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Warren G
This is an iHeart podcast.
DJ Envy
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Justina Valentine
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Charlamagne Tha God
I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated.
Warren G
I get right back there and it's bad.
Charlamagne Tha God
Listen to Absolute Season 1 Taser incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Justina Valentine
The OGs of uncensored motherhood are back and better than ever. I'm Erica. And I'm Mila. And we're the hosts of the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network every Wednesday. Yeah, we're moms, but not your mommy. Historically, men talk too much and women have quietly listened. And all that stops here. If you like witty women, then this is your tribe. Listen to the Good Mom's Bad Choices podcasts every Wednesday on the Black Effect podcast network, the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you go to find your podcast.
Katherine Townsend
Over the years of making my true crime podcast hell and Gone, I've learned no town is too small for murder. I'm Katherine Townsend. I've heard from hundreds of people across the country with an unsolved murder in their community.
Warren G
I was calling about the murder of my husband. The murder is still out there.
Katherine Townsend
Each week I investigate a new case. If there's a case we should Hear about, call 678-744-6145. Listen to Helen Gone Murderline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Warren G
Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
DJ Envy
Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy. We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building.
Angela Yee
Yes, indeed.
DJ Envy
We got a legend in here today. The legendary Warren G. What's up?
Warren G
What's up?
DJ Envy
How you feeling, brother?
Warren G
I'm good, man.
DJ Envy
Feeling good, yeah.
Warren G
Yes, indeed.
DJ Envy
All right.
Angela Yee
Does the east coast time mess with you a little bit?
Warren G
I know how to adapt. I've been in it so long, I know how to switch it up when. Yeah, I'm good.
Angela Yee
Absolutely.
DJ Envy
Straight off the BET Awards, performing with.
Warren G
Snoop for the tribute, how was that? It was fun. It was fun. From the rehearsals all the way to. To doing the actual show, just vibing with everybody and even seeing the other artists that was there. It was just good. A good vibe all the way around. Just seeing everybody and having a good time. Joking, talking, talking shit a little bit.
Angela Yee
How you got the phone call you was looking for? I saw the interview that you did, and you were saying how, like, yo, I just want Snoop and Dre to holla at me, man. I don't want nothing. You know what I mean?
Warren G
That didn't have nothing to do with none of that.
Angela Yee
Okay.
DJ Envy
Okay.
Warren G
No, Well, I gotta call, you know, I got hit to, you know, that. That. That he wanted me to do. Do the. The honor with him. So, you know, that's my dog. You know what I mean? So I, you know, anytime he need me, I'm there, man. Yes, indeed.
Angela Yee
I think that conversation was good, though, because, you know, when you said that on. I can't remember who he was interviewing with, but when you. When you said that, it's like everybody started giving you your flowers and everybody started talking about, you know, what Warren G has contributed to hip hop, what he's contributed to west coast cultures. I think sometimes you. You gotta speak up for yourself, man. Cause.
Warren G
Yeah.
Angela Yee
Yeah, you know.
Warren G
Yeah. I mean. I mean, a lot of people don't know about, you know, a lot of the things that I've did, you know, so I speak on it, you know, in. In interviews and just, you know, just, you know, trying to. Trying to let the new generation see what I've contributed to hip hop and not let it get erased.
Angela Yee
That's right.
DJ Envy
But let's go back there. So for people that don't know Warren G, let's say, right from the west coast, you introduced snoop to Dr. Dre. But before that, how did you get into the rap game? What made you get into rap? And how did you meet Dre and, I guess, create that family?
Warren G
No. Well, I've been. I've been around Dre since I was probably about. I say, maybe 12. 11 or 12, something like that. My father married his mother, Verna, and, you know, I didn't have no. No older brothers. I just had sisters, but my sisters was. Was, you know, my sisters was, you know, they bodyguard hard. They wouldn't land right, you know, and I mean, that's where it started at.
DJ Envy
So your step brothers?
Warren G
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then musically, my father, I used to. He would pick me up on the weekends, bring me to his house and play jazz all day. So I would listen to the jazz and just. Just fall in love with. And to this day, he still asks me like, do you remember Chuck Mangione? I'm like, yeah, I still got it, daddy. It's in my playlist. And that's what instilled the. The good vibe as far as one in my music. The way I like to have that good feeling music that came from that. But as far as in the hip hop, it was just like all the groups Run, dmc, nwa, Easy, the Fat Boys, is Lao, everybody that was in hip hop, you know, we. I wanted to be like them, you know, because that's what was going around the neighborhoods and stuff like that. And then, you know, me being around Dre and Tyree, I had two big brothers. So were y' all close or was.
DJ Envy
It one of those things? Yeah, step brothers. Okay.
Warren G
We was always close. Always. So just being, you know, the young. The young. The young one around two older brothers. You want to follow what they do. So Dre was DJing with the. With the Not. It wasn't the world class record crews, the high powered crew with Easy and Shane and. And they gonna get mad at me. Everybody. I couldn't mention everybody, but they had a crew. So I hear mixtapes all the time. So I fell in love with. With. With a lot of the music that he was mixing and stuff in the room. So I asked him to show me how to. How to do it one day and he showed me. So I fell in love with that. I was an athlete as well. I played football and just having somebody, a bigger brother to look up to him and Tyree was just. That was cool, you know what I mean? And they taught me a lot. And, you know, I had to go through gladiator school. From Long beach to Compton, just back and forth. So, you know, they had me, right? They used to call me Kibbles and Bits because I used to get it in.
Angela Yee
What was the difference between Long beach and Compton? I mean, not, you know, we're not from out there. So is it like two different worlds?
Warren G
It's pretty much the same.
Angela Yee
Okay.
Warren G
Only. Only street that, that. It's one street that separates us is called Greenleaf and once you pass Greenleaf, you in Compton, or you go up Atlantic right before Greenleaf, everybody from Compton coming here. It's some. It's some. It's all the same, pretty much. And then you got Carson right next to us, and then you got Compton, Linwood, then you got Watts. That's all. We call it the Mad circle. Yeah. And it's. It's real close. You know, everybody. It's damn near the same.
Angela Yee
You know, Envy said you. You introduced Snoop to Dre, but did you ever feel like you were also introducing Dre to the sound that, you know, him and Snoop was kind of about to define for a whole coast?
Warren G
Not we. I was just trying to get us all put on. We didn't. We didn't know that. That we was gonna. You know, that it was gonna turn into what it turned into. But it all. No, we didn't. We didn't. But what we did when we started working on the Chronic is we brought all the energy that we had and what we wanted to do, you know, and brought it in and put it in to Dre to bring him back to where he should be, you know, so that's when we did the Chronic and we collaborated and made that a classic.
Nyla Simone
You're celebrating 30 years of the Regularly album. How does that feel?
Warren G
It feels good, you know, still. I still feel the same as I did back then. I really don't. I really don't be tripping that much. I just be wanting to keep working, like, just. Just keep working, keep working. But it feels good, you know, just to, you know, see that my records are still spinning.
Nyla Simone
Yeah.
Warren G
Since, like, 91, 92. Around that time. And it's a. It's a good feeling. And. And I just. I just keep trying to.
Nyla Simone
It's going viral. You've been saying that. I know you probably don't keep up with the tick tock, but, like, it's a couple of your songs. Like, these kids are making, like, viral trends with it.
Warren G
Yeah.
Nyla Simone
So, like, it's. That's. That's what's up.
Warren G
Yeah, it's a trip. It's like it keeps starting over. Like, every generation, the new generation that comes, it starts over, and then they fall in love with it. So I'm down with that, you know?
Angela Yee
You know, did. When you. When you first introduced Snoop to Dre and y' all was in the studio doing the Chronic, did he ever teach you anything about producing that you turned into your own style, or did you always feel like you had a more distinct sound from him?
Warren G
Using live. Live musicians. I used to just sit there and watch. And he actually taught me how to splice tape, put tape back together, and I used to watch.
DJ Envy
Young kids ain't gonna know what you're talking about with that one.
Warren G
Well, it's where you cut the tape and you gotta actually piece it back together yourself with alcohol and that special tape that it has with it. He taught me that. Taught me how to eq. I mean, he. He taught me. He taught me, you know, sampling on the MPC 60. Him and cold 187 from above the law. I mean, he showed me some things, but I pretty much, you know, learned the basics and then started doing my own style, you know, because I didn't want people to say, oh, well, he just. Cause he with Dre' cause this is, you know, that's why he. Nah, I created my own, you know, shit over here.
DJ Envy
So do you feel like you missed the bus? I don't wanna say missed the bus. Cause you did miss the bus. But when you were 17, you got locked up, right? And that's when Dre took off.
Warren G
I wasn't that locked. I don't get locked. Oh, okay. Cause that's when it felt like.
DJ Envy
That's when you got your name from Warren G. They said you got your name in jail.
Warren G
No.
DJ Envy
No. How did you get the name Warren G?
Warren G
Warren Griffin.
Angela Yee
His name is Warren Griffin, man.
DJ Envy
That's what they say.
Warren G
What?
Angela Yee
Griffith.
Warren G
My first.
Angela Yee
Why would that be a jail name? In prison? Be like, you know, I'm a name.
DJ Envy
That's what they said. That's what they said. They said.
Angela Yee
What?
DJ Envy
That's why I'm asking.
Warren G
No, I'm not. No, I ain't. No. Like, I ain't no brutal.
Nyla Simone
Like, he thought G was for gangster.
Warren G
No, that's Warren G. That's. That's Griffin. Now, I wasn't. I wasn't in, in and out of. I mean, I, I. I've been. But, you know, I wasn't like, like, always going to jail. I was. I was cool. They called me Sir Cool. Yeah.
Nyla Simone
Total opposite of nice.
Warren G
That don't mean I won't get off in a.
Angela Yee
Don't say that in jail. You don't want to say that now. Now, on the outside looking in to us, well, at least to me, G Funk looked like it was created by you and Dr. Dre. But then when I, you know, you do research, you hear names like. What's his name? Big Hutch.
Warren G
Yeah. Above the law. Yeah. Cole. 187. But a law KMG, GOMAC, total chaos. Layla, Cocaine. They took me in when I was. When I was a pup. I didn't. I didn't, you know, I. I, you know, really didn't have nowhere to go at the time. And Layla and 187had took me in and I started hanging with them, you know, and that's why I say that. That 187 taught me a lot as far as the NPC 60 as well as Dre. But they made me G Funk. You know, they was already saying gangster Funk, G Funk. So. But what I did was I took, you know, the mop, my. You know, for me being in it. I took and branched it off. And I said the G Funk era, you know, just. It's still this. But then I. I started my own sound within the gangsta funk and made it the G Funk era. And, you know, it's. Hey, those the guys that put me in it. And I took it and made it worldwide, you know, for the world to know what G Funk was about. Along with Snoop and Dre, everybody saying G Funk as well.
Angela Yee
So if G Funk had a Mount Rushmore, who would be on it? Like, who do people forget? I guess it would be the Them brothers, right?
Warren G
Yeah. But a law would definitely be on there.
Angela Yee
You don't gotta be humble.
Warren G
No, I. I ain't. I'm just saying, me, I'll be on there too, Layla, because he. He was. He's the head. Head guy over everything. Recipes, Layla. Recipes go Mac. But he was the head honcho of G Funk. And like I said, I got my branch and created the G Funk era, you know, and that's when I took it worldwide. But them was my guys. They set it off. That's it right there.
Angela Yee
When did Nate Dog come into the picture?
Warren G
Nate came in. Well, he was always in Long beach. But as far as when he came together with me and Snoop, we was. Me and Snoop was up already. Like, up in north Long Beach. We was moving around, doing little things here and there, trying to build our name. And Nate just popped up one day on the spot, you know, where we was hustling at, and. And he had heard about us doing what we was doing, so he came up and just blended in with us and we started calling ourselves 213. But as far as Nate, period, all of us knew each other from Kings park, from elementary school, all the way up.
Angela Yee
How was he received, though?
Warren G
Even the twins? No, he was.
Angela Yee
Y' all were rappers and he was singing. So what? Do you remember the first time he Said, hey, this is what I do. And he sang with you?
Warren G
No, Nate. All Nate was in the church circus. So he was singing a lot. But gotcha. It just happened, you know, when we would get in the room and we'll be freestyling and, you know, beatboxing, freestyling and stuff. Nada started just singing along, like, while we busing. He just started singing some gangster shit, you know, that's different. It wasn't like, you know, just like, it wasn't normal. He was just. It was kind of like a rap singing, singing type of vibe that he would do. And he was just saying some. Some real, real, real things with it.
DJ Envy
And how did the Def Jam deal come about?
Warren G
Def Jam started with. Let Me see. That was. I had a record, actually. I was at the studio. Once again, I'm at the studio was me, Snoop, Dre, all of us. They was working on. I think it was the. That we was in the studio, they was working, and Paul Stewart and John Singleton was there for Snoop to do the first single for the. For the Border justice soundtrack. So I'm in there just hanging out. This is like later on when I was like. I was kind of by myself, but I still would come to the studio and things like that. But so I asked John and Paul, Paul Stewart, are they looking for any more songs? So they was like, yeah. So I was like, can I play a record for you? So me and Paul walked to the car. I had a raggedy little Regal, jumped in the car, popped in a tape deck. It was a song called Endosmoke with me and Mr. Graham. It went for about maybe like 30 seconds. And he said, stop. And so I stopped. And he was like, can I take the tape? I said, yeah, just give it back to me. Just give it back to me. Yeah, give it. Yeah, give it back. So that. That Monday, Monday, Tuesday, whatever it was, I know it was a weekend we was working, but they called me and they was like, we want this to be the first single on the party, just a soundtrack. So I was like, are you serious? He was like, yeah. So I was like, damn.
DJ Envy
And you weren't signed at the time at all.
Warren G
I wasn't signed with nobody. So that whole thing went through Endo smoke blew up. It actually it went gold. It was everywhere. It was going crazy. And so a bunch of companies was trying to find out, you know, who the artist. Yeah, who was these guys? So it was a lot of companies calling. So Paul hit me like, def Jam wanna talk to you. So I'm thinking Like, dang, they don't want to talk to me. They want Mr. Graham. Because Mr. Graham was. Was dope. Dope as well. He. That's who the record was for. And so we had got on the call. It was Leor, Chris Lighty and Tracy Waples. They actually all flew out too, as well. But so we on the call, and I'm like, I can't believe this is Def Jam on the phone with me. So they was asking about the guys on the song. So they was like, okay, well, who was the guy with the kind of, like, melody to what he's doing? So I'm like, damn, they must be talking. They talking about Mr. Graham. So I was like, that's Mr. Graham. He wanted. You know, that's one of the guys rapping on there. They was like, to know the guy with the kind of, like, singing thing. He said, you mean the little chant type? I said, that's me. So they was like, yeah, that's the guy we want. So I was like, me. That's me. Like, all right. So we just. From there, I had to decide, like, because it was other companies coming in after that, you know, started piling up. I guess the word got around, so I had to think about, you know, who would be best for hip hop, right? So I had a flashback. I went all the way back to Crush Groove. The Beastie Boys, Fat Boys, Run DMC and Russell and. And. And Rick Rubin. And I'm like, this is the la. And I started thinking about Slick Rick, Dougie Fresh, everybody. And I was like, I'm. I'm LL Cool J. I said, I'm. I'm with this right here. I'm with them. So I. I said, everybody else. I'm on a roll with these people because they hip hop, this is huge. And I'm a fan of Crush Groove and B Street, you know, like, so I was like, you know, that's. That'll be different. And signed.
DJ Envy
They said you saved the label during that time. They said the label was going through a lot of losing money, artists weren't selling. They said you revitalized the label back then.
Warren G
Yeah, yeah. I didn't know it. I didn't know it. And, you know, until, you know, we started. You know, the record sales started going, like, every week. I was selling, like 200 and some thousand every week. So it started. It was huge. And. But I. I didn't know. I didn't know they was in debt or anything like that. And then Leora told me one day. He was like, we use like credit cards and different things to get you this money.
DJ Envy
Wow.
Warren G
You know, for your advance. And I was like, wow. I couldn't believe it. But he was like, you really. You really did, you know us a big favor, and we had big parties and, you know, all of that.
Angela Yee
Yeah, that's cute. But where my money at?
Warren G
My money.
Angela Yee
Did you ever feel like they owed you more because of that? Like, that should have been. Definitely came with a bonus.
Warren G
It was a, A, A whiteboard in there, and it said, like, how my album had made, like, a hundred million. So I'm like, a hundred million dollars? Where my at? I'm getting. I didn't re. Over recouped. They can't never say I. I ain't recoup. And I mean, I made. I made some money. I was. It wasn't like it should have been, but I made some pretty good bread. It wasn't like stupid money out of that hundred million. It wasn't. It wasn't a lot out of that.
Angela Yee
Did you see at least 10 from that?
Warren G
No, no, no. Where? Near what? Nowhere near.
DJ Envy
Does it bother you, though, that when a lot of times they mention Def Jam, sometimes you don't hear Warren G.
Angela Yee
They do, but it's quick.
Warren G
Yeah, it's brief.
DJ Envy
Does that bother you? Especially when Leor telling, yo, we was using credit cards to pay your stuff and you helped, you know, we made 100 million during a time when it wasn't happening. Does that bother you at all?
Warren G
Yeah, it pissed me off, you know, sometimes. But, you know, I charge it to the game. I'm like, look, I'm like, God damn. Yeah, you know, it ain't nothing I could do. You know what I mean? Ain't nothing I could do. But, yeah, I get pissed off about it.
Angela Yee
Was you supposed to see that white boy?
Nyla Simone
Damn.
Warren G
Just being, you know, in the office, I used to go, this was on Varick street out here? Yep. I just used to walk around the office, like, walk around the whole building. And I seen that, and I was like, God damn. And Leora's flossy, too. He'll tell you, yeah, this made. This made this much money. And then like, man, I got to, you know, let's. Let's get it cracking. But anything I needed, they would do it, though. I know that. You know, I told him I needed. I need this house. Da, da, da da, boom. Same old record company. It was like Cadillac Records, Condom, where you. You know, I need this. Okay. They get it. But, you know, I made bread, too. It wasn't nowhere near What? You know that. But, you know, I'm. I'm at it.
Angela Yee
How did you break the news to Mr. Grimm?
Warren G
Shit.
Angela Yee
They want me, not you.
Warren G
Yeah, I mean, that's. That's just what it was, you know. But I still would. Would bring Graham on things. And Graham actually got signed. I think he had signed, right. With Sony, but we was cool. I still was pushing for him, even though he hadn't. I thought they wanted him, but never went on no big head shit. I still with him and whatever he needed, I was with him.
Angela Yee
Why do you think you were never fully bought into to the death row circle as far as like being signed?
Warren G
I don't know.
DJ Envy
Would go, right?
Warren G
Yeah, well, yeah. I was ride or die.
Angela Yee
Was it politics? Was it your personality? Was somebody hating you?
Warren G
I think, you know, what kind of, you know, had Suge pissed off at me was because I wasn't like one of those type of artists that are just signed any thing. And I, you know, and we was presented with contracts, so I. I told everybody, we need to get lawyers to look at these contracts before we sign them. So, you know, the word that got back to him that I was trying to get a lawyer to look at the contract. So he came out pissed off.
Angela Yee
Cause you was doing the right thing.
Warren G
Because I. Cause I was the same thing. He would do that. Exactly. That wouldn't have. He'd been doing the same. So I'm like, how can you get mad at me? So that's. He's probably pissed off about that. And then, you know, I just wasn't. I wasn't like, you know, with a lot of. I wasn't gonna just follow whatever everybody else was doing. I wanted to do my own. I ain't gonna, you know, I, you know, and I, like, I always say I ain't. I ain't really that he been knowing me since I was like 15, 16 years old, you know, so it's just like, I didn't know this all my life. I ain't getting ready to be man. I'm cool. But that. That's probably was. That probably was one of the main things that. That, you know, had him pissed off. And then I used to get into it with. With different guys around, but I just wasn't. Wasn't with the right, you know, and. And he'd talk about me here and there, and then I. I talk back just to let him know, like. But it be facts, you know, I ain't gonna say something that's a lie, you know, and. But at the end of the day I ain't, I ain't got nothing against that dude. He. It is what it is. He do what he do. I just keep pushing and doing what I do, you know, and, and, and actually it was a blessing that I didn't go that route because it turned out even better for me, you know, I'm able to do whatever I want to do. I can go wherever I want to go. And that's why I came to the east coast, is to be different, you know, than the regular. The same old, same old, just to get away, you know? And when I came over here, it was nothing but love, you know? It was nothing but love. Wasn't nobody talking that East Coast, west coast shit. That wasn't no East Coast, west coast thing. That was be. That was cruise shit. This person, these people against these people. None of that, because I got, I had love over here. I was in Brooklyn, the Bronx. I was everywhere. Like Harlem, 146 in Lenox, everywhere. Queens, Jamaica, Queens. Ll took me to Jamaica, Queens, showed me his grandmother house where he did all his shit. I was blowed away, like, right on farmers. Yeah, that shit was. I even seen the sidekick that was in Tina got a big O. But I was like, damn. Yeah.
Angela Yee
So you think being close to Death Row but not actually being in it gave you a clearer lens on the chaos that was happening within Death Row? Cause you was on the outside looking.
Warren G
I mean, shit, I was, I used to be, I used to be wow too. But I mean, wasn't. I mean, I, I, it wasn't like a gang of just super duper crazy. Hey, what up, y' all?
DJ Envy
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Justina Valentine
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Warren G
I think everything that might have dropped in 95 has been labeled the golden years of hip hop.
Erica
It's Black Music Month, and we need the talk is tapping in. I'm Nyla Simone, breaking down lyrics, amplifying voices, and digging into the culture that shapes the soundtrack of our lives. My favorite line on there was my son and my daughter gonna be proud when they hear my old tapes.
Warren G
Yeah.
Erica
Now I'm curious. Do they like rap along now?
Mila
Yeah, Because I bring him on tour with me and he's getting older now too, so his friends are starting to understand what that type of music is. And they're starting to be like, yo, your dad's like, really the goat. Like, he's a legend, so he gets it.
Erica
What does it mean to leave behind a music legacy for your family?
Mila
It means a lot to me. Just having a good catalog and just being able to make people feel good, like that's what's really important. And that's what stands out, is that my music changes people's lives for the better. So the fact that my kids get to benefit off of that, I'm really happy, or my family in general.
Erica
Let's talk about the music that moves us to hear this and more on how music and culture collide. Listen to we need to Talk from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
Charlamagne Tha God
I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.
Warren G
Across the country, cops called this Taser the revolution.
Charlamagne Tha God
But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.
Dan Flores
Cops believed everything that Taser told them.
Charlamagne Tha God
From Lava For Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley, comes a story about what happened when a multi billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute season one, Taser Incorporated.
Katherine Townsend
I get right back there and it's bad.
Warren G
It's really, really, really bad.
Charlamagne Tha God
Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2 and 3 on May 21 and episodes 4, 5 and 6 on June 4 ad free at Lava for Good. Plus on Apple Podcasts.
Dan Flores
The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and Meat Eater founder, Stephen Rinella.
Angela Yee
I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say, when cave people were here. And I'll say, it seems like the Ice age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.
Dan Flores
So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
DJ Envy
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Warren G
Or wherever you get your podcasts going on. When I was around, I mean, some of the things that, that, that, that went on after I was gone, you know, I was like, damn, like I said, it was a blessing to be away, you know, away from that. And I get caught up in that because it just, it wasn't cool, you know, and. But I still had to deal with it. Even though I wasn't signed to Death Row, this, that, and this, everywhere I go, niggas was still tripping with me, like, because they still. I'm associated. So everywhere I went, I still had to deal with it, you know, Even though I was with Def Jam, I had to deal with that shit. Like on the, from the street side.
Angela Yee
I just wonder how did it feel for you watching like the Death Row story unfold? Right? Like, you know, they were growing and you know that your sound helped build that house, but your name wasn't necessarily on the lease.
Warren G
Just pissed off, you know, I was pissed off at them and I was pissed off at myself for not being more business savvy as far as knowing about publishing and contracts and this, that, and this. I just wanted to help Dre. I just wanted to help him however I could to help him get to where he needed to go and the company, you know. But I got one shout out, you know, Snoop gave it up for me on Stranded on Death Row.
DJ Envy
You ever wish you signed Snoop?
Warren G
Like I said, if I, if I was business savvy, I could have had Snoop sign and then signed him over there. But yeah, I wish I would have signed it, you know, I wish I would have signed him.
DJ Envy
And how did you meet him?
Warren G
Elementary school. I mean, we. That's me and Snoop's brother Jerry. When I say Snoop Dogg's big brother, called him Dirty left. And this dj, that's. That's Snoop's older brother, he just said, Jerry is just a year old. We just a year older than Snoop, and we went to elementary school together. So Beverly would walk Jerry and Snoop across the park. I would be coming up 20th, and I banked my right on Orange, but they would be walking across King park, and I'd be walking because we went to a school called CIS right there across the street from the park. So she would be walking in, and we always used to just meet up in the park. And then we'd go into the. Going to elementary school together. And then Snoop ended up leaving cis going to. I forgot what. What the name of the other school. It wasn't Priska. It was another school where they had swimming, they teach you tennis, all kind of shit. We wasn't getting that. So we was upset because they only chose a few kids to go to this school. So Snoop got to go. We didn't get to go. But it was from elementary all the way up to King park, through youth sports, all the way into to hustling. How did you know he was to high school?
DJ Envy
Cause everybody, I'm sure, was rapping back then, right? I'm sure. Cause it was a phenomenon. How did you know? Nah, he got something special.
Warren G
Shit, he was just. He was dope. Just always, always was dope and funny. The motherfucker had you laughing, you know, he just was always doping everywhere we went. You know, when we was just fucking around, I would be the guy we around. And I would point at something. As soon as I point at it, Snoop will start rapping about it. When he battling somebody, I point at like some roses or anything. He had bus and then he had turned. Say something about the roses, and then he'd tear they ass up at the same time while he talking about whatever I pointed at. And that's when I knew he was special. You know, I was like, this dude is. He's special. I'mma push as hard as I can to try to help him, me and Nate, all of us get on because we got something special here. And so that's what I kept doing. I just kept pushing for us just nonstop.
Angela Yee
What was the version of Snoop that only, you know, like way before the fame. And do you think that version of him still exists?
Warren G
He's still the same. Ain't nothing changed. Let me see. Well, he. He. He get a Lot more serious than he did when we. When we was coming up. He more serious. He'll snap on a fast now. He wasn't like that, you know, when we was coming up, he was more calm. And he got on Dre at BET.
DJ Envy
Awards immediately when he says, yeah, I wrote a deep cover for you. And immediately. Immediately. Did you beep that?
Warren G
Yeah, yeah. I was just like, damn. I said, shit. I thought it was part of the script. They didn't start. Snoop wasn't reading. No, I don't think so.
Nyla Simone
Dre was reading.
Warren G
Dre wasn't reading.
Angela Yee
When you gonna do that, Warren? When you gonna say I really produced that record.
Warren G
Man?
Angela Yee
Cause that's always the rumor. The rumor is that there's records on the Chronic and Doggy Style that you never got credited for. But you think.
Warren G
I ain't never taking nothing away from Dre. He's an incredible producer. The whole nine. I was the guy that used to go out. I would bring all of the ideas, so I would bring the samples, and I would sample it, and I play it for Dre. Like, listen to this. And then he'd be like, that shit is dope. And then he would take it and add his parts to it and different things that he would do. Like I said, what I was trying to do was just give back for you helping me learn this, that, and that and this. Now look what I'm doing. I'm bringing this, that, and this to you to help you grow. And hell, yeah, I did a lot of that shit.
Angela Yee
You ain't gonna lie, though, right?
Warren G
No, I didn't get no credit. I didn't get no credit. No, not the deez nut skit. I did that shit that was off the dome. Turn the mic on. Went and got the phone, called my homegirl, put the mic up on the set, the mic up, and just did the skit right then and there.
Angela Yee
So these nuts. You invented that.
Warren G
I did it right there. I did that right there in the studio. I invented that right there.
Angela Yee
That's hip hop history. That's black history. That's not even just black. That's American history. Everybody does that.
DJ Envy
That's funny.
Angela Yee
What about records?
Warren G
Like, a lot of the records on there, like. Like Let Me Ride, that was a. A. We called them not. It was back then. It was called a dub record. It wasn't a break record. It was a dub record, but I bought it from a break record store, and it was a little. I still got that record in my crates, too, at. In the studio. It was a little Part on the. On the. On the. On the record that. And then it boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Let me ride. So I let Dre hear that. He took that and turned it into some other. Right. You know, so that. That's what I used to do. I would bring records like that sometime. I will sample them sometime. I just play the record. Like, listen to this dream and that record, like, even, like the Little Ghetto Boy. That was a Me and Mr. Grimm record, and I gave it to them. They was like, we want to use this. So. Because I had it just how little Ghetto boy sound, but I had the drums going, boom, boom, back spat. Boom, pat. Boom, boom, back spat. And then Dre took it and changed the drums and did it the way he wanted to make it feel. But that idea, all of the Rudy Raymore stuff, I went and bought all those records from off of Melrose street, all black exploitation soundtracks. I bought all of that stuff, and we would listen to them. The skit where from the Mac. That was something how. And I always say this. That's the way I was feeling when that. That little skit. The way was talk. The way it was sounding was like. I was like, this is me and you. In order for us to make this thing work, we got to get rid of the pimps, the pushes, and start all over again. You know, that's how I was feeling. So that skit was right on time. So I said, listen to this, you know, and he used that skit just, you know, I mean, just. What about doggy style? I didn't. I didn't do nothing on doggy style. Okay. Okay. You know, I wish I did.
DJ Envy
Did you get compensated at all, even though you weren't in the. In the credits or.
Warren G
I didn't get anything. I. You know, I ain't bitter about that, you know, because I went. Did my own thing, you know, I sold 6 million records, 8 million records all together on my own. Outside of that, I wasn't bitter. Pissed off. Yeah. Because I didn't have my business mind together. And, you know, that's why I think.
Nyla Simone
It is, like, cool that you are even donating pieces of your history to the Hip Hop museum. You know what I mean? Like, even that. What you just taught us, the skit you're responsible for. Are you gonna put that type of stuff in there too?
Warren G
Definitely. Yeah.
Nyla Simone
All of that. I think I still.
Warren G
I still got the shirt I wore and regularly. Wow.
Nyla Simone
Wow. Are you donating pieces like that?
Warren G
Yeah, I got some things that I'm donate. I even got the mic. I did the whole album on. I got all. I have, every piece of equipment that I use, all the crates that I use, from the Chronic to my records, to even doing Behind Bars for Slick Rick and Pick it up for Red. Man, people don't even know that. Pick it up for Redman. I did the remix to Pick it up and just, you know, you got to get yours. I got to get my Tupac breed. Did breeze. Whole album worked with Michael Jackson. Did every damn. You know, I worked with a lot of people, you know, so I. I wasn't tripping. Yeah, I'm able to. To move and groove.
DJ Envy
And still the Michael Jackson session, like, cool.
Warren G
You know, he. He was cool.
Angela Yee
You hit the weed with him.
Warren G
Nah, nah. But he was like, on some regular homeboy. That's straight up. It's like, what's up, man? That kind of shit.
DJ Envy
Did he reach out to you or.
Warren G
They reached out to me. Him. It was Renee and Bruce at the time. They was producing for him, and they asked me if I could come meet him, you know, come over to the studio. He like, like your work, so he wanted you to come by the studio. So I came by. It was record one, and I couldn't believe it. I. I was like. I. I was. I like, God damn, this is Michael Jackson. I can't. I can't believe this. I couldn't believe it. I thought I was in a dream. And we chopped it up. And I produced some records for him. He done. He done the vocals on them, so they. Somewhere in that vault somewhere. But I did some good records for him, too. They was dope. And was also, at that time, a lot of press was against him, so I was telling him to do a song to, you know, express yourself about, you know, because everybody was down and I forgot what. It wasn't. Not that stuff that came later on with the kids stuff. It wasn't none of that stuff. It was some stuff before that they was trying to criticize him over. And I was telling him to fight back and talk about it. Like, express yourself about how you feel about every. How these people are attacking you.
Angela Yee
Oh, is that when he used the Jewish slur? I think.
Warren G
I'm not sure. I'm not sure. But he was. He was being attacked, and I just told him to just, you know, express himself that way.
Angela Yee
You know, I. I want to go back to the credit thing. Do you think west coast history would look different if the credits were truly accurate?
Warren G
Hell, yeah. Definitely would look good for my pocket.
Nyla Simone
Right?
Warren G
Nah. But, yeah, I mean, it would look different, you know, people would. You know, would really be like, damn. So you was really involved, you know, and know that I did have input. And I ain't trying to. Like I said, I ain't never trying to take nothing away from Dre because he's. That's my sensei, you know what I mean? And he. He's one of the dopest producers in the game, you know, But I did get down with him. You know, me and Snoop and RBX dads are corrupt. We came and brought all our. And they, dog. We brought our energy in and we put it into him to. To blow him up.
Angela Yee
You know, it's interesting. People always ask y' all those questions. They don't never ask dream. But if you ask Dre, he probably would just tell you if you asked him. You know what I'm saying?
Warren G
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't think the do interviews that much. Yeah. You know, but I mean, it is what it is, you know?
Angela Yee
Was regulate your way of saying, I don't need Dre, I don't need sugar, I don't need Snoop, I don't need nobody to make a. A classic.
Warren G
N. That was just regulate was just. Just, you know, just wanted. I just wanted to do. Just be different, you know, I wanted to take a record. Something that. Not. That's not too hard and sounding too gangster, but having a good feeling but still telling the story on it. And then, you know, mimic. Well, I'm not gonna lie. We mimicked what Snoop and Dre did. We did it a little bit different, but we was doing the back and forth like they was doing. So that was like how Snoop and Dre partnered up. It was me and Nate. That was my partner. That was my. My guy that, you know, our chemistry was incredible, like how Snoop and Dre's was. And so we just wanted to be different. But at the same time, hey, let. Letting these know I could do my outside of y' all, you know, like you said, hey, I'm dope too. So. And I went and started doing my own thing. Like, fuck this shit. I'm gone.
Angela Yee
You think it would be easier to tell that story if Nate was still here?
Warren G
Very easy. Yeah, very easy. Oh, boy. Nate would be going in. He would go in. I actually tried to. I tried to sign Nate over at Def Jam. Had a bag on the table for him and should got at him before I could. And so he went and did a deal with. With. With Death Row. And then I told him what I had for him on the Table. And he was like, what? I said, I've been trying to tell your ass the whole time that this is on the table for you, but you wanted to go ahead and dip. So, you know, but it still worked out again because I would. I would involve him in a bunch of things that I was doing. Like the. Nobody, no, nobody does it better. I was. That was like. I did that for him to. To. To. To build him up and that. That became one of his biggest records that I produced.
Angela Yee
How much. How much have you left with. With Nate, dog?
Warren G
How much I left with him?
Angela Yee
How much of you personally and professionally left when he left? Passed away?
Warren G
Yeah, yeah. I mean, a lot left. That was my dog, you know, as far as. Just every day we talking on the phone or in the studio, working, and we used to talk to each other. I ain't gonna lie. We would go at it. But, you know, he'll be like, you. Or he'll say, you a. You know, not. Yeah, I say, I get back at it. No, nigga, you a. You know, back at it. We a fight squabble, you know, all that. And the next day he would call like, what's up? So I'm like, why you calling me after all that bullshit that you talked to me? And, ah, nah, this. What time we getting in the studio? And I'm like, nigga, what you mean? What time we getting in the studio? Three o' clock. Let's go. But you never said apologize. Yeah, I should have been on him, but we had jumped right back in and. Nah, he. He would. Nate was. Was my guy. So a lot left on the musical side, because I don't. I do music that some artists don't understand that I know he'd kill it. And that should have turned into some classic shit. So I have to try to teach certain artists when I do the music for him, like, look, do this. You know, he knew what to do. So I would try to. I try to school him and tell him, okay, I want you to do it like this. And, you know, sometime it works, sometime it don't. But he knew exactly what to do.
Angela Yee
I always wanted to hear you and Ty Dollar Signs work together.
Warren G
Cause I feel like, Ty, I got a record. Actually, I got a. It didn't get out there.
Angela Yee
Oh, I'm about to say it. Okay.
Warren G
I'm like, I ain't never heard of it. It didn't get out there. But I got a couple records with Tod. I got records with Ty. Got records with Snoop. I did a record with Wiz. Me And Wiz got a smash coming called Mad At All. That's a smash. Got a record with Wayne called All Alone. I got records. I got some really, really, really dope music that I've been putting together, man. Some really dope dope.
Angela Yee
Why the record with Ty never came up? Because I feel like Ty is fruit off Nate Dog's treat.
Warren G
I still got him, you know, I still got them. I. You know, I'm. I may. I may drop it, you know, I got it. I may drop it on, you know, the. I got different projects that I'm working on, so I made. It's probably. I'm sure it's going. I'm gonna drop it on one of these eps I'm doing. I don't want to do no full length no more. I just. I like the EP thing where I give them like eight here, eight here, eight there. I even got one with me and Nate, just me and him. Ep, that. That I'm gonna have coming as well.
Angela Yee
Oh, unreleased.
Warren G
Yeah, unreleased.
Angela Yee
Wow.
DJ Envy
Wow.
Warren G
Yeah, we got some. Some dope. People gonna be tripping like how dope he is. We did a lot of records. We was actually working on. On an album right around when he passed away. So that. That, you know, we had. We had at least. We had about 15 in the can already, and we had other ideas as well. So I got. I got a bunch of stuff that we did, and I'm gonna put together a warranty. And they Dog ep, just me and him now.
DJ Envy
We talk about the bad business back in the day. Did you own everything for Regulators? Is that all yours?
Warren G
Yeah.
DJ Envy
Okay, so every time we hear it sampled, every time it's in a movie, every time it's a TV commercial.
Warren G
Yeah, that. Yeah. Yeah.
Angela Yee
That's why your skin looks so good.
Warren G
I ain't gonna lie. You know, it's still. It's still. I mean, it's. I still get treated good, you know, from doing that song and what the thing I loved about it the most is being able to meet Michael McDonald at a concert and him telling me how much he appreciate me doing the. The redoing Regulate. And he like. My son don't even like my version. He like your version better. Better than mine. So I was like. I was blown away. I got. I got it on video. I'm gonna put it.
DJ Envy
Did you perform with him? Did he bring up.
Warren G
I was. He. I was sitting in the crowd. Yeah. You know this. It's a song that a guy. You guys. Yeah, named Warren G. And by the way, Warren G is in the crowd down there and da da da, da da da, like. And they shined the light and shit and. But it was just cool just to get that experience. Me and my wife, we just, we went up in there and, you know, just sat right up in the front and then they pulled us to the back and we chopped it up.
DJ Envy
That's dope.
Angela Yee
I know you love him. Royalty checks. He been getting off regulators.
Warren G
Hell yeah. Yeah.
Angela Yee
How much do you have to pay? Cause Sting had to pay. Sting was paying Diddy two grand a day or some shit like that.
DJ Envy
It was Diddy paying Sting.
Angela Yee
Diddy was paying Sting two grand a day.
Warren G
We got it split to where everybody when it's time, you know, quarterly, when they come, boom, they get theirs, Doobie Brothers get theirs, Michael McDonald get his and they estate get his, and then I get mine.
Nyla Simone
Or you know how to make money other ways. You in the barbecue business now?
Warren G
Yes, indeed.
Nyla Simone
Yes. And you competing in the barbecue festival next month?
Warren G
Yes, indeed. Well, actually this weekend it's a national barbecue festival in God dog it. It's Long island getting ready to get down. You know, that's what I love to do outside of hip hop is. Is, you know, cook. Hey, what up, y' all?
DJ Envy
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Warren G
I think everything that might have dropped in 95 has been labeled the golden years of hip hop.
Erica
It's black music month and we need the talk is tapping in. I'm Nyla Simone breaking down lyrics, amplifying voices and digging into the culture that shapes the soundtrack of our lives. My favorite line on there was my son and my daughter gonna be be proud when they hear my old tapes.
Warren G
Yeah.
Erica
Now I'm curious, do they like rap along now?
Mila
Yeah, because I bring him on tour with me and he's getting older now too, so his friends are starting to understand what that type of music is. And they're starting to be like, yo, your dad's like really the goat. Like he's a legend, so he gets it.
Erica
What does it mean to leave behind a music legacy for your family?
Mila
It means a lot to me just having a good catalog and just being able to make people feel good, like that's what's really important and that's what stands out is that my music changes people's lives for the better. So the fact that my kids get to benefit off of that, I'm really happy or my family in general.
Erica
Let's talk about the music that moves us to hear this and more on how music and culture collide. Listen to we need to Talk from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.
Charlamagne Tha God
I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.
DJ Envy
Across the country, cops called this Taser the Revolution.
Charlamagne Tha God
But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.
Dan Flores
Cops believed everything that Taser told them.
Charlamagne Tha God
From Lava for good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated.
Katherine Townsend
I get right back there and it's bad.
Warren G
It's really, really really bad.
Charlamagne Tha God
Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2 and 3 on May 21 and episodes 4, 5 and 6 on June 4 ad free at Lava for Good plus on Apple Podcasts.
Dan Flores
The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and meat eater founder Stephen Rinella.
Angela Yee
I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say, when cave people were here? And I'll say, it seems like the Ice age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.
Dan Flores
So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
DJ Envy
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.
Warren G
Or wherever you get your podcasts. And I'm a pitmaster. I ain't a mega chef. I'm a pit master. But all the chefs still call me a chef. They like, hey, chef, right? I'm like, God damn. Okay. Big, big names, too. And I'm like, damn. So I. I created my own sauces and rubs. I didn't have a brain fart. I ain't got my sitting on the table up here for you guys.
Nyla Simone
Barbecue sauce.
Warren G
I can't believe. Oh, my God. I got this. I got in so early. It's all on my goddamn bus.
Angela Yee
So that video wasn't no bougie. What video was you on the grill in?
Nyla Simone
Yeah.
Warren G
Well, no, I was hanging. I was about a pit, you know, rolling it up.
Angela Yee
I thought you were flipping it. Right.
Warren G
I've always been doing that, though, from. From day one. Everything we've done, I've always would cook. And just. It came from my father, you know, just around family functions. When we would have functions, everybody having a good time, he'd be cooking on the grill, you know, be drunk, you know, squabbing a little bit here and there, but just not serious, but just family reunion type stuff. And it stuck with me. So I started doing it ever since I was probably, like I say, about 14, 15 years old. Just all. Just everywhere I went, even with hustling everything I would always cook and. And to where I got serious about it. I was grilling at first, and then I got into the smoke world and started learning that world from a bunch of different pitmasters from, like, Austin, Texas, and, you know, from all over. And they embraced me and showed me a lot. So, you know, now. Now I got it. You know, not all the way down like some of the. But I'm damn chauffeurs. Try to kick some ass and win it.
Nyla Simone
Well, congratulations on sniffing Griffin.
Warren G
Thank you.
Nyla Simone
Barbecue.
Warren G
Just other. Other business ventures outside of hip hop. And I. I always like to tell the young world, you know, because dudes be walking, they be having money stacked this high. What the Is you gonna just keep walking with money, like.
Nyla Simone
Yeah, debit card or something.
Warren G
That's why you hear about them getting robbed and go invest that. Go buy some land. Go buy. Get into real estate. Create you a business outside of. Of hip hop. But use hip hop as a tool. I love hip hop, and I ain't gonna never stop doing it, but I'm gonna use that as a tool as well, to push this and push that. Just like the corporations do.
DJ Envy
That's right.
Warren G
You know, so all these young guys out there flashing with that money, y' all go invest that shit. Cause when it run out, then you gonna be back to trying to do some shit that you don't want to do.
Nyla Simone
You know how you hook up with icewear? Vezo? I'm sorry.
Warren G
Yeah, yeah. Actually, my cousin, one of my cousins out of Chattanooga, man, he had hit me. He was like, hey, cuz, you seen this? And so he sent me the video. So I played and I was like, damn. I was like, damn. Okay. He redid this shit sound hard.
Nyla Simone
Streets ain't the same.
Warren G
Yeah. And then one of my other homies hit me because I'm an Xbox head. So I'm on the Xbox, and in the party, one of my homeboys in the Xbox party, Mamba hit me. He was like, warren, you heard that? I swear vessel. I was like, damn, you said it. He said it. So I started listening again. I was like, this is hard. And then Snoop posted it, and I was like, damn, this is hard. And so I DM'd him. I said. I said, look, send me an open 12. I'm a bus on that. So he sent it, and I sent it back. And he was like. He was like, oh, gee, this is. This is. I love it. This is. This is a classic. He was like, I'm gonna push this. And I said, hey, it's all good. And he was like. So he thinking that. That I would be tripping because, you know, he was like. He didn't try to use so many different samples from other artists, and they, like. Hell no, you know, they, you know, mean about it. I was like, use that. I don't care. Cause it ain't nothing but recycling.
Nyla Simone
Yeah.
Warren G
You know, because you blow it up, then, hey, that's even more. That come in, you know, I don't want nothing. You ain't got to pay me nothing. None of that. It'll. It'll pay for itself. Yeah. You know, So I said, you could use anything I got.
Nyla Simone
Love that.
Warren G
Use it.
DJ Envy
That's dope.
Warren G
Because it's gonna. You know, it's gonna help you, and it's gonna help bring in. Keep. Keep the recycling going. So, you know, have you.
Angela Yee
Have you ever confronted anybody about not getting your flowers? Are you just to let the music and the work speak for itself type?
Warren G
I let the work and the music speak for itself. I don't want to get into that mode where I start tripping on. On fools, because I. I get. I go hard, and I don't want to get there. You know, everybody. I was like, warren, you so nice. You so cool, but I get off in the ass. I just don't choose to go that route. And I don't like to argue with. And. And, you know, do all that extra. I'm just like, I'm gonna let this. I'm gonna let this dude speak for me. Motherfuckers know, though. I mean, they know. I. I ain't gonna sit up there and play no motherfucking games. I. I'm. I'm. I'm cool, but. And I should have. I should have been more. I should have been more active. Yeah. Vocal and active. But it's just like, you know, I've seen so many people do foul to a lot of people. A lot of guys, like, you know, I didn't see Talk about Dre, talk about Snoop, and then they ass is right up under them. You know, I ain't that type of. I ain't gonna. I ain't gonna talk about these, and. And. And then get in their face if I got something to say to them. I said to them. And, yeah, I did talk about the Super Bowl. I was pissed off. You know, just. It just wasn't cool. And, you know, and I ain't. It wasn't like something that I just brought up and did this and did that. It was a whole story to it that led up to that. And it was a witness there. One of my guys with our crew, he sat right next to me, and he was even tripping, and he got down there and went back there, and I'm still in the fucking crowd.
Angela Yee
Wow.
Warren G
But I just wanted to go back there and hang out, me and my son. That was it.
DJ Envy
But now that you had a story and you understand how it is and the fact that y' all were so close and you introduced. You understand why?
Warren G
Because people.
DJ Envy
I don't think a lot of people necessarily knew. Did you speak to Dreams or Snoop? Well, of course you spoke to Snoop. Did you speak to Dre after that? Have you had a conversation?
Warren G
I ain't talked to him. I done reached out to talk to him a few times, you know, but he always would be busy, you know? But I ain't. I mean, it ain't. It ain't. I ain't got nothing against him.
DJ Envy
And you a. That was right there.
Warren G
I. I didn't even sing, you know, I was. I was focused on doing what I had to do.
Angela Yee
But y' all don't have the best relationship, huh?
Warren G
I don't even know what kind of relationship we have. I ain't seen him in a while. We ain't talked in a while or. Or hung out, you know, I ain't got nothing against him or not, but I don't know what. If there's a problem or not. I don't know. Was there something I ain't never done? Huh?
Angela Yee
Was there something that got y' all to this point or.
Warren G
I have no idea. I don't know what the. Is going on, you know, I don't know if somebody might. May have told him some or said some, because a lot of would do that just to get up under a person, you know, they'll say, well, he did it or something. I don't know, but. And I ain't tripping either. At the same time, you know, I ain't got nothing against him, you know, but that just was kind of weird, you know, when I look up to you and, you know, and I, you know, that's my guy still, you know, like I said, that's my sensei and I, we could sit down and talk whenever, face to face, you know, and pull it. Put it all out. Put it all out there. And if it's something that I did and I was wrong. Hey, it is what it is, okay? I was wrong. If you don't want to with me no more, that's fine. I cool. But being in the blind and not knowing what's going on, I don't know, you know, but. Because that's what it seemed like it to me. It seemed like it. It may be a problem by, you know, it just. It just felt like a problem, you know, I'm in my own boy, you know, I love that to death. That's my dog. He said, I don't bring shit to work with me. This. That's totally different. That I don't. I don't think he was talking about me.
DJ Envy
Was up here.
Warren G
Yeah.
DJ Envy
When Snoop was up here.
Warren G
Yeah. I don't think he was talking about me as far as me being shit. Coming with him to go to the studio or wherever to work, because that's all we ever did was get down and go to the studio together. Be, you know, go up there that we would. We have fun. That's it. You know, it wasn't. No. You know, so, you know, just clearing that. You know, Snoop is my homeboy. I have no problems with dream. This my best friend. You two guys, y' all. You got. Y' all hang out. That's my best friend.
DJ Envy
Initiate, bro.
Warren G
And this is. This is my brother. It just be. It just be weird. And I. I don't. It's. And when I say weird, as far as, it's like, we don't go out to eat together no more. We don't do family where we get the kids out and do, like, that. Go jet skiing or go skin or. It ain't about, like, some music or this, that, and this. I just hang out like we used to. I don't know nobody else. You are the I grew with in this industry. I ain't. That's it. It ain't it. That's it. Just. It's hanging out. Let's, you know, like, being. Being a crew again, a family again. You know, I ain't. I. I'm just. That's it.
Angela Yee
Warren, it's okay to say, I miss you, my brother. It's okay to tell your people, I miss you. We so tough as men.
Warren G
It's like, yo, Dre, I miss you.
Angela Yee
Snoop, I miss you. It's okay.
Warren G
None of them niggas know that. Snoop know that shit. Cause I chime in with Snoop, you know, when we don't talk for a while, I chime in with him like, nigga, just this one. This G Dub, I'm checking in. You know, we ain't talked in a minute, so I'm checking in. I can't do that with Dream. You know, I. You know, me and Snoop, we. We talk all the time. Because recently, you know, we kind of, like, was distanced a little bit, and I'm like. I hear Snoop, like, what's going on? We ain't talking in a while, you know, but not knowing that he was going through some things. And. And as your best friend, you got to tell me that, because I. I don't know if you don't tell me. So he had. Had. You know, like, he mentioned he lost his mom. No, no, not. Not with moms. He was like, you know, my. My daughter. Her daughter came premature, so, you know. Yeah. So then she's about to go home. Like, he said, she about to. Finally about to go home. I didn't Know that. So he wasn't turned returning my call. So I was like, damn, this snoop ain't with me. What's going on? And then he finally hit me and told me what was going on. So I was like, damn, man. So I told him, you know, I'm. You know, I'm always praying for you and I'm always there for you when like I have been through all the situations that he'd have been going through, because I went through that same exact thing where I lost my grandmother, my mother, my mother in law. I lost my both aunties, my grandfather. I lost like all this shit was like, in a row now. I was. I was fucked up, you know, so I've been through it. So that's why I was able to walk him through what he was going through with losing his mother, because I lost mine too in 99. So I've been motherless for a long time. My kids don't even know their grandmother. Never met their grandmother. So mine's. So just to be able there to tell him that and understand that this is life. This is what we're going to have to go through. And you just gotta man up. You gotta understand that this is life. We gonna have to go through this. Our kids gonna have to go through this. So just understand that and you'll. You'll be better about everything. You know, you'll feel better. You cry because I still cry. You know now, Charlamagne, I cry now. Like you said. Like you said. Just say you. I miss you guys. You know what I mean? You know, I. I mean that. That's it. It's. It's just being a family again. It ain't, you know, I ain't. I ain't, you know, I ain't tripping other than that. But if it is a problem, address the tell me and then I'll be fine with that. You know, I ain't tripping the G D up. Keep it moving.
Angela Yee
But y' all came up together. Y' all created a community. And then just look at, man, Y' all survived.
Warren G
Yeah.
Angela Yee
Just sit around and kicking and just talking. We celebrate surviving.
Warren G
Yeah. You know, one. One thing that did have. That I was really crushed about, and I have said it before, was I. It was a situation where I went into. I was in a studio situation and it was after Dre left and I didn't know that he left and I was mad at him because he didn't tell me that he had left Death Row. So I went to a studio session and. And was. Was Was, you know. You know, people was trying to get at me, like, you know, they was trying to. Trying to whoop my ass up in that motherfucker. But, you know, I got up out of the mix, but I was kind of pissed off about that right there. And, you know, I never got the call, like, don't go around that.
Nyla Simone
Wow.
Warren G
You know, so. And these, they. If they had a chance to crack my head open, they would have cracked it. You know, I was just able to get away and get out of that situation. And. And, you know. You know, the things that. You know. I'm not gonna lie. And I. I had. I had. You know, I had. I was. I had. I was locked and loaded, but it just wasn't worth it to end everything I got going on right now for me cracking this, for snatching my chains. A Snatched my chain. And then another guy came in and caused a diversion. When he caused that diversion, I walked out. And when I walked out is when I got. That was able. I was able to get out and, you know, get away and able to make my calls for my shit to come right back. And it came right back, and I still got it to this day. I sounded like Trump when I said.
Angela Yee
Did you talk to Dre about that ever?
Warren G
We ain't never had. Like I said, we ain't talked in a long time.
Angela Yee
So y' all ain't talked since. That's the 90s, early 2000s.
DJ Envy
Early 2000s.
Warren G
I mean, we see each other, you know, here and there. We just ain't talk, you know, I. I don't. You know, ain't no. Ain't nothing. It ain't no. Like I said, ain't no static. He just. That's. I guess that's just. He just like that. That's how he is. You know, he just. He just do his own thing, you know? But if it is a problem or something, I wish he would say it. I should have said it. But people who be around be like, he always talking about you saying this and that and this, you know. Good. Well, we never talk, so.
Angela Yee
Hold on. So since the. Since Aftermath, Eminem, 50 Cent. No, we.
Warren G
We had. We had. We. We. Around that time, we used. I used to be up at the studio. Okay.
Angela Yee
Okay.
Warren G
You know, we even went to the Islands. And.
Angela Yee
Wasn't y' all on the Upper Smoke tour, or am I making that?
Warren G
We did the Upper Smoke tour. Yeah.
Nyla Simone
It's just.
Warren G
I made 4, 500 a show.
Nyla Simone
Oh, 4,500 a show.
Warren G
I swear to God.
Angela Yee
Did they at least pay for your hotel.
Warren G
And I had to pay for all that.
Nyla Simone
45 all in.
Warren G
Yeah.
DJ Envy
You made about 1500 a show with all that. Jesus.
Warren G
Yeah, yeah. I mean this, this is this. I'm just saying that's type. The type of stuff that I've been through, you know. So that's why I kind of like be to myself and just away from everything. So I. And try to. And try to do a lot of on my own because I, you know, just, you know. But I think it's your demeanor. It's a new day, a new time. Well, I was, I was pretty rough. I ain't gonna lie, Charlotte. I was a hard head. I was immature back then. I was immature just, you know, I wasn't like a. Just a mega fighting machine, but I was, I was down and just doing stupid back then, but I was. You still don't. You know, that's. That, that ain't got nothing to do because you grow with anything because you grow in the business. And I've grown a whole lot from what I used to be. Getting caught with guns and, and you know, them giving me, taking me cuff me, pulling me. I was headed to do five years and that. The judge went in the holding tank, pulled me back out the holding tank and told me, he said he's. Because he seen my son in the room. I just had a baby. And he said I could, I'm gonna give you this chance. He said you could go ahead and knock the five years out right now or you can, you can do joint suspension, five years. I said I'll take the joint suspension. So he had him uncuff me, take me out and let release me. Joint suspension, five years. And I, I did that five years joint suspension. Didn't get no trouble. I did, but I did. They didn't know it and went clean and, and from since the beginning of that, that, that five year joint suspension, I did do some stupid. During that time. I just didn't get like I said get caught up for. But after that I have not been to date. I ain't been in no trouble since then from that, from that point on. But not saying I. Like I said, I don't, I don't star with. I just, I keep it pushing because it's just. Life is too short for that to be arguing or, or you know, trying to, you know, all the talking, all that gang that's, that is just. I'm. I'm past all of that.
DJ Envy
Absolutely.
Warren G
I'm trying to create businesses and help people grow. Yeah.
Nyla Simone
And just barbecue Man.
Warren G
And barbecue, that's what I love to do. And drink me a beer, smoke me a joint.
Angela Yee
I want people to watch this interview, and at the end of it, I want them to think to themselves, warren G introduced Snoop to Dre. So west coast rap wouldn't exist the way it does without you. And you save Def Jam, so the east coast wouldn't exist the way it does without you. Because that hundred million dollars Def Jam made that, they use that to invest into the next generation of east coast artists. That's what I'm saying. You are a pillar in hip hop. Justin Bieber, I like comic books. I like the Marvel Universe. Like, you like Loki holding a bunch of branches together.
Warren G
Yeah.
Angela Yee
You know, in this thing called hip hop. So, man, they gotta give it up to you, man.
Warren G
Yeah, the thing. What, what, what? What would have been cool. What is cool, even though I gotta wait, like, four more years, is just. If they gave me my masters back, that would be cool. If I was. If I was the company, I'd be like, damn, this did all this. Boom. Let's give him this. We got. We got Jay Z, we got Kanye, we got all this on Drake. We got all these catalogs. And over here, we don't really need this.
DJ Envy
Don't you get your masters back after?
Warren G
I got four more years.
DJ Envy
You said okay.
Warren G
But shit, fuck all that. I need.
DJ Envy
We appreciate you for joining us.
Warren G
No, it's all good. Thank you.
DJ Envy
Legends Game and love to hear your story.
Warren G
I was getting ready to come in here. I was gonna say, gonna get this shit started off right now.
Angela Yee
Oh, we finish up.
DJ Envy
We got all three of us.
Warren G
Yeah. Hey, that was classic. I said it crazy, man. When I seen that, I was like, this shit is crazy.
DJ Envy
We know you like the squad, but we glad we not number 32.
Warren G
So let's put that down. It's all good, man. I ain't no rowdy, fighting ass motherfucker, but, you know, I just. I just be warm, you know, I just be myself.
DJ Envy
Well, thank you for joining us, ladies and gentlemen.
Warren G
It's Warren G. Much love, you guys.
DJ Envy
It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning, Church.
Warren G
Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
Charlamagne Tha God
I know a lot of cops, they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season one, Taser Incorporated.
Warren G
I get right back there, and it's bad.
Charlamagne Tha God
Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. On the. Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Justina Valentine
The OGs of uncensored motherhood are back and better than ever. I'm Erica. And I'm Mila. And we're the hosts of the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network every Wednesday. Yeah, we're moms, but not your mommy. Historically, men top talk too much and women have quietly listened. And all that stops here. If you like witty women, then this is your try. Listen to the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast every Wednesday on the Black Effect podcast network, the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you go to find your podcast.
Katherine Townsend
Over the years of making my true crime podcast Hell and Gone, I've learned no town is too small for murder. I'm Katherine Townsend. I've heard from hundreds of people across the country with an unsolved murder in their community.
Warren G
I was calling about the murder of my husband. The murderer is still out there.
Katherine Townsend
Each week I investigate a new case. If there is a case we should Hear about, call 678-744-6145. Listen to Helen Gone Murderline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Warren G
High Key.
Charlamagne Tha God
Looking for your next obsession?
Warren G
Listen to High Key, a new weekly podcast hosted by Ben o' Keefe, Ryan Mitchell, and Yvie. Oddly, we got a lot of things to get into. We're gonna gush about the random stuff we can't stop thinking about. I am High Key. Going to lose my mind over all things Cowboy Carter. I know, girl. The way she about to yank my bank account.
Justina Valentine
Correct.
Warren G
And one thing I really love about this is that she is celebrating her daughter. Oh, I know. Listen to High key on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.
Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – INTERVIEW: Warren G Sculpted The West Coast Sound, Introduced Snoop To Dr. Dre, Remembers Nate Dogg & More
Podcast Information:
The episode kicks off with DJ Envy, Angela Yee, and Charlamagne Tha God welcoming the legendary West Coast rapper and producer, Warren G. The hosts set the stage for an in-depth conversation about Warren G's pivotal role in shaping the West Coast sound, his introduction of Snoop Dogg to Dr. Dre, and his heartfelt memories of Nate Dogg.
[04:33] DJ Envy: For those unfamiliar with Warren G, he introduced Snoop Dogg to Dr. Dre, a move that would define West Coast rap.
Warren G delves into his early years, explaining how his connection with Dr. Dre began through family ties. His father married Dr. Dre's mother, making Dre his stepbrother. Growing up together in Long Beach, Warren G was immersed in music from a young age, thanks to his father's jazz collections.
[05:00] Warren G: "My father would bring me to his house and play jazz all day. That instilled the good vibe into my music."
Warren G discusses the genesis of the G-Funk era, highlighting his collaboration with Dr. Dre and other key figures like Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg. He emphasizes how their collective energy and musical vision culminated in classics like "The Chronic," solidifying their influence on hip hop.
[08:15] Warren G: "We brought all our energy into Dre to bring him back to where he should be. That's when we collaborated on The Chronic and made it a classic."
He also shares his pride in the longevity of his music, noting that songs like "Regulate" have endured across generations.
[09:42] Warren G: "It's a trip. It keeps starting over with every generation, and they fall in love with it. I'm down with that."
A significant portion of the interview addresses Warren G’s experience with Def Jam. After an unsolicited showcase of his track "Endo Smoke," Def Jam offered him a record deal, leading to the release of his successful album "Regulate...G Funk Era."
[16:14] Warren G: "Def Jam wanted 'Endo Smoke' as the first single for the 'Party' soundtrack. It blew up, went gold, and opened doors for me."
However, Warren G expresses frustration over the lack of proper credit and financial compensation from his time with Def Jam, highlighting industry challenges regarding artist recognition and rights.
[22:28] Warren G: "It pissed me off sometimes, but I charge it to the game. There's nothing I could do."
He advocates for accurate crediting in hip hop history, suggesting that proper acknowledgement would not only honor his contributions but also benefit his legacy financially.
[45:14] Warren G: "Absolutely, it would look good for my pocket."
Warren G opens up about his evolving relationships with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. While maintaining a strong bond with Snoop, he shares uncertainties regarding his relationship with Dre, largely due to misunderstandings and lack of direct communication.
[66:04] Angela Yee: "Did you speak to Dre after that?"
Warren G: "I ain't talked to him. I reached out a few times, but he was always busy."
Despite any strife, Warren G emphasizes his respect and admiration for Dre, referring to him as his sensei and acknowledging Dre's incredible production skills.
[38:01] Warren G: "I ain't never taking nothing away from Dre. He's an incredible producer."
The interview takes a poignant turn as Warren G reminisces about his close friendship with the late Nate Dogg. He shares personal anecdotes about their collaboration and the deep bond they shared, highlighting the void Nate's passing has left in his life and the hip hop community.
[48:42] Angela Yee: "How much have you left with Nate Dogg?"
Warren G: "A lot left. He was my dog. Every day we talked in the studio, working together. He was my guy."
Warren G expresses regret over unresolved tensions and underscores the importance of addressing personal conflicts openly.
[69:21] Warren G: "It's okay to say, I miss you, my brother. It's okay to tell your people, I miss you."
Beyond music, Warren G discusses his ventures into the barbecue business and his philosophy on financial independence. He advises young artists to invest wisely and build businesses outside of hip hop to ensure long-term stability.
[61:32] DJ Envy: "And just barbecue, man."
Warren G: "I'm using hip hop as a tool to push my businesses, just like corporations do. Invest your money, buy land, get into real estate."
He also touches upon his contributions to hip hop culture, including his innovative work on "Regulate" and his uncredited roles in classic albums, advocating for future generations to recognize and honor these contributions.
[42:28] Nyla Simone: "You are a pillar in hip hop."
Warren G reflects on the golden era of hip hop, underscoring the lasting impact of the 1990s on the genre's evolution. He emphasizes the importance of legacy, both for his family and the broader music community.
[55:45] Warren G: "Everything that dropped in '95 has been labeled the golden years of hip hop."
He expresses enthusiasm for continuing to create music and sharing unreleased works, ensuring that his and Nate Dogg's contributions remain influential.
[51:45] Warren G: "We were actually working on an album right around when he passed away. I have a bunch of stuff that we did, and I'm gonna put together a Warren Dog EP, just me and him now."
The episode culminates with heartfelt acknowledgments from the hosts, praising Warren G's indispensable role in hip hop history. They highlight his foundational contributions to the West Coast sound and his instrumental efforts in shaping the music industry's landscape.
[80:04] Angela Yee: "You are a pillar in hip hop. Like Loki holding a bunch of branches together."
Warren G: "I think everything that might have dropped in '95 has been labeled the golden years of hip hop."
The conversation ends on a note of mutual respect and appreciation, celebrating Warren G's enduring legacy and his continuous influence on both music and culture.
Notable Quotes:
Final Thoughts: Warren G's interview on The Breakfast Club offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a hip hop pioneer. From his foundational role in the G-Funk era to his personal relationships and business ventures, Warren G's story underscores the complexities and triumphs of navigating the music industry. His reflections serve as both a tribute to his peers and a guide for future generations striving to leave their mark on the cultural landscape.