DPG - Dillinger II Young Gotti - Tha Saga Continues...

HHH Official Rating: 2.5/5
Beats rating: 3.5/5
Lyrics rating: 3/5
Music Quality: 3.5/5



by the god Dirty Backpacks



It's been a while since y'all heard from the god. I shouldn't have kept you - without a strong review to step to! Aight, that was pretty corny, buy I'm happy to drop some more jewels on the best source for exclusive Hip Hop content on the 'Net - Hiphophavoc.com!

Anyways, let's get to it. I was wild excited to this joint in the mail - shout out to Red Ink and Soren Packer. I've always been a big Dogg Pound fan, and after interviewing my man Daz (check out the HHH interview section), I was dying to hear their 1st collaborative effort in years.Reunited, and it feels so good.

Uh, not quite.

If you're a DPGC fan like me, there's a certain something you expect to hear when pop in a Dogg Pound CD - a rough, high-octane, gangsta flow with hard beats, hard lyrics, and basically that shit to get you amped. DPGC has always been like the West Coast Mobb Deep - you don't wanna hear no damned love songs or pop sh*t! You wanna hear that real West Coast Gangsta Music! If I want love songs, I'll play LL. Or at least 50 Cent.

Alright, calm down G-Unit lovers of the world - it's just a joke....

This album isn't quite as hard as you'd expect their first effort to be after years apart. But you can't tell from the first song, "DPGC Muzic" - it sets the album off so right. "DPGC Muzic" is classic Dogg Pound material - straight West Coast heat, with a dope beat and hard-hitting lyrics. You can't even tell neither one of them lives on the West Coast anymore! And Kurupt continues to spit more heat on "Cuz I'm A Gangsta", amping you up even more. But, oddly enough, it's Daz who really kills this track - for those of y'all who remember, Kurupt was always thought of as the lyricist in the DPGC Crew, even moreso than Snoop. It seems strange to actually hear Daz come off better than him - but trust, both rip it. The track is a bit laid-back, but it's still tried and true DPGC.

But as you go on through Dillinger II Young Gotti - The Saga Continuez... you notice something a bit different. It starts with track #5 "Hittin' Donutz In Tha Streetz", which isn't bad at all. In fact, it's straight G-Funk - the type of song that makes you wanna kick back and smoke some of that Ooo-wee! Or at least chill with ya homies and sip on somethin'. Think of it as the Dogg Pound version of "Today Was A Good Day".

But by the time you get to the next song "Say It" - you're thinking "what the F**K IS THIS?!?" Is that really a chick singing "oo-oo" on the chorus? Who produced this crap - The Disney Channel? This don't sound like Kurupt & Daz - this sounds like S Club 7!!!

And herein lies the problem with this album - way too much pop crap and love songs. I mean, were these guys both in love when they made this album? Look at the album cover. Then think back - these are the guys that made "New York, New York" and rapped about how "B***hes Ain't Sh*t". Can that really be Daz singing in the background (along with singer Men-Nefer) on "U Remind Me"? Ain't that the same name of an USHER song?

What's next- a duet with Fantasia?!?

Then they break these love odes up with a song called "Make Me A Believer" talking about hittin' chicks off - huh? Make up your mind guys - what is it going to be - coddlin' hoes or flippin' 'em on they backs like Dominoes? You can't have it both ways. Songs like these and "I Luv When U" with Men-Nefer (again) really will turn their core audience off.

By the time we get to track #11 ("What U Gone Do?"), they're back to that gangsta sh*t we know and love - but it's too late - the vibe has been thrown off, and you're still wondering what you heard. "Push Bacc" and "Ride & Creep" are some of the best on the album, but this effort seems disjointed. Perhaps if they had made the first half gangsta and the second half breezy and light, it might've worked- but the way this is, it just leaves you scratching your head.

Daz either produced or co-produced the entire album, with help from Ivan Johnson, DJ Xtra Large and L.T. Hutton (the last two produced 3 songs by themselves). And, for the most part, the beats are good, even on the lighter songs.

While I don't dislike this album, it would've been better if it was an entire album of classic DPG gangsta sh*t - while I don't think artists should only do one type of music, this new persona for the Dogg Pound doesn't work. I don't hate these songs, but DPG purists will damn-near riot off this material. And, for most of the album, Daz surprisingly outshines Kurupt in tenacity and energy, which seems odd - but maybe he knows how to ride his beats better than Kurupt.

DPG's Dillinger II Young Gotti- Tha Saga Continuez... would've gotten a better grade if they simply stuck to the DPG script we all know and love. As it stands, this album serves merely as an appetizer for the major label DPG album with Snoop, Nate Dogg, and Warren G on the tracks with Daz & Kurupt.

Let's hope that effort is a lot better.

By the way - the skits (the intro and track #3) suck. I hate unnecessary or stupid skits - just give us music if you can't give us something dope, meaningful, or funny.



Track List:


1. Tha Saga Continuez...(intro) [1]
2. DPGC Muzic [3.5]
3. Blast 'Em Up (skit) [0.5]
4. Cuz I'm A Gangsta [3]
5. Hittin' Donutz In Tha Streetz [4]
6. Say It [1.5]
7. We Gitt [3]
8. U Remind Me...w/Me-Nefer [3]
9. Make Me A Believer [1]
10. I Luv When U w/Men-Nefer [2.5]
11. What U Gone Do? [2.5]
12. Puch Bacc [4]
13. Ride & Creep w/D-Sharp [4]
14. Outro (Feels Good To Be A Dogg Pound Gangsta) [2.5]