Daz Dillinger

Daz Dillinger
Connie Lodge · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Daz Dillinger
Birth name	Delmar Drew Arnaud
Birth date	May 25, 1973
Birth place	Long Beach, California, U.S.
Occupation	Rapper, record producer, songwriter, record executive
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Death Row, D.P.G. Recordz, Gangsta Advisory, Felder Entertainment
Associated acts	Snoop Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Soopafly, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, Warren G, Tha Dogg Pound, The Lady of Rage, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Tha Dogg Pound Gang Starr

Daz Dillinger is an American rapper, record producer, and executive from Long Beach, California, known for his work in West Coast hip hop, G-funk, and gangsta rap during the 1990s and beyond. He rose to prominence as a principal producer and member of the duo Tha Dogg Pound and as an in-house producer for Death Row Records, contributing to landmark albums by key figures in hip hop. Over a multi-decade career he has released numerous solo albums, produced beats for mainstream and underground artists, and operated independent labels.

Early life and background

Born Delmar Drew Arnaud in Long Beach, California, he grew up in a milieu influenced by regional scenes including Compton, California, Inglewood, California, South Los Angeles, Watts, and neighboring Southern California communities. His family connections linked him to the local music and cultural networks of Long Beach Poly peers and to broader West Coast artists emerging from California. Early influences included radio stations such as KKDJ (Los Angeles), club circuits in Los Angeles, and performances at venues like the Compton Swap Meet and The Concert of the Century–era shows. He developed skills on drum machines, samplers, and production equipment popularized by producers like Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, and Eazy-E.

Career beginnings and Death Row Records

He began working in studio settings and quickly became affiliated with the burgeoning roster of Death Row Records, founded by Suge Knight, where he contributed as producer and performer to projects by Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, 2Pac, and Nate Dogg. As one half of Tha Dogg Pound with Kurupt, he appeared on seminal releases such as The Chronic-era sessions and Doggystyle-era recordings, participating in sessions alongside figures like Scarface, Ice Cube, MC Eiht, DJ Muggs, B-Real, and Cypress Hill. He handled beatmaking using equipment favored by contemporaries, collaborating with engineers and mixers from studios like Can-Am Studios, Turtle Trap Studios, and working with producers including Soopafly, Battlecat, and DJ Pooh.

Solo career and production work

Launching solo projects in the mid-1990s, he released albums that showcased G-funk aesthetics and West Coast gangsta narratives, producing tracks for artists across labels such as Aftermath Entertainment, Ruthless Records, No Limit Records, Priority Records, and Interscope Records. His production credits span collaborations with Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Warren G, Nate Dogg, E-40, Too Short, Suga Free, Ice Cube, MC Ren, The Lady of Rage, RBX, Xzibit, Kokane, Shock G, DJ Battlecat, DJ Quik, Soopafly, Tray Deee, Bad Azz, Krayzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Young Buck, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Nas, Method Man, Redman, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, Prodigy, Big L, Big Pun, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Eminem, 50 Cent, and others across hip hop subgenres. He utilized sampling traditions traced to Parliament-Funkadelic, Zapp, Funkadelic, and George Clinton.

Collaborations and featured appearances

As a featured artist and collaborator he worked on recordings, mixtapes, and film soundtracks with figures from West Coast and national scenes, appearing with Snoop Dogg on tours and studio sessions alongside Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Warren G, and newer acts affiliated with Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and G-Unit. He contributed to compilations and tribute projects involving Death Row Records, Thug Life, Makaveli, The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige, TLC, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Roots, Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Drake, reflecting cross-generational collaborations and sampled lineage.

Musical style and influences

His style is rooted in G-funk grooves, synthesizer leads, deep basslines, and rhythmic patterns associated with producers like Dr. Dre, DJ Quik, Battlecat, and Marley Marl. Lyrically he drew on narratives and personas evident in gangsta rap pioneers such as Ice-T, N.W.A, Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg, and storytelling traditions present in Scarface and Ice Cube. His production often referenced funk and R&B sources including Parliament, Funkadelic, Zapp & Roger, The Isley Brothers, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, and vocal stylings inspired by Nate Dogg and Marvin Gaye.

Business ventures and label ownership

Beyond recording, he founded and operated independent labels and imprints to release solo material and regional artists, interacting with distributors and partners associated with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Empire Distribution, EMI, and independent networks. He managed artist rosters, production credits, and publishing administration, collaborating with entities such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and music rights administrators employed by catalog owners and legacy labels. His entrepreneurial activities intersected with music licensing for film and television productions for studios including Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, and networks such as MTV, BET, VH1, and streaming services.

Personal life and legal issues

Public accounts have mentioned family ties and regional affiliations in Long Beach, California, with connections to peers from South Central Los Angeles and other Southern California neighborhoods. Like many artists operating in high-profile scenes, he encountered legal disputes, contractual disagreements, and industry conflicts related to label ownership, royalties, and publishing, involving parties such as Death Row Records, Suge Knight, and various distributors. Legal matters referenced common entertainment law issues overseen in courts within Los Angeles County and federal jurisdictions, and civil settlements or litigations intersected with managers, producers, and label executives.

Category:1973 births Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Rappers from California Category:People from Long Beach, California