Daz Explains Why Lady Of Rage & Inspectah Deck Verses Did Not Make “All Eyez On Me” (Video)

Daz Dillinger produced five of the 27 tracks on Tupac’s All Eyez On Me double album. Tha Dogg Pound MC/producer was a close affiliate of Shakur during his year with Death Row Records. The blockbuster album would eventually reach diamond certification, with Daz producing singles such as “I Ain’t Mad At Cha” and “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted.” Another contribution to the LP would be “Got My Mind Made Up,” on which Daz and DPG partner Kurupt would appear on vocally, in addition to the Dillinger beat.

The song featured Redman and Method Man, at a time when Death Row Records was notorious for keeping albums almost entirely in-house. The two Def Jam Records artists (who since formed a group) were not the only guests on the song’s intended personnel. The Lady Of Rage, then a Death Row artist, and Meth’s Wu-Tang Clan band-mate Inspectah Deck recorded verses for the song. In the album version, Deck can be heard on background vocals.

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In a new video interview for DPG Uncut, Dat Nigga Daz (as he was then known) explains why Rage and Rebel I.N.S. were omitted, and how it pertained to the song’s publishing splits, and a growing rift between ‘Pac and Dre—who also worked on All Eyez.

“[‘Got My Mind Made Up’ originally] had [The Lady Of Rage], Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Redman, me, and Kurupt [as guests]. Why I think they [still kept] Inspectah Deck’s vocals in there a little bit is because [the recording was done on] ADAT’s. There was probably three ADAT’s. I put the beat on one. On the second tape, it had all of our vocals on there. Now the third tape, I must’ve had Inspectah Deck on there. But they didn’t have the third tape. That’s why you only heard his background [vocals].” Unlike Meth’ and Red’, in 1996, Deck had yet to release a solo album.

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“Rage didn’t want to be on the song,” elaborates Daz, who has worked with the Virginia MC extensively for nearly 25 years. “There was too many dudes [on it, creating] competition. So she was like, ‘No, I don’t want to be on the song.'” Daz believes a verse from the “Afro Puffs” sensation was recorded. After removing her role on the song, Rage was one of the few Death Row veteran artists who would not appear on All Eyez.

“Inspectah Deck busted his [verse],” says Daz, who then opens up about some additional history surrounding the album cut. “The real story of the song is I took the tapes up to Dr. Dre’s house. It was [on ADAT tapes]. He had the machine to run it off on the big reels. So I left it up there. Dr. Dre heard, then Tupac went up there and said he heard it and said he got a song with Method Man and Redman. ‘Pac didn’t know that I did the beat, ’cause Dre said he did the beat. Then, when they came playin’ it, I said, ‘Nigga, that’s my shit.’ That’s when Tupac and Dr. Dre got into a little [verbal altercation].” While Dre and Tupac worked together on All Eyez, by mid-1996, Shakur began dissing his producer on other songs recorded after the Compton mogul would leave the label. “On that part with Inspectah Deck, like I said before, that third ADAT tape was missing. I don’t know if the engineers didn’t transfer the shit [properly], but they just heard the beat—Method Man, Redman, and all that shit, and they didn’t even think about the [third tape]. Really, that’s how that one kicked off.”

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Daz has previously asserted his role in songs credited as Dr. Dre productions. Suge Knight, the CEO of Death Row has also maintained that Daz “ghost-produced” songs Dre was credited.

The Long Beach, California representative who just released Cuzznz LP this January with Snoop Dogg, said he urged Redman and Method Man to collect their publishing on the hit song. He remembers telling the Def Jam Records artists, “Y’all have to go in there and get y’all publishing.” At the time, only Tupac, Kurupt, and Daz were receiving royalties—all Death Row artists. “We were the only three getting paid off that song.” Daz says that after the administrative changes, he received 60% of the songs royalties (50% as producer, and 10% as one of five vocalists). “They spent that 40%.”

Tupac would appear on Daz’s solo debut, 1998’s gold-certified Retaliation, Revenge, and Get Back. Daz would also work on posthumous Tupac albums including Still I Rise.

Related: Why Tupac’s All Eyez On Me Remains The First & Last Flawed Classic Album