View source for Warren G

{{Short description|American rapper (born 1970)}}
{{Confuse|Warren G. Harding}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Warren G
| image = Warren G and Kurupt (cropped).jpg
| caption = Warren G in 2015
| birth_name = Warren Griffin III
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|11|10}}
| birth_place = [[Long Beach, California]], U.S.
| alias = G-Child,  G-Dub
| education = [[Jordan High School (Long Beach, California)|Jordan High School]]
| occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|songwriter|record producer|disc jockey|actor}}
| organization =
| years_active = 1990–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Tennile Griffin|1998}}
| children = 6, including [[Olaijah Griffin|Olaijah]]
| relatives = [[Dr. Dre]] (step-brother)
| module = {{Infobox musical artist
| embed = yes
| genre = {{flatlist|
* [[West Coast hip-hop]]
* [[gangsta rap]]
* [[G-funk]]
}}
| label = {{hlist|[[G-Funk Entertainment|G-Funk]]|[[Violator (company)|Violator]]|[[Rush Associated Labels|RAL]]|[[Def Jam Recordings|Def Jam]]}}
| current_member_of =
| past_member_of = [[213 (group)|213]]
| website = {{URL|https://warreng.com}}
}}
}}
'''Warren Griffin III''' (born November 10, 1970),<ref name=":15" /> known professionally as '''Warren G''', is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and DJ who helped popularize [[West Coast hip hop]] during the 1990s.<ref name=":7">Steve Huey, [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/warren-g-mn0000815167/biography "Warren G: Biography"], ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020.</ref> A pioneer of [[G-funk]], he attained mainstream success with his 1994 single "[[Regulate (song)|Regulate]]" (featuring [[Nate Dogg]]). He is credited with discovering [[Snoop Dogg]], having introduced the then-unknown rapper to record producer [[Dr. Dre]].

His debut studio album, ''[[Regulate... G Funk Era]]'' (1994), debuted at number two on the U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], selling 176,000 in its first week. The album has since received [[RIAA certification|triple platinum]] certification by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA), signifying sales of three million copies. "Regulate" spent 18 weeks within the top 40 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with three weeks at number two, while its follow-up, "[[This D.J.]]", peaked at number nine. At the [[37th Annual Grammy Awards]], both songs received nominations for [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group|Best Rap Performance]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance|Best Rap Solo Performance]], respectively.

Three songs from his second album, ''[[Take a Look Over Your Shoulder]]'' (1997), peaked within the top 40,<ref>Warren G's third Top 40 hit, at No. 32 in October 1996, is his 1997 album's track "[[What's Love Got to Do with It (Warren G song)|What's Love Got to Do With It]]", featuring singer [[Adina Howard]], but had been released first on [[Supercop (soundtrack)|the 1996 soundtrack of the American release]] of [[Jackie Chan]]'s 1992 Chinese film ''[[Supercop]]''.</ref> as did his 1998 duet with Nate Dogg, "[[Nobody Does It Better (Nate Dogg song)|Nobody Does It Better]]". Both the album and its follow-up, ''[[I Want It All (album)|I Want It All]]'' (1999), received gold certifications by the RIAA. His fourth album, ''[[The Return of the Regulator]]'' (2001), failed to yield his earlier commercial heights. Along with longtime collaborators Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg, he formed the hip-hop trio [[213 (group)|213]], named for [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]]'s area code; they released the album ''[[The Hard Way (213 album)|The Hard Way]]'' (2004) to mild success. 

His next two albums, 2005's ''[[In the Mid-Nite Hour]]'' and then 2009's ''[[The G Files]]'', were released independently and self-produced. In 2015, he released ''[[Regulate... G Funk Era, Part II]]'', an [[extended play]] featuring archived recordings of Nate Dogg, who died in 2011. In 2017, "Regulate", certified platinum in 1994, went multi-platinum, propelled by digital downloads.

==Early life==
Warren Griffin III was born on November 10, 1970, and grew up in [[Long Beach, California]].<ref name=":15" /> He had three sisters and was the only son of Warren Griffin Jr., an airplane mechanic, and Ola, a [[dietician]].<ref name=":15">Brenna Sanchez, [https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/warren-g "Contemporary Musicians: Warren G"], ''[[Encyclopedia.com]]'', [[Cengage]], updated April 12, 2020.</ref> They divorced when Warren was 4 and he lived with his mother and three sisters in [[East Long Beach]] until he was just about to start middle school.<ref name=":15" />

In 1982, Warren went to live with his father in [[North Long Beach, Long Beach, California|North Long Beach]].<ref name=":15" /> His new wife, Verna, had three children from a prior marriage,<ref name=":15" /> one of whom was Andre Young, the soon-to-become [[Dr. Dre]] who in 1984 joined a leading DJ crew, the [[World Class Wreckin' Cru]], which by 1985 doubled as an electro rap group, which in 1987 put out the Los Angeles area's first rap recording under a major label.<ref>David Diallo, ch 10 [https://books.google.com/books?id=XkCncJ7j744C&q=Cru "From electro-rap to G-funk: A social history of rap music in Los Angeles and Compton, California"], in Mickey Hess, ed., ''Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide'', Volume 1: ''East Coast and West Coast'' (Westport, CT: [[Greenwood Press]], 2010).</ref><ref name=":29">David Diallo, "Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg", in Mickey Hess, ed., ''Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture'' (Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Press, 2007), pp 319–[https://books.google.com/books?id=LldOLnIQ66cC&dq=Eazy&pg=PA321 322].</ref> By then, a [[Jordan High School (Long Beach, California)|Jordan High School]] student, Warren was playing football and running with friends.<ref name=":15" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jordan High School Class of 1997 |url=https://jordanhighschool.org/los_angeles-ca/class-of-1997.html |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=jordanhighschool.org}}</ref>

In 1988, age 17, Warren was jailed for gun possession.<ref name=":15" /> While incarcerated, he took the nickname Warren G.<ref name=":15" /> By this time, Dr. Dre was already beginning to experience success as the writer and [[record producer]] for [[Ruthless Records]], as well as being a member of [[N.W.A]] with Ruthless Records founder [[Eazy-E]] and [[Ice Cube]]. N.W.A's landmark album, ''[[Straight Outta Compton]]'' (1989), was driving the Los Angeles area's rap scene to swiftly drop electro for gangsta.<ref name=":29" /> Once out of jail, Warren worked at the Long Beach shipyards<ref name=":15" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Warren G |url=https://www.hiphopscriptures.com/warren-g |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Hip Hop Scriptures |language=en-US}}</ref> and began focusing on music after Dr. Dre taught him how to use a drum machine.<ref name=":15" /> 

By 1990, Warren G had formed the trio [[213 (group)|213]]<ref name=":13">Mosi Reeves, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/warren-g-and-nate-doggs-regulate-the-oral-history-of-a-hip-hop-classic-170034 "Warren G and Nate Dogg's 'Regulate': The oral history of a hip-hop classic"], ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' website, Penske Media LLC, December 19, 2014.</ref> with two longtime running mates, Nathaniel "[[Nate Dogg]]" Hale and Calvin "[[Snoop Dogg]]" Broadus. 213 was a contributor to the [[G-funk]] sound soon to emerge in rap.<ref name=":6">Jeff Weiss explains, "As much as '[[The Chronic]]' is a psychedelic and sinister warp of the [[Parliament (band)|Parliament]] and [[Funkadelic]] records that constantly rotated on [[Dr. Dre|Dre]]'s childhood turntable, it is the sound of Long Beach, too: the [[Ecumenism|ecumenical]] hymns of the Baptist church turned into filthy harmonic gospel by Snoop, Nate Dogg, Warren G and Daz" [J Weiss, [https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-dr-dre-the-chronic-20171215-story.html "25 years later, Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic' remains rap's world-building masterpiece"], [https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/entertainment/music/25-years-later-dr-dres-the-chronic-remains-raps-world-building-masterpiece/2017/12/14/8632acda-e00f-11e7-89e8-edec16379010_story.html ''Washington Post''] & ''Chicago Tribune'', December 15, 2017]. For some on this in Warren's own words, see [[Ebro Darden]] & [[Laura Stylez]], interviewers, "Warren G talks growing up as Dr. Dre's brother, Snoop's early rap battles and his new album", ''[[Hot 97]]'' @ YouTube, August 10, 2015, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0blMD48aR0s&t=1770s 22:30] mark.</ref> The trio dissolved after Warren G connected them to Dr. Dre.<ref name=":13" /> At that point, two solo careers were launched: Dr. Dre's and Snoop Dogg's, upon G-funk.<ref name=":4">Ben Westhoff, "[https://www.laweekly.com/the-making-of-the-chronic The making of ''The Chronic''"], ''[[LA Weekly]]'', November 19, 2012.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-tw8TACddA "Dr. Dre speaks at Snoop Dogg's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony 11.19.18"], ''The Hollywood Fix'' @ YouTube, November 19, 2018.</ref> Nate, too, signed to Dr. Dre's [[Death Row Records]].<ref name=":4" /> Warren G initially helped there;<ref name=":13" /> not desiring a career in his mentor and stepbrother's shadow, however, he signed to [[Def Jam Recordings]] in [[New York City]].<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":23" />

==Career==
===Start with 213 (circa 1990)===
By 1990, in his hometown [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]], as record producer and rapper, Warren formed a music trio with two of his longtime running mates, Nathaniel "[[Nate Dogg]]" Hale, a rapperlike singer, and Calvin "[[Snoop Dogg]]”  Broadus,<ref name=":24">In his 1994 single "[[Do You See]]", Warren G reminisces on his background, while incidentally noting, twice, that 213 had originally been Warren G, Nate Dogg, and Snoop Rock, amid visuals that briefly show the V.I.P record shop [Warren G, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoezCLhQFaE "Do You See"], ''Warren G'' @ YouTube, October 6, 2009].</ref> a singerlike rapper.<ref name=":4" /> The Long Beach trio, fond of [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] rap group [[415 (group)|415]], named for the [[Bay area]]'s area code, took the name [[213 (group)|213]], the Los Angeles area's.<ref name=":13" /> Practicing and recording in the modest studio in Long Beach record store [[VIP Records (Long Beach)|V.I.P.]],<ref name=":24" /> they cut a demo tape.<ref name=":13" /> [[Dr. Dre]], already a celebrity, rebuffed his younger stepbrother Warren's requests for him to listen.<ref name=":1">P.R., "Warren G", in Nathan Brackett with Christian Hoard, eds., ''The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004), [https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&dq=Snoop,+Nate,+Warren,+213,+1990+Dre&pg=PA859 p 859]. For Warren's own telling, see [[Ebro Darden]] & [[Laura Stylez]], interviewers, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0blMD48aR0s&t=1192s "Warren G talks growing up as Dr. Dre's brother, Snoop's early rap battles and his new album"], ''[[Hot 97]]'' @ YouTube, August 10, 2015. On the V.I.P. record store, see Andrea Domanick, [https://www.laweekly.com/world-famous-v-i-p-records-to-close "World famous V.I.P. Records to close"], ''[[LA Weekly]]'', January 5, 2012.</ref>

Before long, homemade copies of 213's songs spread in [[Los Angeles county]], particularly the cities [[Compton, California|Compton]] and [[Pomona, California|Pomona]], and Los Angeles city's sections [[Watts, Los Angeles|Watts]] and [[South Los Angeles|South Central]], but no label picked them up.<ref name=":13" /> One day, Warren phoned Dre to catch up, and found him at a bachelor party—thrown for Dre's friend Andre "LA Dre" Bolton, another record producer—whereupon Warren found himself invited to join it.<ref name=":13" /> There, once the songs began to repeat, Warren offered LA Dre the 213 tape.<ref name=":13" /> Liking it, he summoned Dr. Dre, who, hearing the Snoop rap "Super Duper Snooper", immediately welcomed the trio.<ref name=":15" /> Days later, 213 moved into Dre's lavish [[Troubadour style#Architecture|troubadour-style]] house in [[Calabasas, California|Calabasas]], home to both his wife and his recording studio.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>In Calabasas, on the hills west of the [[San Fernando Valley]], Dre had bought, in perhaps 1989, "a lavish [[Troubadour style|troubadour-style]] home", and put a recording studio in an upstairs bedroom [Gerrick D. Kennedy, ''Parental Discretion Is Advised: The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap'' (New York: [[Atria Books]], 2017), [https://books.google.com/books?id=xKZADwAAQBAJ&q=Calabasas pp 123 & 132].</ref>

In April 1992, Dr. Dre's debut solo single "[[Deep Cover (song)|Deep Cover]]" introduced America to Snoop Doggy Dogg, the track's guest but instantly star rapper.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":17">David Diallo, "Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg", in Mickey Hess, ed., ''Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture'', Volume 1 (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2007), [https://books.google.com/books?id=LldOLnIQ66cC&dq=213&pg=PA326 pp 326–327].</ref> Warren helped Dre find sounds for Dre's debut solo album ''[[The Chronic]]'',<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":13" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Warren G Says Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic' Was Co-Produced By Him And He Didn't Receive Any Compensation |url=https://www.bet.com/article/137tbr/warren-g-dr-dre-the-chronic-co-produced#:~:text=Warren%20G%20Says%20Dr.,'&text=Warren%20G%20is%20making%20a,would%20be%20lovely%20right%20now.%E2%80%9D |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=BET |language=en}}</ref> further debuting Snoop, whereby superstardom chased Snoop into 1993 and, via Snoop's own debut solo album, ''[[Doggystyle]]'', captured him by 1994.<ref name=":4" /><ref>Stereo Williams, [https://www.thedailybeast.com/when-snoop-dogg-became-the-most-wanted-man-in-america "When Snoop became the most wanted man in America"], ''[[Daily Beast]]'', November 18, 2018.</ref> By then, also solo, Nate, too, had joined Dre's label, [[Death Row Records]].<ref name=":4" /><ref>By the July 1998 release of Nate Dogg's repeatedly delayed solo album, the curtain was already closing on G-funk's popular run [Thomas Erlewine, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/g-funk-classics-vols-1-2-mw0000182144 "Nate Dogg: ''G Funk Classics, Vols. 1 & 2''"], ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited April 24, 2020].</ref> Warren, returning to Long Beach, aimed to find his own way.<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":18">Gill, Karam, director, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B78awTk4MU "''G Funk'' | Official Documentary"], ''SnoopDoggTV'' @ YouTube Premium, 11 Jull 2018, which webpage offers a written synopsis. For instead some news on the 2017 documentary, see Matt Warren, [https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/la-film-festival-update-g-funk-doc-warren-g-live-performance-ace-hotel-june-16 "LA Film Festival update: 'G-Funk' doc and Warren G live performance at Ace Hotel, June 16"], Film Independent website, May 24, 2017.</ref> In 2004, a 213 album finally arrived: [[The Hard Way (213 album)|''The Hard Way'']].<ref name=":17" /><ref>Jon Dolan, Joe Gross, Chuck Klosterman & Chris Ryan, [https://books.google.com/books?id=neDQuF47lxQC&dq=213&pg=PA120 "Oct: Breakdown"], ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'', 2004 Oct;'''20'''(10):120; Rondell Conway, [https://books.google.com/books?id=yyYEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Snoop+Dogg&pg=PA236 "213: ''The Hard Way''"], ''Vibe'', 2004 Sep;'''12'''(9):236.</ref>

===Solo stardom (1993–1996)===
During 1993, at Dr. Dre's studio, Warren met [[John Singleton]], director of ''[[Boyz n the Hood]]'', the seminal film named for [[Boyz-n-the-Hood|Eazy-E's debut single]], produced by Dre.<ref>[[Jerry Heller]] w/ Gil Reavill, ''Ruthless: A Memoir'' (New York: [[Simon Spotlight Entertainment]], 2007), [https://books.google.com/books?id=jsn3pM18uJcC&q=Singleton p 181].</ref><ref>Keith Murphy, [https://www.bet.com/article/6cjezq/john-singleton-hollywood-s-ultimate-hip-hop-head "John Singleton: Hollywood's ultimate hip-hop head broke ground for the culture"], ''[[BET|BET.com]]'', May 3, 2019.</ref> Singleton asked Warren to produce a song for [[Poetic Justice (soundtrack)|the soundtrack]] of his forthcoming film ''[[Poetic Justice (film)|Poetic Justice]]''. Warren thus produced [[Mista Grimm]]'s song "[[Indo Smoke]]", featuring Warren G and [[Nate Dogg]].<ref name=":15" /> The single's success led to Warren's invitation to [[Russell Simmons]]'s label [[Def Jam Recordings]], where Warren G signed a record deal.<ref name=":15" /> Also that year, Warren and Nate, along with [[Kurupt]]—whom the 213 trio had brought to Dre to help on his album ''[[The Chronic]]''<ref name=":4" />—feature on "[[Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)]]", a huge underground hit, too risque to be a single, on Snoop's ''[[Doggystyle]]'' album, released in November.<ref>About tracks on Dr. Dre's album [[2001 (Dr. Dre album)|''2001'']], Soren Baker writes, "If fact, even songs that did not receive accompanying videos became huge underground hits, as had been the case with ''The Chronic''<nowiki/>'s '[[Bitches Ain't Shit]]' and ''Doggystyle''<nowiki/>'s 'Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" [S Baker, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wIFnDwAAQBAJ&q=Bitches+Ain%27t+Shit ''The History of Gangster Rap''] (New York: Abrams Image, 2018)].</ref>

On the ''[[Above The Rim]]'' soundtrack, from [[Death Row Records]] in April 1994, the single "[[Regulate (song)|Regulate]]" was a duet cowritten and performed by Warren G and Nate Dogg.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coker |first=Cheo H. |date=1995-05-21 |title=Pop Music : G Marks the Spot : Scoot over, Snoop. Your longtime pal Warren G has reaped millions by shunning computerized musical sampling for real live R&B.; It's Long Beach G-funk, by way of P-funk. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-21-ca-4067-story.html |access-date=2024-12-15 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Spending 20 weeks on the popular songs chart, the [[Billboard Hot 100]], with 18 of them in the Top 40, including three weeks at No. 2 in May,<ref name=":8">For all of Warren G's [[Billboard Hot 100]] appearances, see [https://www.billboard.com/music/warren-g/chart-history "Chart history: Warren G—Hot 100"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard.com]]'', Prometheus Global Media, LLC, visited May 10, 2020. Yet at May 2020, the only song this adds to the Hot 100's Top 40 is "[[Do You See]]", No. 42 in January 1995. Incidentally, the ''Billboard.com'' webpage apparently dates by latest peak position, with "Regulate", for instance, at No. 2 in July 1994. Apparently dating instead by earliest peak position, with "Regulate" at No. 2 in May 1994, is [[Joel Whitburn]], "Warren G", ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits'' (New York: Billboard Books, 2010), [https://books.google.com/books?id=EW9RsB0a0oAC&dq=Warren+G&pg=PA696 p 696]: in chronological order, "[[Regulate (song)|Regulate]]", with [[Nate Dogg]] (No. 2 in May 1994 and three weeks); "[[This D.J.]]" (No. 9 in July 1994); "[[What's Love Got to Do with It (Warren G song)|What's Love Got to Do with It]]," featuring [[Adina Howard]] (No. 32 in September 1996); "[[I Shot the Sheriff (Warren G song)|I Shot the Sheriff]]" (No. 20 in March 1997); "[[Smokin' Me Out]]", featuring [[Ronald Isley]] (No. 35 in June 1997); Nate Dogg's single "[[Nobody Does It Better (Nate Dogg song)|Nobody Does It Better]]", featuring Warren G (No. 18 in July 1998); "[[I Want It All (Warren G song)|I Want It All]]", featuring [[Mack 10]] (No. 23 in October 1999).</ref> it was the summer's top rap hit.<ref name=":13" /> Certified gold, half a million copies sold, since June, it attained platinum, a million copies, in August.<ref name=":2">Database search, [https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Warren+G "Gold & Platinum: Warren G"], [[Recording Industry Association of America]] website, visited May 8, 2020.</ref> In January 2017, via digital downloading, it was certified 2x multi-platinum.<ref name=":2" /> Back in the American summer of 1994, it stood at No. 1 on the [[MTV]] charts.<ref name="Vernallis">{{cite book|last=Vernallis|first=Carol|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DjDIw2pxjiMC&pg=PT221|title=Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context|publisher=Columbia University Press|year=2004|isbn=978-0-231-11799-9|page=221}}</ref> Performing in Japan, he would discover fans who apparently understood no English, but knew all the lyrics. Into the 21st century, it remained Def Jam's biggest hit single.<ref name=":19">Russell Simmons with [[Nelson George]], ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=S89ND17oBSEC&q=Warren Life and Def: Sex, Drugs, Money, and God]'' (New York: Crown Publishers, 2001).</ref> Russell Simmons, a Def Jam founder, explains, "Warren's music was worldwide because the melody plays no matter what the language."<ref name=":23">Gill, Karam, director, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B78awTk4MU "''G Funk'' | official documentary"], ''SnoopDoggTV'' @ YouTube Premium, July 11, 2018, which webpage offers a written synopsis, whereas the Russell Simmons quote about "Regulate" may appear at about the 57:35 mark. For instead some news on the 2017 documentary, see Matt Warren, [https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/la-film-festival-update-g-funk-doc-warren-g-live-performance-ace-hotel-june-16 "LA Film Festival update: 'G-Funk' doc and Warren G live performance at Ace Hotel, June 16"], Film Independent website, May 24, 2017.</ref>

Yet further, unlike other G-funk (short for ''gangsta'' funk) artists, Warren G, even called "a romantic" at heart,<ref name=":32">Eric Weisbard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=8X17JjiXfYYC&dq=romantic&pg=PA135 "Platter du Jour: Warren G"], in Craig Marks, ed., Spins column, ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'', 1994 Sep;'''10'''(6):135.</ref> voiced simpler concerns.<ref name=":31">Soren Baker, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=wIFnDwAAQBAJ&q=Warren+G The History of Gangster Rap: From Scholly D to Kendrick Lamar, the Rise of a Great American Art Form]'' (New York: [[Abrams Image]], 2018).</ref> And his modest rap styling maximized, by heeding, his modest lyricism.<ref name=":25">P.R., "Warren G", in Nathan Brackett with Christian Hoard, eds., ''The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004), [https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&dq=Snoop,+Nate,+Warren,+213,+1990+Dre&pg=PA859 p 859].</ref> "Regulate" doubled as the lead single Warren G's debut album, ''[[Regulate... G Funk Era]]'', arriving in June 1994. Selling a million copies in three days, it debuted at No. 2 on the popular albums chart, the [[Billboard 200]].<ref name=":15" /> In August, it was certified 2x multi-platinum, two million copies sold.<ref name=":2" /> Its second single, "[[This D.J.]]", went gold, half a million copies, in September,<ref name=":2" /> while peaking in July at No. 9.<ref name=":8" /> At the [[1995 Grammy Awards]], in March, both singles were nominated.<ref name=":9">"Regulate" was nominated in [[Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group]], and "This D.J." in [[Best Rap Solo Performance]].</ref> And in January, the album's other single, "[[Do You See]]", had peaked at No. 42.<ref name=":14">[https://www.billboard.com/music/warren-g/chart-history "Chart history: Warren G"], ''Billboard.com'', visited May 10, 2020.</ref> In August, the album was certified 3x multi-platinum.<ref name=":2" /> That month also brought some Warren G collaborations on two albums from his Long Beach associates, [[Twinz]] only album ''[[Conversation (album)]]'' and [[The Dove Shack]] trio's ''[[This Is the Shack]]''. And 1996 saw Warren G on the "Groupie" track of Snoop's second album, ''[[Tha Doggfather]]''.

===Follow-up albums (1997–2001)===
Warren G's second album, ''[[Take a Look Over Your Shoulder]]'', released in March 1997. It was certified gold, with half a million copies sold, in May.<ref name=":2" /> Sharing with the [[Supercop (soundtrack)|''Supercop'' soundtrack]] the single "[[What's Love Got to Do with It (Warren G song)|What's Love Got To Do with It]]", featuring singer [[Adina Howard]], a spin on the [[What's Love Got to Do with It (song)|1984 single]] by [[Tina Turner]], reached No. 2 on the [[UK Singles Chart]],<ref>[https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/30875/warren-g "Warren G"], ''[[OfficialCharts.com]]'', The Official UK Charts Company, visited May 12, 2020.</ref> and peaked in the U.S. at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name=":8" /> "[[Smokin' Me Out]]", featuring [[Ron isley|Ron Isley]] of [[The Isley Brothers|the classic soul group]], reaching No. 35, was big on the Los Angeles area's radio play.<ref name=":25" /> "I Shot the Sheriff", a lyrical spin on the [[I Shot the Sheriff|1973 single]] by [[Bob Marley & The Wailers|Bob Marley & the Wailers]], yet an instrumental borrow from rap group [[EPMD]]'s 1988 single "[[Strictly Business (EPMD song)|Strictly Business]]", which itself samples that Wailers classic, reached No. 20.<ref name=":8" /> Yet a letdown overall, the album missed his debut's superstar potential.<ref name=":5">John Bush, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-want-it-all-mw0000247898 "Warren G: ''I Want It All''"], ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020.</ref>

In July 1998, Warren G's sixth appearance in the Billboard Hot 100's upper tier Top 40 became Nate Dogg's single "[[Nobody Does It Better (Nate Dogg song)|Nobody Does it Better]]"<ref name=":8" />—on [[G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2|Nate's repeatedly delayed debut album]]—featuring Warren G, in another duet, which peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name=":14" /> Here, incidentally, Warren raps a [[Bar (music)|bar]] indicating his transition to family life.<ref name=":30">In the "[[Nobody Does It Better (Nate Dogg song)|Nobody Does It Better]]" single, in his third and final verse, Warren G raps, in two bars, "Hot rap singles, on the charts now / Got a baby, so I'm breaking hearts now" [https://web.archive.org/web/20080612212230/http://www.metrolyrics.com/nobody-does-it-better-lyrics-nate-dogg.html "Nobody Does It Better lyrics—Nate Dogg"], ''[[MetroLyrics.com]]'', CBS Interactive Inc., 2020].</ref> Warren's third album, ''[[I Want It All (album)|I Want It All]]'', released in October 1999, has Warren mainly producing—where, perhaps, his greater comparative strength among musical peers abides—while vocals go largely to guest artists, including Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg, [[RBX]], [[Kurupt]], [[Eve (rapper)|Eve]], [[Slick Rick]], and [[Jermaine Dupri]].<ref name=":5" /> Certified gold in November 1999,<ref name=":2" /> it bears the single "[[I Want It All (Warren G song)|I Want It All]]", featuring [[Mack 10]], which, becoming Warren's most recent Top 40 appearance, peaked on the Hot 100 at No. 23.<ref name=":8" />

Over 20 years later, his 1997 and 1999 albums remain at gold certification, which none of his subsequent albums have achieved.<ref name=":2" /> Released in December 2001, Warren's fourth album, ''[[The Return of the Regulator]]'', with a litany of collaborators, including the [[P-Funk]] father and G-funk godfather [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]] and, elsewhere, Dr. Dre producing a track, is allegedly overdone, a comeback undone by Warren's reaching beyond his strengths and being outdone by his guests.<ref name=":20">Jason Birchmeier, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-return-of-the-regulator-mw0000592309 "Warren G: ''The Return of the Regulator''"], ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC,</ref><ref name=":12" /> He "wastes a hot, Dre-produced beat", in the single "[[Lookin' at You (song)|Lookin' at You]]", alleges a ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' writer, who finds G-funk on its deathbed and Warren G "administering the fatal shot".<ref name=":12">Shawn Edwards, [https://books.google.com/books?id=xiUEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA124 "Warren G: ''The Return of the Regulator''"], ''Vibe'', 2002 Jan;'''10'''(1):124.</ref> The album peaked at number 83 the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], and became his final album under a [[major record label]], here [[Universal Music Group]], before returned on an independent label.<ref name=":0">Jason Birchmeier, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-the-mid-nite-hour-mw0000170923 "Warren G: ''In the Mid-Nite Hour''"], ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020.</ref>

===Indie career (2005–present)===
''[[In the Mid-Nite Hour]]'', released in October 2005, Warren G's fifth album, his first without a major label involved,<ref name=":0" /> was on Hawino Records.<ref name=":10">Steve "Flash" Juon, [http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2005_10_midnitehour.html "Warren G: ''In the Mid-Nite Hour'': Hawino Records/Lightyear Ent."], ''RapReviews.com'', October 18, 2005.</ref> Heavily featuring his native, 213 groupmates Nate and Snoop, it is devotedly Warren's own project, homemade on a low budget.<ref name=":0" /> Music critics assess it to better carry Warren G's own virtues as G-funk's [[everyman]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":10" /> Yet by that very virtue, as expected, it saw scarce exposure beyond Warren G's fans.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":10" />

His sixth album, in September 2009, ''[[The G Files]]'', "still the same basic G-funk sound", adds to "that classic soul vibe", Warren explains, "a taste of that modern electro sound".<ref name=":11">Jeff Weiss, [https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/12/the-gfunk-continuum-warren-g-talks-the-gfiles-the-xfiles-and-west-coast-hiphop.html "The G-funk continuum: Warren G talks 'The G-Files,' 'The X-Files' and West Coast hip hop"], ''Pop & Hiss'', the ''L.A. Times'' Music Blog, December 18, 2009.</ref> Disliking what he put as the rap standard of "some drums and one synth sound", he titled "The West is Back" for return to "that great soulful sound".<ref name=":11" /> "100 Miles and Running" features Nate Dogg—recorded before Nate's strokes in 2007 and 2008—and the [[Wu-Tang Clan]]'s [[Raekwon]].<ref name=":11" />

From June to September 2013, Warren toured in the West Coast Fest, "an OG affair" with [[DJ Quik]], [[Mack 10]], the [[Dogg Pound]], [[Bone Thugs N Harmony]], and others.<ref name=":21">Rose Lilah, [https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/west-coast-fest-tour-line-up-features-e-40-dogg-pound-warren-g-and-more-news.5950.html "West Coast Fest tour line-up features E-40, Dogg Pound, Warren G & more"], HotNewHipHop website, June 6, 2013.</ref> Meanwhile, in a guest role, Warren played OG Hemingway in the sitcom ''[[Newsreaders]]'' on the [[Cartoon Network]]'s [[Adult Swim]] programming.<ref name=":27">For some examples, see [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004943 Warren G's profile] on [[IMDb]].</ref> And in August 2014, on the [[Mnet (TV channel)|Mnet]] channel's reality series ''American Hustle Life'', he directed an alternate music video for "Boy In Luv", by South Korean boy band [[BTS]].

Nostalgic fans would ask Warren for more of classic [[G-funk]], and even ask for more from Nate Dogg, who had died in 2011.<ref name=":3">[[Ebro Darden]] & [[Laura Stylez]], interviewers, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0blMD48aR0s&t=1s "Warren G talks growing up as Dr. Dre's brother, Snoop's early rap battles and his new album"], ''[[Hot 97]]'' @ YouTube, August 10, 2015</ref><ref name=":26">Erika Ramirez, [https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/warren-g-regulate-g-funk-era-part-ii-ep-6620370/ "Warren G to release 'Regulate…G Funk Era Part II' EP this summer"], ''Billboard.com'', July 8, 2015.</ref> The single "[[My House (Warren G song)|My House]]", leading Warren G's first [[Extended play|EP]], arrived on July 13, 2015. With four songs, the EP, premised as a sequel to the 1994 original, is titled ''[[Regulate... G Funk Era, Part II]]''. Released on August 6, it features [[E-40]], [[Too Short]], [[Jeezy]], [[Bun B]], and, in all four songs, Nate Dogg. With his unique knack for intuiting Warren's production cues, Nate leaves behind some of his 213 partner's favorite recordings.<ref name=":3" />

==Personal life==
Warren has six children with his wife, Tennile Griffin. Getting older, increasingly identifying with his father, fond of cooking and storytelling, Warren G embraces "his morals and good family fun".<ref name=":28">The company website of his Sniffin Griffins BBQ line shares [https://sniffingriffinsbbq.com/pages/about-us "The Sniffin Griffins story"], © 2020: "It all started with my father Warren Griffin, Jr., who was many great things, chief among them a boxer, black belt and chef in the United States Navy. As a kid, all my pops used to do was cook, create recipes and play good music. He would tell my sisters, brothers and I all about the stories of his many journeys. Even though it was fun to hear him talk about those things, it was also very interesting to me. One of the things that stood out the most to me was when he would talk BBQ. The flavor of the smoke on the meat and just the good feeling of having family around caught me up and rang a bell in my head. As I got older, all I wanted to do was be like my dad on the smoker and grill because it reminded me of his morals and good family fun; and so, a pit master was born into a lifestyle of fun, family and celebration. Warren G!"</ref> 

His oldest son, [[Olaijah Griffin|Olaijah]], played college football for the [[USC Trojans football|USC Trojans]] at the cornerback position from 2018 to 2020; he was also recognized with all-conference honors in 2019 and 2020.<ref name=":16">Ben Kercheval, [https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/usc-football-recruiting-warren-gs-son-five-star-cb-olaijah-griffin-commits "USC football recruiting: Warren G's son, five-star CB Olaijah Griffin, commits"], [[CBS Sports]] website, February 7, 2018.</ref><ref>Within USC's conference, the Pac-12, Griffin drew honorable mention for the official all-conference team, and made the Phil Steele All-Pac-12 third team ["[https://usctrojans.com/sports/football/roster/olaijah-griffin/11113 Football: Olaijah Griffin]", ''USCTrojans.com'', USC Athletics, visited August 11, 2020].</ref> In April 2021, Olaijah was signed by the NFL's [[Buffalo Bills]] as an undrafted free agent. 

In 2019, Warren G launched a line of barbecue sauces and rubs, Sniffin Griffin's BBQ, for retail and restaurant supply. This was inspired by his father, a cook in the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] and avid barbecue chef.<ref name=":28" /><ref name=":22">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXxnuoYUzE4 "Behind the scenes of Warren G the owner of Sniffin Griffins BBQ first sauce run"], ''Warren G'' @ YouTube, December 7, 2019.</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Warren G discography|Warren G production discography|l2=production discography}}
{{See also|213 discography}}
'''Studio albums'''
* ''[[Regulate... G Funk Era]]'' (1994)
* ''[[Take a Look Over Your Shoulder]]'' (1997)
* ''[[I Want It All (album)|I Want It All]]'' (1999)
* ''[[The Return of the Regulator]]'' (2001)
* ''[[In the Mid-Nite Hour]]'' (2005)
* ''[[The G Files]]'' (2009)

'''Collaborative albums'''
* ''[[The Hard Way (213 album)|The Hard Way]]'' (with [[213 (group)|213]]) (2004)

==Filmography==
* ''[[The Show (1995 film)|The Show]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Speedway Junky]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Little Richard (film)|Little Richard]]'' (2000)
* ''[[The Parkers]]'' (2000)
* ''[[Old School (2003 film)|Old School]]'' (2003)
* ''[[All of Us]]'' (2005)
* ''[[BTS]] American Hustle Life'' (2014)
* ''[[The Eric Andre Show]]'' (2016), 1 episode

==Video games==
* ''[[Rap Jam: Volume One]]'' (1995)
* ''[[Def Jam: Fight for NY]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Def Jam Fight for NY: The Takeover]]'' (2006)

==Awards and nominations==
===Grammy Awards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Song
! Category
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[37th Annual Grammy Awards|1995]]
| "[[Regulate (song)|Regulate]]"
| [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group|Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Grammys Promise a Dumbfounding Medley of Talent |first=Gene |last=Stout |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=March 1, 1995 |page=C1 |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/archives/1995/9503010055.asp}}</ref>
| {{nom}}
|-
| "[[This D.J.]]"
| [[Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance|Best Rap Solo Performance]]
| {{nom}}
|}

===American Music Awards===
{{award table}}
|-
| rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"|[[American Music Awards of 1995|1995]]
| rowspan="1" style=text-align:left;|Warren G
| [[American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist|Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist]]
|{{nom}}
|-
{{end}}

===Brit Awards===
{{awards table}}
|-
| rowspan="2"|1995
| rowspan="2"| Warren G
| [[Brit Award for International Male Solo Artist|International Male Solo Artist]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|[[Brit Award for International Breakthrough Act|International Breakthrough Act]]
| {{nom}}
|-
{{end}}

===MTV Movie & TV Awards===
{{award table}}
|-
| rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"|[[1995 MTV Movie Awards|1995]]
| rowspan="1" style=text-align:left;|[[Regulate (song)|Regulate]]
| [[MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Moment|Best Song from a Movie]]
|{{nom}}
|-
{{end}}

===Soul Train Music Awards===
{{awards table}}
|-
|[[1995 Soul Train Music Awards|1995]]
|[[Regulate...G Funk Era]]
|[[Soul Train Music Award for Best Rap Album|Best Rap Album]]
|{{nom}}
|-
{{end}}

===NME Awards===
{{awards table}}
|-
| [[List of NME Award winners#NME Awards 1995|1995]]
| Warren G
| Best Rap Artist
| {{won}}
|-
{{end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|California|Los Angeles}}
* {{Official website|http://warreng.com/}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0004943 |name=Warren G}}

{{Warren G}}
{{213}}
{{Tha Dogg Pound}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American rappers]]
[[Category:African-American male rappers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male rappers]]
[[Category:American hip-hop record producers]]
[[Category:American hip-hop singers]]
[[Category:Crips]]
[[Category:Death Row Records artists]]
[[Category:MNRK Music Group artists]]
[[Category:G-funk artists]]
[[Category:Participants in American reality television series]]
[[Category:Rappers from California]]
[[Category:Restless Records artists]]
[[Category:West Coast hip-hop musicians]]
[[Category:213 (group) members]]