Rating:
Genre:
Rap
Release Date: 09/12/2006
When legendary
West Coast rapper
Daz Dillinger started beefing with the
Death Row label -- and eventually with his old partner,
Kurupt -- he made plenty of news, but it didn't seem like he made any major-label friends. Then 2006 rolls around and
Death Row isn't a concern anymore, the
Kurupt thing gets patched up, and
Ice Cube puts the focus back on the
West Coast by dropping the serious
Laugh Now, Cry Later while
Snoop Dogg gets
Daz and
Kurupt back together as
Tha Dogg Pound and releases the wicked anthem
"Cali Iz Active." All of a sudden, cool mogul
Jermaine Dupri decides the time is right to call
Daz up to his major-label-affiliated
So So Def, and the wonderful
"Daz Thang" single announces the relationship, bringing the revered but hidden rapper more exposure than he's gotten in many years. For whatever reason, the G-funky
"Daz Thang" single doesn't land on
So So Gangsta, which is a shame since
Daz's first major-label solo release since 1998's
Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back could use a little more of that album's old-school
G-funk, but
Dupri's slickness and the rapper's cold thugging mix surprisingly well, save a little filler.
Dupri gives
Daz and guest
Rick Ross a crooked and creeping beat on the great
"On Some Real," and enlists
So So Def's house producer
No I.D. to bring some theatrical drama in for the grand
"Thang on My Hip." By the time
"DPG Fo' Life" appears with
Snoop, pure
West Coast fans who want
Daz to stay real will have probably forgotten he's working with the same folks
Janet Jackson is, but they'll be reminded when the too sweet
"The One" with
Jagged Edge rolls around. While some redundancy towards the end and a couple of unnecessary guest stars keep this from being vital, it's generally a well-built effort, and just like
Cube's 2006 release,
So So Gangsta offers a veteran Left Coaster sounding as hungry as he did in the WC's heyday.
~David Jeffries, All Music Guide
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