Confronted with a seeming domino effect of setbacks – including the murder of Tupac Shakur, the departure of Dr. Dre and the incarceration of CEO Suge Knight – the once all-pervading musical influence of Death Row Records on Nineties hip-hop has finally waned. That could make the solo debut from rapper and producer Daz Dillinger (a member of Snoop Doggy Dogg's former cohorts the Dogg Pound) the label's last significant release.

On Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back, Daz shows off heavy grooves worthy of Death Row's pioneering Dre. Raging tracks like "In California" and "O.G." (featuring Snoop and Nate Dogg) demonstrate his proficiency with the bass-laden, keyboard-lined style popularized by Dre's The Chronic and the Dogg Pound's Dogg Food. Lyrically, Dillinger (also like Dre) is less impressive, remaining largely faithful to the familiar topics of gangbangin' ("Why Do We Bang") and girl-layin' ("Pimp City"). Retaliation benefits from the presence of numerous more-experienced rappers: Kurupt, Too Short, MC Eiht, B-Legit, WC and the late Shakur.

A few tunes break the thematic monotony in wildly different ways. "Baby Mama Drama" is a cynical take on child-support payments; "Thank God for My Life," on the other hand, is a quaint testament to spirituality from Daz, a former choir singer. Tracks like the smooth "It Might Sound Crazy" and the fiery "Initiated" – where Tupac steals the show – recall the best of Death Row's output. Daz Dillinger may be overlooked because of the specter of misfortune that hangs over his label, but Retaliation is an appropriate swan song for the G-funk era. (RS 784)

MILES MARSHALL LEWIS