DPG – Dillinger & Young Gotti (DPG Records 2001)

Oh yeah, this is the same group as Tha Dogg Pound, but Death Row Records has not allowed Daz and Kurupt to take that name with em when they left the Row. See, they will still release Dogg Pound albums of old songs, talk about acting greedy. Death Row could be a really good label if they started working with their new inmates like Mac Shawn, Lil C Style and Jayo Felony instead of releasing old stuff from Snoop, Pac and Dogg Pound all the time. They can do better then that. But anyway, this new album from DPG is just off the chain, it´s crazy! It has a true West Coast sound and pretty much continues where Dogg Food left of.

First song here called “Dip Wit Me” is done like should be done! I think Daz made the beat. RBX is featured on here, however only in the end where were he´s talking some, I would luv to hear him rap instead! Next up is “We Livin Gangsta Like” with Xzibit. X´s style really fit the styles of Daz, Kurupt, Dre and the others in his new found DPG family. I love this song. It´s up to date but it´s still has that classic feeling that surrounded the Row before Dre left, like 94-95 when it was all good out in Cali!

“Coastin” features a pretty fast beat, with pretty fast raps, not tongue twisting. But DPG does there thing here – another song to add to your favorites list! They rap about how it feels good to be a Dogg Pound Gangsta. We have been waiting for this feeling, nobody can bring it like the duo of Daz and Kurupt! Something for the strip joints is “Work Dat Pussy" – this beat is mad, out of control and all that. I´m sure you will feel this junt. The chorus is simple but really tight! “Party At My House” is a real typical party DPG sound, up-tempo, easy to listen to.

One of my favorite songs on this new album is the song “You´re Jus A B.I.T.C.H.”. Talk about keeping it true to the West Coast sound! It´s pretty obvious what the topic of this song is. A hood rat could never break up the crew etc, they even talk about how Beyoncé is Daz “destiny”!

”Best Run” features Beanie Sigel & Rosco from Jay-Z´s label Roc-A-Fella. Sigel comes pretty tight, even though this is 100% West Coast beats. One of the best tracks that I´ve heard in a very long time is “My Heart Don´t Pump No Fear” which features Slip Capone who has bees around the DPG click for a long time now. Charlie Wilson who handled the chorus on Snoops old hit “Snoops Upside Ya Head” take cares of the back up vocals on this song. Almost every album has at least one song with a lot of pain in it, so does this one. The track “There´s Someway Out” is about growing old and staying strong. Hold your head up like that!

Both Daz and Kurupt have one solo junt each on here. Daz song “Here We Are/Go Kill Em” is a lil bit stronger then Kurupt´s song “I´ma Gangster”. But both songs are good, however none of them are among the top 3 songs on the album. What you want when you buy this album is to hear Daz and Kurupt together, you´re not looking for solo cuts cause that´s what you have heard since `95.

Last song on here is “D.P.G.” which features a sample from “N.Y., N.Y.” of their 95 release “Dogg Food”. It´s a good song which you are sure to recognize at once cause of the sample. That leads into the outro, which is nothing special, just a good well-done outro! So when I summed up 2001 I said this is one of the best albums I have heard this year, among the 10 best this year. Why you ask? Well, me among with many others have been waiting for this album since we heard “Dogg Food” in 1995. You get a special formula when you put together Daz and Kurupt. If you want gangsta shit to the fullest on an album you must have this. It´s easy to be disappointed on an album that you have waited for since 1995, every year that past made the expectations grow and when it´s now released I must say that they did the perfect thing. They did what they do best – gangsta music! No Cash Money bounce influences, no Timbaland influences. They made an album for the gangstas out there, something for you to bang and ride to! DPG ain´t joking!

Rating: 4 of 5

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