinum. After leaving Death Row (and his homie Kurupt) less than amicably, Daz kept himself busy on the independent grind, releasing a slew of mixtapes, albums and videos. He also released the album So So Gangsta on Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Label in 2006. Kurupt and Daz reunited after a bitter three-year separation and released two more Dogg Pound albums Cali Iz Active (2006) and Dogg Chit (2007) on Koch Records.

Ever the hustler, Daz has another solo LP, Only On The Left Side, slated for release on August 12th by his own DPG Recordz. Tha Dogg Pound’s next offering, 100 Wayz, is scheduled for October. The first time I chopped it up with Daz, Dogg Chit was about to drop and he didn’t seem to have a beef with Koch at the time. What a difference a year makes. During our second convo, Daz sounded off on the popular indie label and took delight in the public KO of his friend-turned-nemesis, Suge Knight.

Words By Khalid Strickland

TSS: Last time we spoke, you said that you were working on an Atlanta strip club flick.

Daz: “Make It Rain.”

TSS: Yeah, what’s poppin’ with that?

Daz: Aw man, I just finished it up. I’mma try to come out with that in September. I got T.I., I got Alfamega in there; I got a star-studded cast. I’m looking to drop my album, Only On The Left Side on the 12th of August. And then that Dogg Pound album, we getting’ ready to drop that in September. And I got another movie with my Uncle Junebug. It’s called “Uncle Junebug’s Crib” and it’s like “Sanford and Son” - an old nigga with some young bitches and shit, just having a good time.

TSS: We saw you on Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood. You like being on TV?

Daz:Yeah, you know… doin’ some family things (with) my lil’ cousin.

TSS: Aside from the bread, do you have any other goals for Only On The Left Side?

Daz: Just working the same angle, giving the people some music. I hooked up with the people who bought Death Row for the $24 million, so I can go over there and help them run that and revive the catalog. That was one of my ideas. When I heard that they bought it I contacted that office and said, “I’ve got all the (original Death Row) artists right here.” So we can put the albums back out, shoot some videos off of those songs, like “Bomb Ass Pussy” and shit like that; do some interviews. Re-package it and put the albums back out, ‘cause you need the artists to do that. ‘Cause Koch was fuckin’ it up.

TSS: Really?

Daz:Yeah. They was sneaky, man. They wasn’t paying a muthafucka and they was doing some under the table shit. I’m glad they ain’t got the shit no more. Fuck Koch!

TSS: Damn. Koch is supposed to be the premiere indie. They’re doing people like that over there?

Daz: Yeah, Koch is bull, they fuckin’ niggas over there, man. Why you think Jim Jones left? But you know… fuck (Koch president) Alan Grunblatt.

TSS: Some people say that New York and Cali aren’t the big superpowers they used to be at one time. Do you agree with that and if so what can be done to change things on the Left Side?

Daz: Everybody has their time, as far as with the crown. The South got it. They had it, but slowly but surely it’s going away. So now’s the chance for anybody to get it, you know what I’m sayin’? I call it “all-equal hip-hop.” It’s all about the music that you give ‘em and how you puttin’ it out and selling it to the consumer. ‘Cause the internet is getting it first, so it’s about how you can get some money off of your music. It’s a good thing. It’s just about the music you put out and how you market it and sell it. ‘Cause I live in the South. I’m a West Coast nigga that lives in the South. So I went out there and capitalized off them too; I shot a movie. Everybody talkin’ ‘bout, “make it rain, make it rain”, but ain’t nobody make no “make it rain” movie. So I capitalized off of that first and you know… it’s like slingin’ dope. You go out of town, you make it happen. I know niggas from New York used to go to Virginia and everyplace else, na’mean? They made they money and that’s just how hip-hop is. You know… hustle.

TSS: So did you produce this entire album by yourself again?

Daz: I produced the whole album except one song, which Swizz Beatz did. And then I took that same song with Swizz Beatz and put it on the Dogg Pound album. I remixed it and put Kurupt and Cassidy on there. So that’s the first one we’re going to come out with. When I drop my album, I’mma drop that song. And the one with me, Kurupt and Cassidy for the Dogg Pound album called “My Attitude.”

TSS: That’s whassup. Speaking of the homie Kurupt, what’s good with that dude?

Daz: He’s working on the Dogg Pound album 100 Wayz and he got some solo projects. Him and DJ Quik got an album together that they just finished. The Dogg Pound joint will be out in September and we got a movie to it too. It’s gonna be all packaged in one; it’s gonna be like an hour and twenty minute movie. That’s what I’ve been shooting.

TSS: So you’re releasing this new album yourself and you’re not messing with Koch any more?

Daz: Hell naw. I only messed with Koch for the first two Dogg Pound records. ‘Cause Snoop was on the first Koch LP (Cali Is Active). The second situation they rushed that Dogg Chit out. They just put it out there. They was working with Death Row and they was tryin’ to fuck us. And that’s why I went to Fontana ‘cause I had a distribution deal at both places. I still got a deal at Koch but I ain’t giving them no more projects, fuck that.

TSS: Speaking of Death Row, I know you’re up on current events. You got any comments on Suge Knight getting knocked out?

Daz: (singing) Nighty-night (laughs). That was great for Hip-Hop too, you know what I mean? It even showed that the biggest muthafucka can fall down, so get your game together. I been hanging out with the lil’ nigga Greg (who knocked out Suge)… he was at the B.E.T. Awards taking flicks; doing the Muhammad Ali stance, you know what I mean? I might re-enact that whole thing, ‘cause… you ever seen my movie, Death Row Killa?

TSS: Nah… when did it drop?

Daz: I did that in like ’99. Homie that played Suge Knight in my movie, his name’s Big Pain. I’mma have him re-create that whole thing and put that DVD out. If you go to YouTube, you can just put in “Daz Dillinger U Ain’t Shit.” And it’ll show the video I shot a long time ago with my homie lookin’ for Suge Knight.

TSS: Bet. I’mma look for that.

Daz: It’s a good thing. You can’t go around fuckin’ people; God don’t like that type of stuff. Treat people like you want to be treated, because karma is a muthafucka. Nigga lost a 300 million dollar company for 24 million dollars, you know what I mean? Sheeeeit…That’s just like Puffy losing everything…or Dame Dash; one of them.

For more information on Daz Dillinger, visit DPGRECORDZ.COM //The Official Website For DPG Recordz or Myspace.com/Daz.

Only On The Left Side hits stores 8.12.08.

Source: TSS Presents 15 Minutes With Daz Dillinger | The Smoking Section