Daz on Joining Long Beach Insane Crips, Selling Crack (Part 1)

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In a candid Vlad TV interview, legendary rapper and producer Daz Dillinger detailed his early days growing up in Long Beach amid the crack epidemic of the mid-1980s. Born to a hardworking mother who juggled roles as a post office worker, schoolteacher, and songwriter, Daz painted a vivid picture of a turbulent neighborhood transformed by the crack cocaine crisis. Around age 12 or 13, Daz became affiliated with the Insane Crips, one of Long Beach’s dominant Crip factions, noting the local street dynamics and rivalries.

Despite the street struggles, Daz found music as an alternate path—beginning as a park DJ while navigating the harsh realities of drug dealing to survive. He reflected on the era’s violence and escalation in firearms, describing how the crack boom changed the community’s landscape. This interview sheds light on how Daz balanced life between the streets and his journey toward hip-hop stardom.