Classic Album Review: Warren G, “Regulate... G Funk Era”

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Music, like many other things in life, can act as more than just entertainment. Music can be inspirational, it can be life changing, and it can be an important cultural tool. Another thing it can also do it transcend itself, and help capture a certain point of time in a person’s life.

It’s happened to all of us. You fall in love with a song from the summer of 2003, or the fall of 2005, or the vacation of 2007, and from that moment on, that song reminds you of that time. Listening to that track, or that album brings you back to that time in life, like a piece of instant nostalgia. Warren G's 'Regulate...G Funk Era'" is that album for me.

I remember exactly when I discovered this album, the summer of 2001, in of all places, a summer camp. One of my best friends (who always was way ahead of the curve when it came to hip-hop music from the rest of us) pulled out the CD and said that this guy Warren G was one of the best rappers, and also happened to be Dr. Dre’s brother (his step brother actually). The fact that he was related to Dre got me interested, so he played the album for us, and it instantly became a favorite of mine.

Released in 1994 on the Def Jam label, “Regulate… G Funk Era” reached triple platinum status, party on the strength of the eponymous single, "Regulate", which features Nate Dogg and was also nominated for a Grammy.

Like his older brother Dre, Warren G shows off his talent by not only rapping but producing, too. Most of the tracks are sprinkled with vintage R&B-flavored beats, mixed in with some funk laced under Warren’s clever lyrics. They combine to create a nostalgic feel for the city Los Angeles, the West Coast gangsta lifestyle and scene that Dre and Snoop Dogg pioneered.

While the album has some great tracks, including "So Many Ways", "This D.J.”, and "Do You See", none are better than “Regulate”. The eponymous track was a breakthrough for both Warren G and Nate Dogg, and is one of the most illustrative and clever tracks of all time.

The track is a gritty depiction of West Coast gang life which samples singer Michael McDonald's hit "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)". The track also made popular the term "Regulators! Mount up", which is a line sampled from the movie “Young Guns”.

The song tells a story in which Warren G, while looking for some "skirts" (women), is mugged in Long Beach, California. Nate Dogg comes along guns blazing and saves the day, and the two go off looking for their women. The two rappers go back and forth, telling each side of the story with some of the cleverest lines in hip-hip history.

Warren G sets the scene perfectly with his opening lines when he raps, “It was a clear black night, a clear white moon/Warren G was on the streets, trying to consume/Some skirts for the eve, so I can get some funk/just rollin in my ride, chillin all alone.” Nate Dogg is ferocious on the track, as he comes to the defense of Warren G, the man in distress. He raps, “Sixteen in the clip and one in the hole/Nate Dogg is about to make some bodies turn cold, now they droppin and yellin, it's a tad bit late/Nate Dogg and Warren G had to regulate.” It’s one of the most enjoyable tracks I’ve ever heard, and one of the best ever crafted.



"So Many Ways", "This D.J.”, and "Do You See", are solid, and like the rest of the album, the tracks greatly reference Long Beach, Warren’s hometown.

"Do You See" has a funky, electric sounding beat and starts off with a spoken word line about America and the blues. It shows that Warren is musically intelligent and respects the music that was around before he was. He brings everything into perspective when he drops the chorus and raps, “You don't see what I see, every day as Warren G/You don't hear what I hear/But it's so hard to live through these years.”



“This is the Shack”, which features The Dove Shack, has always been a personal favorite of mine, although it’s not one of the best tracks on the album. With it’s laid back hook and smooth beat it epitomizes the vibe of the rest of the tracks, even though it’s not up to par in quality.



“Regulate… G Funk” will always be an album that’s memorable to me, but it also will remain as one of the best albums of all time, and a staple of what the West Coast hip-hop genre is.