It’s tough to imagine West Coast hip-hop without the likes of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Two of the most illustrious and talented producers and artists of their time, Dre and Snoop are still among the top artists and still reel in the big bucks playing their time-honored classics like “Nuthin’ but a G Thang” and “Gin and Juice.”
But believe it or not, those two, while perhaps the most obvious representations of their genre, aren’t responsible for the West Coast rap turnover in the 1990s. That credit belongs to the self-proclaimed King of G-Funk Warren G.
On his tour promoting his new album The G Files, Warren G will bring his funky beats and soft rap voice to The Majestic Theater Saturday. But don’t be fooled — while his new music might feature up-and-coming rap artists like Raekwon and Halla, Warren G will still be playing his classic G-Funk tunes, and he needed to make that clear when talking about his new album.
“I get tired of people saying that I’m not doing G-Funk,” he said in a recent interview. “Since things changed a little out here in California, in L.A., I touched on electro hip-hop with a little G-Funk, but I still just do my music. Ain’t nothing changed from when I started.”
With his hit album Regulate…G Funk Era debuting back in 1994, Warren G is by no means a rookie in the business. In fact, Warren G was perhaps the biggest influence on Snoop and Dre in the ’90s and continues to be a staple in West Coast rap. His classics like “Regulate” and “This D.J.” were precursors to the same genre in Dre’s first hit album Nuthin’ but a G Thang as well as Snoop Dogg’s first — and most popular — album, Doggystyle.
When asked about his influence on other famous rappers, Warren G’s answer was simple, yet profound. Instead of taking credit for creating one of the most popular rap genres of his era, he had another way of looking at his success, both in the present and back in 1994.
“Some people do it for fun, but not me,” he said. “This isn’t a hobby to me — this is a job. This is what I do; I don’t know nothing else.”
Hip-hop has come a long way since G-Funk was first heard in the mid-’90s, but the easy flow and funk-inspired beats haven’t changed one bit. On The G Files, while some songs feature new-age pop-punk stars like former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker in “Let’s Get High,” Warren G maintains his G-Funk status, saying while he has begun to incorporate more current musicians into his repertoire, he hasn’t strayed from what propelled him to stardom 15 years ago.
“I’m just doing good music and staying consistent,” he said. “Some people aren’t always going to accept what you do, but when they get the album, they’re like, ‘wow,’ get this album and listen to it first, then you’ll see what I mean. … Travis and I have been doing a lot of work together. We decided we wanted to go in and make something, and it turned out to be a great record, it’s incredible. I think it’s one of the best records on the album.”
But in the Midwest, a region that has produced hip-hop stars like Twista, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Eminem, Warren G’s easy and slow rhymes clash with the fast-paced rhythm of most Midwestern artists. Nevertheless, Warren G is excited to show off his talents on a small stage so his fans far from Los Angeles can see the king of G-Funk up close. That, he says, is the biggest reason for coming to Madison.
“It’s time [to] get around to see the people who don’t get to make it to those big shows. I’m definitely ready to get out there and [for them to] see me in person,” he said. “If it wasn’t for the fans, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I appreciate the support they’ve given me and this is how I pay them back, by giving them a show where they can see me up close.”
Warren G will be performing at The Majestic Theater on Nov. 14. Tickets are $20 in advance.
