D.P.G.C (Dogg Pound Gangsta Crips) : Tha Dogg Pound

     

         The Dogg Pound Gangsta Crips was a group of West Coast rappers who were rapping during the early 90's, they were an extended family for a connection through the west during the early days of rap. The D.P.G.C's rappers were Tha Dogg Pound, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Big C-Style, Techniec, Bad Azz, Lil' 1/2 Dead, RBX, Lil' C-Style, Soopafly, Tha Eastsidaz, and others.

         Tha Dogg Pound is an American hip hop duo formed in the early 90's, it was with rappers Daz Dillinger and Kurupt Young Gotti. Before "The Chronic" debut album that was by Dr. Dre, Kurupt and Daz were still solo artists. In 1992, when Dr. Dre had released his album, Kurupt and Daz had been featured on a  few songs, because of the heavy chemistry between the both of them, Dre suggested to make them a duo, since then they both went on featuring in the "Doggystyle" and various features and soundtracks as Tha Dogg Pound.

        Between 1993-1994, The group assisted Hammer on his "The Funky Headhunter" album (such as the song "Sleepin' on a Master Plan" and others), along with Suge Knight and the Whole 9. In 1995, they released their debut album "Dogg Food" under Death Row Records. The album debuted #1 on the Billboard 200 and went on to reach 2x platinum status. It was quite a success. "Let's Play House" was the biggest hit, breaking into the top 50 of the Hot 100, while "New York, New York" was an MTV favourite; in the video for the latter, Kurupt, Daz, and Snoop stomped Godzilla-like around the Big Apple, taunting their East Coast rivals. In the October that followed, towards the end of the same year, Tupac Shakur had also been bailed out of jail by Death Row's Suge Knight in exchange for releasing his following four albums on Death Row Records. By 1996, the duo were featured on Tupac's debut album in Death Row Records called "All Eyez on Me", Kurupt was featured in "Got My Mind Made Up" and "Check Out Time" and Daz Dillinger producing the hit songs "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Ambitionz Az A Ridah", and "I Ain't Mad At Cha" and did a lot more for their label.

      After all the effect they did for Death Row, Kurupt left Death Row Records but still remained in Tha Dogg Pound. By 1999, Kurupt had released two solo albums "Kuruption!" and "Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha" that had Daz Dillinger and the rest of the DPG on them. However, in 1998 Daz was making noise of his own over at Death Row and released his only Death Row album "Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back" which went gold. Afterwards he made his own label called Mobstyle Muzik, in which he had his first taste of the independent scene. Poppa Snoop Presents Mobstyle Muzik Volume 1 was Mobstyle Muzik's first release which had failed and Daz then returned to Death Row. He later then started up DPG Recordz along with Christopher "Big C-Style" Bowden through Death Row Records. Daz eventually parted way with Death Row in late 1999 and released his first independent album "R.A.W." in 2000. That was followed by the D.P.G. album from Tha Dogg Pound entitled "Dillinger & Young Gotti".

      After Kurupt's and Dillinger's official departure from the Death Row Records, Suge Knight claimed ownership of the name "Tha Dogg Pound" and any tracks recorded prior to them leaving. So because they knew it was legal for Suge Knight to do that, they decided to call themselves "D.P.G." for the short form of "Dogg Pound Gangstaz". As they were moving forward in life for their career, Suge Knight in 2001 released an album under "Tha Dogg Pound" called 2002 which was most of the unreleased tracks by "Tha Dogg Pound" back when they were still in Death Row Records. Daz on an interview said that that album was bullshit and that during Suge Knights incarceration, he raided Death Row Records vaults to steal back as many tracks as he could.

     After all the problems going on with the owner of Death Row, Suge Knight. They suddenly had personal problems themselves as Kurupt had left them and signed back with Suge Knight in Death Row Records becoming the vice president for the label. Daz who was still with the whole DPGC were angry on the fact that Kurupt had betrayed them to join back with the Death Row. Immediately Kurupt and Daz started releasing diss albums and tracks out to each other from 2003 till late 2004. Daz came up with a single featuring Bad Azz titled "U Ain't Shit" and "I Don't Give a Fucc"which is sung over the beat to 50 Cent's "In Da Club". Kurupt on his side came up with his diss album called "Originals" which featured disses in almost every song on the album, most notably the bonus track "Eat A Dicc (Fucc Daz)"

     The fights went on till 2005 when Kurupt and Daz called truce. The struggling Death Row had problems promoting Kurupt's album "Against Tha Grain" and failed to do so. The duo started to feel remorse for each other, so Kurupt and Daz reunited again as "Tha Dogg Pound" and released a new album together entitled "Dillinger & Young Gotti II : The Saga Continuez". After "The Western Conference" in 2005 the duo agreed to revitalise the DPGC by working together on an album with Snoop Dogg, Soopafly, Nate Dogg, Warren G, RBX, Lady of Rage and Lil 1/2 Dead with Snoop taking over the producing and distributing tasks for it. "Tha Dogg Pound" then released a joint venture reunion comeback project the next year in 2006 called "Cali Iz Active" under Snoop Dogg's label Doggystyle Records. But fans were not feeling the same G-Funk genre they were getting from the West Coast way back, as "Cali Iz Active" wasn't that of a G-Funk beat and that disappointed the fans.

     In March 27, 2007, quite a lot of things were happening as the duo released an independently album called "Dogg Chit". By August, 2007 they also were in the process of signing with Cash Money Records, planning on releasing an album entitled "Westcoast Aftershocc" but it was postponed in favour of a separate album "100 Wayz". Early 2008, the duo had came out with a single featuring Pharrell called "Cheat" and following up with "They Don't Want It" featuring Soopafly, and "Get My Drink on & My Smoke On". Because of of the head of Koch Records, Aran Grunblatt the album "100 Wayz" was postponed from coming out on the same year. Instead they came up with another album which is entitled "That Was Then, This Is Now" which included a few singles from the songs that were supposed to be released in "100 Wayz"

    In May, 2010, they put out an compilation album "Keep On Ridin". On the same year "100 Wayz" was finally released in July.  Ever since then they have been telling the media on them making new albums and projects together especially the main album which would be "Dillinger & Young Gotti III : Get Paid" a collaboration album with Pete Rock, and a re-announcement of the album "Westcoast Aftershocc" for 2011. The duo then somehow split for awhile again to create their own supergroups. But together they made a group and named it "N'Matez" consisting of themselves, the Lady of Rage, and RBX. In December 2011, Tha Dogg Pound released a single entitled "Forever in a Day" featuring Snoop Dogg. Finally, the duo had last called to make an album with Dr. Dre for the first time. and marks the first time Dr. Dre collaborates with the duo together ever since Kurupt was in a few songs in Dre's album "2001", they album is going to be called "Alumni" that will be having Dre doing also a few beats, and even Snoop Dogg will be a part of the album. The first album that Dr Dre had done for the duo was "Dogg Food". On December 2, 2012 Tha Dogg Pound released a collaboration mixtape with Snoop Dogg titled "Thats My Work Vol. 1"