DAZ DILLINGER - Raw | Review By: Incognito


 

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 singing 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 don't 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 each other. 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 Latoiya Williams - Daz lets Latoiya Williams, also known as Toi shine solo on this classic ballad. Soopafly helped Daz produce this track also. 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 her 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, Benzes, 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.

 

3.5/5 Dubs!



 

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