Search - Daz Dillinger :: Retaliation Revenge & Get Back

Daz at his finest

Nuisance | Miami | 07/08/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I rememeber when this album came out I had to get it(you see back then you could guarantee that any album off Deathrow was going to be great). I wasnt dissapointed and I still think that Daz is terribly underrated as a producer. The album has a slew of guest features but dont think that only the songs with guest spots are good. Great solo joints like Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back and In California proved you wrong. Kurupt and Daz hammer out DPG classic joints like It's Going Down and Our Daily Bread(back when Kurupt was still spittin'). B-Legit joins in on the smooth Playa Partners and Snoop makes his present felt on O.G. 2pac(RIP), Kurupt and The Outlawz join in on the overlooked gem Initiated. Too Short joins in on the fun in It Might Sound Crazy and Gang Bangin A** Criminal(which feature Tha Gang, Kurupt and Technique) is the hardest song on the album. This album is not without its flaws. Baby Mama Drama is hard on the ears and Only For U is a forced love joint which features horrific singing from Val Young. Thank God For My Life is another skippable track. After these three the rest of the album is smooth sailing. Bottom Line: Daz Dillinger's Retaliation, Revenge And Get Back is a west coast gem that should be in every fan of west coast rap's collection. It's one of the few great albums from Deathrow that wasnt made by Tupac. Daz was still sharp with the flow, the production(with the exception of three songs) was on point and the guest appearances were on fire too. Standout Tracks: GANG BANGIN A** CRIMINAL, PLAYA PARTNERS, IT MIGHT SOUND CRAZY, OUR DAILY BREAD, INITIATED, RETALIATION REVENGE AND GET BACK, O.G., IN CALIFORNIA, OH NO and THE ULTIMATE COME UP."

The classic Death Row sound on an underrated LP

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 08/04/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Daz Dillinger, one half of the legendary Dogg Pound duo, was also one of the overlooked engineers behind the classic Death Row sound, a style that defined an era and genre of hip hop music. Not only was he an accomplished performer in his own right by the time his solo debut "Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back" dropped in 1998, but he was also a creative force behind such West Coast classics as All Eyez on Me, Tha Doggfather, and G-Funk Classics, Vols. 1 & 2, among others. His recognizable, distinctly Long Beach sound consists of slick, upbeat, heavy beats, often polished with a smooth R&B influence. Although rarely cited as such, he is one of the West Coast's finest and most influential producers, and his skills are on full display on "Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back," which despite a lack of name recognition in comparison with some other classics from Death Row is quite exemplary of the sound that made the label infamous.



On the heels of the success of Tha Dogg Pound's classic debut Dogg Food, Daz got to work recording his solo debut, but with inner turmoil at Death Row, the project never saw the light of day until 1998. I truly believe that had this been released in a timelier manner, it would have been much more well-known, because it's an album of straightforward gangsta rap that perfectly captures the Death Row sound. It also features a huge and very impressive guest roster of the finest MCs to ever call California home, including partner-in-crime Kurupt, DPGC mainstays Soopafly, Tray Deee, Big Pimpin' Delemond, Big C-Style, Lil C-Style, J-Money, Bad Azz, Techniec, and Val Young, and legends MC Eiht, WC, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, 2Pac and Outlawz, B-Legit, and Too Short. These guests provide a ton of star power, but even with so many, Daz maintains the spotlight and ensures that the album is extremely consistent even over the 75-minute running time. It's a blockbuster album for sure and quite an enjoyable one, as the songs are well sequenced and the energy remains constant.



Daz opens the LP with a bang (no pun intended) on the posse cut "Gang Bangin A.. Criminal," with the Long Beach dream team of Kurupt, Soopafly, Tray Deee, Bad Azz, and Techniec. It's a hookless, tag-team gem with a simple, dark g-funk beat and great chemistry, with all six MCs on the exact same page and the classic Death Row sound. "It's Going Down" and "Our Daily Bread" are Kurupt duets and both standard Dogg Pound fare with solid production, and other early highlights include the upbeat, slick "Playa Partners" with Bay Area vet B-Legit, and the bouncy Too Short collaboration "It Might Sound Crazy."



My favorite song is "In California," which is Daz at his finest, repping his home over a heavy, thumping West Coast beat and a great hook by Val Young. A late 2Pac and Outlawz meet Daz and Kurupt on "Initiated," a strong cut, followed by another standout, "Oh No" with Tray Dee and J-Money. The title track also happens to be Daz's only solo song, and it's nice as well. Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg deliver unforgettable performances in the Long Beach classic "O.G.," and Big C-Style and Lil C-Style are featured on the self-explanatory "Baby Mama Drama." "Only For U" is a likable love song with Val Young again on the hook, and the WC duet "Ridin' High" is a sunny, upbeat, irresistible number with great piano and bass instrumentation and an awesome hook. A late gem is "Ultimate Come Up," a furious winner with Bad Azz and MC Eiht over an eerie, hard-hitting beat. Before the outro is a final posse cut, the positive and hopeful "Thank God for My Life," with Bad Azz, Soopafly, Tray Deee, and Big Pimpin' Delemond.



Listeners should know that Daz Dillinger isn't going to be dropping science or making any experimental or artistic gambles on "Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back," and this album is full of music for the streets and party. The album is straightforward, somewhat predictable, and quite enjoyable, and I highly recommend that fans of Death Row and West Coast rap check it out. Daz has a truly massive discography and this is definitely a good starting point as well."