The unmistakable G-Funk sound of Southern California created a style that in the 90’s shaped Hip Hop culture in it’s own image. Since it’s conception by Dr. Dre with The Chronic, G-Funk has grown to be one Hip Hop’s most unique and distinguished sub-genre and has spread West Coast culture across the globe. On this day in Hip Hop history we celebrate the birth of the self proclaimed King of G-Funk Nate Dogg.
Known for his smooth soulful vocals on the hooks of some of the the 90’s most popular G-Funk cuts, Nate Dogg became one of the most recognizable voices of the genre. His music career began in 1990 when he and his cousin, Snoop Dogg, formed the group 213 along with fellow Long Beach rapperWarren G. After gaining clout in the newly exploding California rap scene, the group recorded their first demo at the iconic V.I.P. Record Store in Long Beach. The demo was passed along to Dr. Dre giving Nate Dogg and the rest of 213 the break they needed.
Nate Dogg’s first placement was on the Dr. Dre’s classic debut The Chronic singing the outro to “Deeez Nuuuts”. He would go on to sign with Death Row Records following the praise and acclaim he received after the album’s release. With Death Row, Nate Dogg continued to sing hooks and harmonize over tracks for various artists on the label. in 1994, he and Warren G released their first hit single “Regulate”.
Over the years Nate Dogg continued to show up on well known work by artists such as 2Pac, Eminem, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, and more. He has released three solo albums and has been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
Unfortunately, Nate Dogg struggled with his health and passed away March 15th, 2011 due to complications from repeated seizures. Although he may have physically left this world, his impact on rap is an eternal reminder of his influence on the culture. Today we celebrate his life and achievements as one of G-Funks greatest pioneers.
The second song Snoop Dogg ever released to the public may be his most iconic. “One-two-three-and to the fo’ / Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Dr. Dre is at the do’,” begins 1992’s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” The first inhale of Dr. Dre’s Chronic presented a laid-back side of the Long Beach, California MC first heard on the menacing “Deep Cover” earlier that year.
“G Thang” has become a time-piece. It conjures images of lowriders, and indo’ smoke, barbeques, and looking over one’s shoulder at the light. With a would-be mogul behind the wheel of the track and the dark purple ’64 Impala in its equally iconic video, it is how folks remember G-Funk. While the genesis of G-Funk is up for debate, the song that many believe best exemplifies the sub-genre of Rap is not. The song was a grand introduction for Snoopy, who would show the world how an MC did it Doggystyle less than one year later.
“[Dr. Dre’s beat] ain’t what I wrote “‘G’ Thang’ off of,” reveals Snoop. “I wrote it off [this other beat].” Snoop mimics the bassline of the track. Host Questlove points out that it’s Southside Movement’s “I’ve Been Watching You” (embedded below),” Snoop confirms, “That’s the beat [Dr. Dre] gave me. I took it [over to] my cousin’s [in Long Beach], and I wrote the whole “‘G’ Thang” song to that. [I] came back to [SOLAR] Studios, and bust that sh*t off that for [Dr. Dre].” At 3:00 in the audio clip, Snoop demonstrates his flow in the beat. Quest’ and Phonte provide some improvised background vocals.
At the top of the clip, Questlove also points out to Snoop that Dre sampled his late parents’ (Lee and Jacqui Andrews) vocals for another element of the finished song. Congress Alley’s 1973 cut “Are You Looking” is used. Quest’ demonstrates, and Snoop knows exactly what he is referring to.
Elsewhere in the full conversation, Snoop details The D.O.C.’s input on “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” At 25:00 mins, he says that the Dallas, Texas Rap legend suggested the “like this, that, and this” famous part of the hook. Snoop says that The Chronic sessions yielded approximately 25 songs; Dre used 16. The rapper says his favorite cut that was not used is a song called “Hoe Hopper.” Snoop also says that until the late 2000s, he made approximately 15% of his tour revenue, because his ensemble stage shows employed 30 people at a time. Last month, his Doggystyle debut turned 25 years old.
#BonusBeat: The record containing the sample that Snoop Dogg wrote his iconic verse to:
The second song Snoop Dogg ever released to the public may be his most iconic. “One-two-three-and to the fo’ / Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Dr. Dre is at the do’,” begins 1992’s “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” The first inhale of Dr. Dre’s Chronic presented a laid-back side of the Long Beach, California MC first heard on the menacing “Deep Cover” earlier that year.
“G Thang” has become a time-piece. It conjures images of lowriders, and indo’ smoke, barbeques, and looking over one’s shoulder at the light. With a would-be mogul behind the wheel of the track and the dark purple ’64 Impala in its equally iconic video, it is how folks remember G-Funk. While the genesis of G-Funk is up for debate, the song that many believe best exemplifies the sub-genre of Rap is not. The song was a grand introduction for Snoopy, who would show the world how an MC did it Doggystyle less than one year later.
“[Dr. Dre’s beat] ain’t what I wrote “‘G’ Thang’ off of,” reveals Snoop. “I wrote it off [this other beat].” Snoop mimics the bassline of the track. Host Questlove points out that it’s Southside Movement’s “I’ve Been Watching You” (embedded below),” Snoop confirms, “That’s the beat [Dr. Dre] gave me. I took it [over to] my cousin’s [in Long Beach], and I wrote the whole “‘G’ Thang” song to that. [I] came back to [SOLAR] Studios, and bust that sh*t off that for [Dr. Dre].” At 3:00 in the audio clip, Snoop demonstrates his flow in the beat. Quest’ and Phonte provide some improvised background vocals.
At the top of the clip, Questlove also points out to Snoop that Dre sampled his late parents’ (Lee and Jacqui Andrews) vocals for another element of the finished song. Congress Alley’s 1973 cut “Are You Looking” is used. Quest’ demonstrates, and Snoop knows exactly what he is referring to.
Elsewhere in the full conversation, Snoop details The D.O.C.’s input on “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang.” At 25:00 mins, he says that the Dallas, Texas Rap legend suggested the “like this, that, and this” famous part of the hook. Snoop says that The Chronic sessions yielded approximately 25 songs; Dre used 16. The rapper says his favorite cut that was not used is a song called “Hoe Hopper.” Snoop also says that until the late 2000s, he made approximately 15% of his tour revenue, because his ensemble stage shows employed 30 people at a time. Last month, his Doggystyle debut turned 25 years old.
Lyrical wunderkind Aesop Rock was a standout sensation during the Underground Hip-Hop boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s. His poetic imagery and didactic bars were complex conundrums that many listeners enjoyed unraveling. The MC/producer worked with the likes of MF DOOM, El-P, and the Weathermen during a celebrated time in Rap music, especially in New York.
While Aesop made his name as an artist with the Mush label, and later, on El’s Definitive Jux squad, this decade he’s been rolling with the Rhymesayers family, co-founded by Atmosphere. As recently as 2016’s The Impossible Kid, Rock has made some of his best Hip-Hop in years. He keeps the art exciting through interesting visuals, rugged flows, and compelling takes on the state of the culture.
Outside from his respected solo catalog, Aesop has enjoyed the craft of collaboration. The Portland, Oregon transplant has side groups/projects with fellow Weathermen alum, Cage (2 of A Kind), Homeboy Sandman (Lice), Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz (Hail Mary Mallon), Kimya Dawson (The Uncluded), and his latest endeavor, Malibu Ken, with producer Tobacco. The latter duo just released the video for their second single, the slightly uncomfortable and purposefully awkward “Corn Maze.”
As he is prone to do, Aesop raps about his nervous and awkward tendencies. He transforms his own experiences into a poetry so esoteric, it demands dozens of listens to decipher. The beat is similarly challenging but the fuzzy drums and synth plinks are exactly the kind of sound-bed Rock excels on.
The quirky visuals of “Corn Maze” are a handled by Rob Shaw, Aesop’s longtime videographer. The animation is clearly a tribute to Saturday morning cartoons from the early 1980s, but will likely remind many of Adventure Time as well. The plot is simple: three adventurers must unite to stop gargantuan, cyborg rat.
Aesop’s wordplay is as sharp as ever. In the second verse he raps, “In a lavish rabbit hole with no rabbits/ Young dumb dust bunnies jump into traffic / Casually gussied up and done feeling unsung and savage / Punk we have come for your cabbage / I’m bad news travel like a rat through your cabinet / Spaz Twenty paw pads full of scabs / Often a false ad full plaid all dander / Blast off black jackdaws on his antlers / Zero faithers / Wearily fear his neighbors / Some day we’ll find a way to make these billionaires obey us / Some day we’ll earn a subdivision gaudier than reprobates / Who sit around impressed and guess the order of the Tetris rain / With Biblical as reckoning / Son of surly Satan torn asunder / Private number, public urination / We socialize with pundits who encompass all the wrong stuff / I count the bread quick, I got some walls up.” The full-length album is due next month on RSE.
Lyrical wunderkind Aesop Rock was a standout sensation during the Underground Hip-Hop boom of the late 1990s and early 2000s. His poetic imagery and didactic bars were complex conundrums that many listeners enjoyed unraveling. The MC/producer worked with the likes of MF DOOM, El-P, and the Weathermen during a celebrated time in Rap music, especially in New York.
While Aesop made his name as an artist with the Mush label, and later, on El’s Definitive Jux squad, this decade he’s been rolling with the Rhymesayers family, co-founded by Atmosphere. As recently as 2016’s The Impossible Kid, Rock has made some of his best Hip-Hop in years. He keeps the art exciting through interesting visuals, rugged flows, and compelling takes on the state of the culture.
Outside from his respected solo catalog, Aesop has enjoyed the craft of collaboration. The Portland, Oregon transplant has side groups/projects with fellow Weathermen alum, Cage (2 of A Kind), Homeboy Sandman (Lice), Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz (Hail Mary Mallon), Kimya Dawson (The Uncluded), and his latest endeavor, Malibu Ken, with producer Tobacco. The latter duo just released the video for their second single, the slightly uncomfortable and purposefully awkward “Corn Maze.”
As he is prone to do, Aesop raps about his nervous and awkward tendencies. He transforms his own experiences into a poetry so esoteric, it demands dozens of listens to decipher. The beat is similarly challenging but the fuzzy drums and synth plinks are exactly the kind of sound-bed Rock excels on.
The quirky visuals of “Corn Maze” are a handled by Rob Shaw, Aesop’s longtime videographer. The animation is clearly a tribute to Saturday morning cartoons from the early 1980s, but will likely remind many of Adventure Time as well. The plot is simple: three adventurers must unite to stop gargantuan, cyborg rat.
Aesop’s wordplay is as sharp as ever. In the second verse he raps, “In a lavish rabbit hole with no rabbits/ Young dumb dust bunnies jump into traffic / Casually gussied up and done feeling unsung and savage / Punk we have come for your cabbage / I’m bad news travel like a rat through your cabinet / Spaz Twenty paw pads full of scabs / Often a false ad full plaid all dander / Blast off black jackdaws on his antlers / Zero faithers / Wearily fear his neighbors / Some day we’ll find a way to make these billionaires obey us / Some day we’ll earn a subdivision gaudier than reprobates / Who sit around impressed and guess the order of the Tetris rain / With Biblical as reckoning / Son of surly Satan torn asunder / Private number, public urination / We socialize with pundits who encompass all the wrong stuff / I count the bread quick, I got some walls up.” The full-length album is due next month on RSE.
Earlier this month, Ice Cube released his first solo album in eight years with Everythangs Corrupt. As the title may suggest, the 30-plus-year Rap legend tackles numerous social and political issues on the project. The LP’s first single “Arrest The President” takes aim at the White House and called for handcuffing the President for illegal activities while “Chase Down The Bully,” another song on the album, attacks white supremacy as well as tribalism, including some fiery references to Unite The Right protestors in Charlottesville last year. The latest look from Everythangs Corrupt finds Cube returning to his G-Funk era while adding in a colorful splash of psychedelia. “That New Funkadelic” is a party that would make Uncle George Clinton proud.
Directed by James Larese, the video is a perfect nod to one of George Clinton’s two iconic groups, which Cube has worked with in the past (alongside Kendrick Lamar). It’s also super trippy with bright colors and numerous West Coast-related figures running through the screen. He also twists up his fingers one time for the land that he loves and has represented throughout his iconic run.
In addition to music, Cube confirmed earlier this year that he’s finishing up the script to Last Friday, the final film in the Friday movie series (which he co-founded with Pooh).
Earlier this month, Ice Cube released his first solo album in eight years with Everythangs Corrupt. As the title may suggest, the 30-plus-year Rap legend tackles numerous social and political issues on the project. The LP’s first single “Arrest The President” takes aim at the White House and called for handcuffing the President for illegal activities while “Chase Down The Bully,” another song on the album, attacks white supremacy as well as tribalism, including some fiery references to Unite The Right protestors in Charlottesville last year. The latest look from Everythangs Corrupt finds Cube returning to his G-Funk era while adding in a colorful splash of psychedelia. “That New Funkadelic” is a party that would make Uncle George Clinton proud.
Directed by James Larese, the video is a perfect nod to one of George Clinton’s two iconic groups, which Cube has worked with in the past (alongside Kendrick Lamar). It’s also super trippy with bright colors and numerous West Coast-related figures running through the screen. He also twists up his fingers one time for the land that he loves and has represented throughout his iconic run.
In addition to music, Cube confirmed earlier this year that he’s finishing up the script to Last Friday, the final film in the Friday movie series (which he co-founded with Pooh).
On this date in 1992, Dr. Dre released his debut solo album The Chronic on his own Death Row Records imprint, which was distributed by Priority Records. This album introduced the world to the Death Row experience, G-Funk infused Hip Hop and the one and only Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Recorded in Death Row Studios in L.A., The Chronic album was created under the influence of some of the most powerful marijuana in the United States during that time, hence, the title. It was also fueled by Dre’s relentless passion to show his former crew mates from N.W.A. that he could make it on his own as well as prove to the world that he could do more than just make dope beats.
Timeless tracks where Dre shined on the lyrical side include “Let Me Ride”, “Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang” along with Snoop and “The Day The Niggaz Took Over”, where Daz, Dre and RBX went in about racial tensions during the 1992 L.A. riots.
Even with it’s conceptual perfection and trailblazing sound, which left an open market for artists like The Dogg Pound, 213 and Warren G., The Chronic is still Dre’s second best-selling album behind The Chronic: 2001, which went sextuple platinum.
Salute to everyone at Death Row Records who contributed to this gangsta rap classic! Cali love!!
