Club Shay Shay - Warren G Part 2

Podcast: Club Shay Shay (iHeartPodcasts and Shay Shay Media)
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Warren G
Date: October 22, 2025

Episode Theme & Overview

In this engaging continuation, Shannon Sharpe and hip-hop legend Warren G dive deep into topics from barbecue mastery and personal life to intimate stories from hip-hop’s golden era. More than anecdotes, the conversation weaves together Warren G’s growth as a musician, entrepreneur, family man, and friend to some of music’s most iconic figures—including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, and Michael Jackson. The episode balances wide-ranging cultural discussion with personal reflection and industry wisdom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Barbecue Journey and Culinary Ambitions

• Barbecue “Mount Rushmore”: Warren’s favorites include Austin, Memphis, and South Carolina, sharing love for various pit masters. (01:16)
• Warren discusses learning BBQ from watching family and winning his first national BBQ contest (5th in brisket, 6th in chicken) on his first try.

  “I went up against, like, popular guys...and I beat some of them. I was like, oh my God, I can’t believe I beat this person. They showed me a lot of love too.” (02:58)

• Plans for expansion: Online sales are underway, with a goal of opening brick-and-mortar restaurants in California and Vegas. (04:08)
• Family kitchen memories: Recounts restrictive kitchen access growing up—watching, not helping—but the family togetherness left an impact. (05:00)
• Warren’s kitchen skills extend beyond barbecue: “I do crab boils, salmon, black-eyed peas...anything.” (05:27)
• “There’s a twist that I have to [my black-eyed peas] that nobody is doing.” (06:06)
• Talks favorite breakfast foods, Southern cooking, and his all-purpose ‘Sniffin Griffins’ barbecue rub. (07:16)
• Barbecuing 3-4 times a week, year-round, keeping his house lively and open to friends. (08:22)

Life, Family & Upbringing

• Parents’ divorce did not negatively impact him due to continued access to both parents. His mother never spoke ill of his father. (13:48)
• Third child out of four—one brother, three sisters, who were notably protective. (14:34)

  “It was gangsters, I ain’t gonna lie. They was hardcore. Like, my sister Felicia, my older sister, she had hands...” (14:59)

• Candid about adolescent mischief: “Ding Dong Ditch, fighting a little bit... I didn’t like anybody she [his mom] was with...She would tell me, ‘You the man of the house.’” (15:53)

Early Hip-Hop Memories & Industry Beginnings

• First encounter with Dr. Dre (then Andre) at age 11 or 12; instant acceptance into Andre’s circle and the local “battle of the blocks” boxing scene. (18:04)
• Origin of “Sir Cool”: Childhood nickname from his sisters and Dre’s group is now the title of his upcoming project. (19:56)
• Reminisces about sharing bedrooms and Dre’s early years with World Class Wreckin’ Cru and NWA:

  “I looked up to him so much. I asked him could I wear his jacket ... He let me wear that shit. I was the man in school.” (20:53)

• Saw NWA’s rise from local mixtape buzz to global infamy. (22:30)
• Participation in NWA’s “Niggas For Life” album skit “1900 to Compton” at 16 or 17 years old. (23:40)

Behind the Scenes: Dre, The Chronic, and West Coast Legacy

• On creative contributions to seminal projects:
  • Brought ‘feel-good’ ideas and samples for tracks on Dre’s The Chronic, including the famous “Deez Nuts” skit.

    “I wish I would have got...more credit. Because he did put in a lot of work. None of that was done. But, you know, our goal was to put all we got into helping Dre become a monster.” (29:35)

• The transition from NWA to Death Row, and Suge Knight’s infamous business methods. (30:39)
• On Dre’s decision to leave Death Row and build Aftermath:

  “He knew. He was that talented. And he had the machine behind him ... So he can do this all over again.” (32:01)

Experiences with Fame (and Famous Friends)

• Vacationing with Dr. Dre as a billionaire: private jets, mansions, luxury experiences.

  “That shit was like Coming to America...I was like, this is ballin’.” (33:16)

• Insights into Tupac’s character—genuine, straightforward, the first to give Warren a shot at production post-Death Row.
• On Tupac’s paying him for beats:

  “I felt kind of bad...But right after that, him and Treach had got into a fight with some cats right at the Comedy Store.” (39:45)

• Warren tried to bail Tupac out of jail; Suge Knight beat him to it. (41:32)
• Complicated, dangerous moments with Suge and Death Row—Warren describes a near-violent incident and explains why he stays away from drama.

  “I was in a position like, where I can’t do shit...If I pull out a gun...I’mma get killed. It was a no-win situation.” (45:26)

• On moving past beef and not holding grudges:

  “I don’t listen to it. I ain’t got no hate towards him, none of that stuff, any of those situations. I charged all that to the game.” (46:58)

Untold Hip-Hop Stories & Reflections

• Stories range from being invited to barbecues with Snoop (and trying to keep him away from the Vegas fight the night Tupac was shot) (49:15), to emotionally processing Tupac’s shooting and death. (51:06)
• Producing “How Long Will They Mourn Me?” and “Definition of a Thug” for 2Pac; describes the rapid, organic studio process. (54:12)
• Producing for Michael Jackson: Called in by Jackson’s producers; blown away meeting Michael and hearing his “real” voice.

  “Shit, I almost fainted. Shit...Just for him to say [he liked my music], that blew me away.” (58:03)

• Candid regret over turning down an early meeting with Prince, which might’ve led to deeper collaboration. (63:07)
• Being starstruck by Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, and others, flipping the script on fame when legends are fans of him. (65:53)
• Highlights working with different artists—Young Jeezy (“Leave You Alone”), MC Breed & Tupac (“You Gotta Get Yours, I Gotta Get Mine”), New Edition, Ron Isley, and many more. (69:33)

Hip-Hop Royalty Rankings & Reflections

• On Eminem:

  “He definitely in the top. The top. He in the top 15. I don’t want to make it too small like top 10 because there’s some dope motherfuckers, some heavy hitters.” (73:01)

• On Kendrick Lamar’s place in LA hip hop:

  “In his generation right now, in his era, yes, he's the king...He’s in that now.” (76:27)

Personal Life: Loss, Family, and Longevity

• Death of Nate Dogg on tour—emotional recollection of friend and collaborator:

  “We cried and cried and cried. Did the show and came back and cried more. Just couldn’t believe it.” (78:01)

• Nate Dogg remembered as a devout, loving father:

  “He was a man of God...He was a good father to his kids.” (79:45)

On Marriage & Fatherhood

• Key to 30 years of marriage:

  “She my best friend...If we argue...one of us come and say, ‘You know what, I'm sorry, I was wrong.’...That's my friend. We talk shit, have a good time.” (81:06)

• Communication is essential: “You got to be able to communicate.” – Shannon Sharpe (83:07)
• Navigating the temptations of music life:

  “It’d be a lot of temptation...but you just gotta say to yourself, do you wanna risk losing all of this over here, your beautiful wife and all you’ve built.” (85:24)

• Father of six (“That ain’t a lot!” he jokes). Stresses instilling values and maintaining discipline, despite his celebrity. (87:37)

  “I just gotta be a dad. I can’t be your friend and let you do anything, you know. I gotta be a dad.” (90:41)

Community, Business & What’s Next

• New ventures: Now part owner of Long Beach’s new minor league team, the “Long Beach Regulators.” Sees this as a way to give back and create community pride. (94:41)
• Aggressively pursuing new music, collaborations, business opportunities, and mentoring younger artists.
• Still passionate about barbecue—“Sniffin Griffins” rub and sauce line continues to grow. (97:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I barbecue three to four times a week...Year round, yeah. When I'm at home...” (08:22, Warren G)
• “All the tours we've been on, I done cooked at all of them, really.” (10:55, Warren G)
• “It was gangsters, I ain't gonna lie. They was, they was hardcore. My sister Felicia, she had hands.” (14:59, Warren G)
• “He just your brother. I ain't never really...He just your brother.” (33:05, Warren G on Dr. Dre’s success)
• “Tupac is one of the first dudes...to give me my first shot at production outside of...Death Row.” (37:34, Warren G)
• “If you win, we all going to win.” (28:55, Warren G)
• “She my best friend.” (81:06, Warren G on marriage)
• “I just gotta be a dad. I can’t be your friend and let you do anything.” (90:41, Warren G on fatherhood)
• “My mindset is, you never too old to make a hit record.” (70:08, Warren G)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Description | |-----------|---------|-------------| | 01:16 | Barbecue’s Mount Rushmore | Warren names his top BBQ places and talks about pitmasters. | | 02:14 | Barbecue Contests | Winning his first BBQ contest. | | 04:08 | Business Plans | Plans to open brick-and-mortar restaurants. | | 13:48 | Family Background | Parental divorce and ongoing relationships. | | 18:04 | Meeting Dr. Dre | Childhood stories with Dre, boxing, Sir Cool origin. | | 23:40 | NWA Memories | Doing skits for NWA albums. | | 28:55 | Creative Process | Contributing to The Chronic, lack of credits. | | 41:32 | Tupac & Death Row | Attempting to bail out Tupac, industry politics. | | 45:26 | Suge Knight drama | Near-violent encounter at Can-Am, chain snatching. | | 51:06 | Tupac Tragedy | News and processing of Tupac’s shooting. | | 54:12 | Producing for Tupac | Making hits quickly, studio stories. | | 58:03 | Michael Jackson | Meeting, producing, and advice to Michael. | | 63:07 | Turning Down Prince | Youthful misunderstandings about Prince. | | 69:33 | Producer Credits | Lesser-known tracks, work with Jeezy, New Edition. | | 73:01 | Eminem’s Place | Ranking Eminem among hip-hop’s best. | | 76:27 | Kendrick’s Legacy | Kendrick as a storyteller and king of his generation. | | 78:01 | Nate Dogg | Emotional recollections of Nate’s passing. | | 81:06 | Marriage Wisdom | 30 years of marriage, friendship, and forgiveness. | | 85:24 | Temptation in Music | Staying faithful despite industry pressures. | | 87:37 | Six Kids | Parenting style and values. | | 94:41 | Long Beach Regulators | Community involvement and sports ownership. | | 97:31 | Closing | New music, businesses, “Sniffin Griffins” BBQ sauces. |

Final Reflections

This episode offers a heartfelt look into Warren G’s multifaceted journey—spanning food, music, family, and life lessons. Listeners come away with a sense of authenticity, humility, and gratitude for both the extraordinary and ordinary parts of Warren’s journey. The candid conversation—peppered with rare insights into hip-hop royalty and brought down to earth by stories of home, kitchen, and community—makes this one of Club Shay Shay’s most engaging episodes for hip-hop fans, foodies, and anyone who appreciates stories about resilience and growth.