Prolific - (pr-lfk), adj.
Intellectually productive;Producing abundant works or results: a prolific artist.
Daz has contributed to the history of hip-hop as a whole with classic production and vocal collaborations with Tupac Shakur (All Eyez on Me), Daz’s cousin Snoop Dogg (Doggystyle; The Doggfather; Murder Was the Case) and Dr. Dre (The Chronic; The Chronic 2001). His first release with Kurupt, Dogg Food (1995) , remains as one of the greatest contributions to hip-hop, bar no region. His solo albums have hit the Billboard charts high and hard as well.
Death Row crumbled; Daz weathered the storm and kept hustlin'.
And he hasn't stopped...
Tha Dogg Pound's Cali Iz Active recently released and he's set to drop his first album, So So Gangsta, on Jermaine Dupri's So So Def imprint and Virgin, scheduled for September 12th. Street smart as always,that release will break unchartered territory by being marketed in conjunction with the work of Donald Goines and Holloway House Publishing - buy a book, get cd.
You can't stop a stepper as my Pops used to say...
TSS™ Presents Smoking Sessions With Daz
TSS: Where are you at right now?
Daz: I'm in Cali right now.
TSS: Doing any videos?
Daz: Smoking kush.
TSS: Livin it like that? How much time you spend in ATL?
Daz: I spend a lot of time in ATL, you know. Split up equally, you know, from California, Miami, to Mississippi.
TSS: Miami, too? What you do out there?
Daz: I live out there too. I've been living out there for 13 years.
TSS: That's right, you got money like that. You got spots all over.
Daz: Yeah. I got some cheese.
TSS: How would you compare the adult entertainment industry (shake joints) in Atlanta with L.A.
DAZ: Shit, they serving alcohol at 5 in the morning [in ATL], at the clubs in L.A. they serving Sprite.
TSS: How come so many people from L.A find love in Atlanta? I notice a lot of people moving out there from out here.
DAZ: All the hoes, big booty, crunk. It's a lot of everything out there. It's a lot of booty, pussy and women walking around. You know what I'm sayin. And everyone is getting money.
TSS: How's the response been to the latest Dogg Pound album, cali iz active?
Daz: It's been good response to the Dogg Pound album. Everybody love it. I'm gearing up for my solo album right now. They lovin that right now. It's getting spins on the radio and I can't wait to drop it September 12.
TSS: That's going to be on SoSo Def?
Daz: Yep.
TSS: Any down South flavor on there or you keeping it straight up "G," West Coast?
Daz: Some West Coast G'd Down South flavor, you know. Get all the people.
TSS: What's the biggest hit you've had so far with SoSo Def?
Daz: I ain't really had one yet.
TSS: Didn't you work on J-Kwon's album ["Tipsy"]?
Daz: Yeah, but that's on Jive.
TSS: My bad, but he was a SoSo Def artist, right?
Daz: Yeah.
TSS: You consider yourself mainly a rapper or a producer?
Daz: I'm both of them. I'm doing it all. I've got about 5 or 6 more jobs.
TSS: What do you mean by that?
Daz: Mainly running my own label and being an artist on somebody else's label, you know. Just trying to maintain--playing both parts--a student and a teacher.
TSS: What other aspects of the music business are you involved in?
DAZ: I be distributing records.
TSS: That's where the money is at?
DAZ: Yeah, I don't wanna be no label, that's too much. They [rappers who get signed] fuck they money out, they coming right back over here. I want to show them how to make they own business.
TSS: Your album is going to be called SoSo Gangsta. Why is that?
Daz: The reason why I got the SoSo Gangsta, is because Jermaine Dupri is SoSo [Def], and me being from the Dogg Pound, being gangsta, just put the two together.
TSS: I see you got Redman on there.
Daz: Yeah.
TSS: You a fan of his?
Daz: Yeah, I'm a fan of Redman.
TSS: I see you got Rick Ross. Who else?
Daz: Yeah, I got him and then I got Ice Cube on the album...
TSS: You mess with the Slip-N-Slide folks when you in Miami?
Daz: Triple Seis.
TSS: How you feel the Cali rap scene's changed since 90's to now?
Daz: The business of it. The gangsta shit ain't never gonna change, it's always gonna be the same, but it's the business part.
TSS: What do you mean?
Daz: Everybody got scared you know what I'm sayin? So they really wasn't tryin to get into rap like that, they was trying to get some other shit, you know?Because it's about unity, so we got to put the unity back in for everybody.
It's like [owning] an apartment building. Because if it's shot up, windows busted up, nobody gonna live there. You put drapes and some more nice windows in there, it's all about upgrade. We just upgrading the West Coast right now.
TSS: Are you talking about the conference that Snoop put into action last year?
Daz: Yeah, we having another one too.
TSS: How do you feel music plays a role in creating unity?
Daz: Keeping mutherfuckers busy. You gotta keep busy to keep your mind off gangbanging.
TSS: And you reconciled with Kurupt recently?
Daz: About a year ago.
TSS: In the history of the California rap scene where do you fall among producers like Dr. Dre, Fredwreck, Battlecat?
Daz: I'm right up in there. I'm trying to be the second one. Right after the first name you said. That's what I'm trying to be.
TSS: What's your favorite piece of studio equipment?
Daz: Being on the computer.
TSS: The Pro Tools? How about beat making?
DAZ: You know, Akai MPC-3000 [drum machine].
TSS: How do you compare Cali to Down South, ATL and Miami.
DAZ: It's like the same thing. Everybody hustling. It just ain't no gangbanging down there. It's some gang banging, they want to gangbang down there, you know. It's the same thing: niggas hungry, starving.
TSS: How's the L.A. streets changed since the early 90's, when you got put on?
DAZ: Yeah, they tore down a couple more buildings and shit, ya know. It's upgrading they tear shit down, niggas going to jail, they moving in, moving out.
TSS: How about in the LBC?
DAZ: Yeah, I'm in the hood constantly. I ain't got nowhere else to go except L.A., my hood. It's crackin.
TSS: You seeing the SoCal rap scene spread out since LBC/Compton put Cali rap on the map?
DAZ: Yeah, it spread out from Watts. It's going to Watts, Compton…everything. It's about somebody giving somebody the opportunity.
TSS:Any up-and-coming local rappers you plan to feature on your album?
DAZ: I'm not gonna put no drop right now, but probably on some of my future projects; anybody who got talent.
TSS: Let's talks about the Death Row years. You did heavy production work on Pac's All Eyez on Me?
DAZ: Yeah, I got the best 5 songs.
TSS: Do you think the impact of his loss is still felt?
DAZ: Yeah, because he had the right people on his shit. I just hooked back up with 2Pac and them's peoples. They really coming back trying to get the original people who put his stuff together. It's about time they do that. I heard they were trying to get 50 Cent to do the album. Don't nobody want to hear that shit.
TSS: What do you feel about the whole Death Row fallout?
DAZ: (Laughs his ass off)
TSS: That's your response?
DAZ: Yeah, that's my response.
TSS: Can you speak on Suge Knight a little bit?
DAZ: He an asshole. Bitch. You know that's what he get.
TSS: No kind words for him?
DAZ: You want a dollar? You need a loan!? You need a loan Sugeman?
TSS: When's the last time you spoke to him?
DAZ: I ain't spoke to him since I got off Death Row.
TSS: So it's been years?
DAZ: Every fuckin day for the last 7-8 years and I swear I ain't never seen a Suge Knight.
TSS: Aiight, point taken and duly noted. Going back to your album...It's already done, right?
DAZ: September 12th, mayne. Go cop that. Hit me up at the website at thadoggpound.com.
TSS: Aiight, be easy.
DAZ: Fa' sho. You too, man.
For more info, visit...
www.sosogangsta.com
www.dazmusic.com
thadoggpound.com
www.hollowayhousebooks.com
Click the link to see previous smoking sessions
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