| Warren G | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Warren Griffin III |
| Also known as | Warren G |
| Born | November 10, 1970 |
| Origin | Long Beach, California |
| Genres | West Coast hip hop, gangsta rap, G-funk, R&B |
| Occupations | DJ Producer Rapper Singer |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Violator Management Def Jam Recordings Restless Records Universal Records TVT Records G-Funk Entertainment |
| Associated acts | 213, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tha Dogg Pound, Tupac Shakur, The Dove Shack, Cedric Ceballos, Twinz, Reel Tight, Mista Grimm, Bishop Lamont, Busta Rhymes, Knoc-Turn'al, Xzibit, Kurupt, Dat Nigga Daz |
Warren G (born Warren Griffin III, November 10, 1970),[1] is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer. He is also Dr. Dre's step-brother.
His biggest hit is the song "Regulate" with Nate Dogg released in 1994. Warren G is a former member of the Long Beach Rollin' 20's Neighborhood Crips (21st Street).
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In 1990, Warren G formed the group 213 (in reference to Long Beach, California's area code at the time - now it is 562) with Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg, known as Snoop Doggy Dogg at the time. They were in search of a record deal and in 1992, Warren G introduced the group to his stepbrother Dr. Dre, who was impressed. However, only Snoop Dogg and eventually the late Nate Dogg were signed to Dre and Suge Knight's record label, Death Row Records. Warren G was left without a record deal and thus pursued a solo career. Although Death Row Records did not sign him, he made major contributions to Dr. Dre's album The Chronic, released in December 1992, including discovering many of the popular samples utilized in the album, including "Nothin' But a G-Thang" and many others.
After seeing various new acts to get signed by Death Row, and realizing he was not going to be signed by the label, Warren G started to look for other avenues to launch his musical career. He scored a deal in 1993 with Violator Records, which had a distribution deal with Polygram through Def Jam Records. Warren G and Nate Dogg were featured on Mista Grimm's 1993 single, Indo Smoke, from the "Poetic Justice (soundtrack)" . He was also the producer on this track. Warren G's debut album Regulate... G Funk Era was released in 1994 on Violator/Def Jam. By August 1995 the album had sold four million copies worldwide, with three million of those sold in the US (certified 3x platinum). Had Death Row Records signed him, he would have been one of the label's biggest selling acts at the time. The album contained the hit lead single "Regulate" featuring Nate Dogg which samples Michael McDonald's classic hit, "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)". The single "Regulate" (US #2) was certified platinum in America. The album's second single, "This D.J." (US #9, UK #12), was certified gold in the US and also gave him his first UK hit. The third and final single, "Do You See" (US #42) became a moderate hit on the US Hot 100. The year 1994 would also see Warren G doing a track with former NBA Slam Dunk Champion and NBA All-Star Cedric Ceballos on B-Ball's Best Kept Secret, a rap album with tracks done almost exclusively by early 90s NBA players. He would score a #2 hit on the UK singles chart with Adina Howard with "What's Love Got to Do with it", from the soundtrack album to the movie "Supercop".
Warren G's second album was entitled Take a Look Over Your Shoulder (Reality) and was released in 1997. It featured two singles: The hit "I Shot the Sheriff" (US #20, UK#2), a gold single in the US; and "Smokin' Me Out" (US #35, UK#14). The album would be certified gold in America.
Together with Sissel Kyrkjebø, Warren G had a hit in several European countries in 1998 with Prince Igor on the concept album The Rapsody Overture. The album combined American rappers with European opera singers. Sissel sang an aria from Borodin's opera Prince Igor during the chorus, while Warren G rapped.
In October 1997, Warren G and Garth Brooks sued each other over trademark rights to the lowercase letter "g". The battle ensued after each decided that the other was stealing his identifying symbol. Brooks' trademark stamp features a "g" in a circle, while Warren G's sports the words "funk music" with it. The lawsuit was settled in March 1998, with both parties agreeing to drop the case.[2]
Warren G had signed to the independent label Restless Records by the release of his third album I Want It All (album) (1999). The album offered a jazz-rock fusion style and featured a host of guests including Mack 10, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Eve. The first single, "I Want It All" (US #23), sampled the song "I Like It" by DeBarge. Second single "Game Don't Wait" failed to crack the US Hot 100, and peaked at #58 on the US R&B Chart. Warren G had decided to fully embrace his less-gangsta image at this time. The album was certified gold in the US.
For his fourth album, Warren G returned to major label distribution as Universal Records released his The Return of the Regulator in 2001. The album had one single released, "Lookin' at You", which did not crack the Hot 100, and peaked at #72 on the R&B singles chart. By 2004, Warren G, Snoop Dogg, and Nate Dogg had reunited their group 213 and released the album The Hard Way on TVT Records, which contained the single "Groupie Luv." The song did not break into the Hot 100, but it peaked at #48 on the R&B Chart. The album, however, peaked at #4 on the US Top 200 Album Chart, and was certified gold.
The week of August 1 to August 6, 2005, was dedicated as the "Warren G Week" by the Mayor of Long Beach.[3]
Warren G released a new album on October 11, 2005, called In the Mid-Nite Hour. In December 2005, he signed with UniqueInc LTD (UK) for the UK & Éire, Craze Productions of London is doing the digital distribution and sales on Mobile and online and Hawino Records for the North America release. Warren G also appeared on Celebrity Fit Club. In 2006, he produced the theme song for Ice Cube's TV show, Black. White. On March 22, Warren G made a song called "Mr. President," addressing the 2008 presidential candidate race and encouraged everyone to vote. He also appeared in Celebrity Rap Superstar as a mentor.
On June 7, 2008, Warren G was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to sell. The car he was riding in was pulled over for running a red light in Los Angeles. He was released on $20,000 bail,[4] all charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence.[5]
Three of Warren G's albums have featured a song by 213: "Game Don't Wait" appeared on his third album I Want It All; "Yo' Sassy Ways" appeared on his fourth album The Return of the Regulator; and "PYT" appeared on his fifth album In the Mid-Nite Hour. The G-Files (released independently on TTL Records on September 29, 2009) failed to reach the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart, in addition to breaking the aforementioned streak. It had sold 3,000 copies in its first week.
In April 2011, Warren G and Chris Kanik teamed up to promote a new natural male enhancement supplement called Affirm XL.
| Category | Genre | Song | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group[6] | Hip hop | "Regulate" | 1995 | Nominated |
| Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance | Hip hop | "This D.J." | 1995 | Nominated |