It’s not easy being a legend, but for west coast rapper Warren G it seems to come easy. The California golden boy, a notable name from the 90s west coast glory days, is preparing to drop Regulate… G Funk Era Part II, his first new music since his 2009 effort, The G Chronicles. The mini-album, the sequel to G’s mega successful triple-platinum 1994 debut of the same name, is a flawless hybrid of G-Funk and lyrical prowess diced with G’s cucumber cool flow and conscious storytelling. The four track EP, totaling 36 minutes, is jam packed with the classic west coast sound hip hop heads first fell in love with and been anxiously anticipating.
The 44-year-old, born Warren Griffin III, failed to disappoint yearning fans, complete with collaborations with some of hip hops heavy hitters; E-40, Young Jeezy, Bun B and Too Short and unreleased music from late friend Nate Dogg. The Long Beach rider, and die hard Oakland Raiders fan, continues to bless the music world with timeless music for the hip hop heads.
Source caught up with G as he dished on what fans can expect from his new EP, what he wished he knew when he was younger and why he’s going back to school. – Angela Wilson (@SheisAngela)
The Source: How does Regulate… G Funk Era Part II differ from your other albums?
Warren G: I can’t say it’s different from the other music that I’ve done it’s what the fans said they want and that they miss which is that G funk. So I put together some music a bunch of talented artists and came up with a EP. Just to give people that sound they’ve been missing and asking me for the last five years then I’ll hit ’em with a full length album in 2016.
What can fans expect?
They can expect some of that good, soulful music. A couple stories in there and fun and things that they can relate to. But it’s only four songs but I those four songs it’s action packed and great music they’re going to love it.
You have two upcoming shows in New York and LA, are you coming to Chicago?
It has to be scheduled but I’d love to come to Chicago, I got a lot of good friends there and Chicago always show me plenty of love. I can’t wait, I want to come it just has to be worked out. I love Chicago. That’s one of my biggest fan bases out there so it’s always good to show love to the people who show me love so I will be coming through there.
How do you balance home and career as a married father of six?
You know this is something you got to do. You got to plan everything out with my kids over here then I got to get back to this then back to my kids. It’s what I love to do at the same time so I don’t mind. It’s a job because I have to work for them as everybody got to work to keep food on the table.
I love being a dad to my kids and I don’t want to miss out on a lot of important years then try to go back and fix it so I balance it out and it works. I try not to be gone too long away from them but I know I got to work for them.
Have you ever feel like you hit rock bottom?
I ain’t never hit rock bottom, and I ain’t go hit rock bottom because I work too hard and made too much good music to hit rock bottom. I’m still living off my first album. I’ve been through hiatus’s musically but that’s because of how this music business changed. I don’t want to get in the studio and nobody know or hear about it. I did that and it didn’t work.
I’m learning the new age music business, still getting the hang of it now but once I get the total hang of it it’s a wrap. I’m into developing new artists and still doing what I do but helping other young talent that’s good and not just doing songs that doesn’t make any sense.
Who are you a fan of today’s music?
I like Drake, Kendrick, Young Dolph, Schoolboy Q, Future, A$AP Rocky. I like the young artists that make music that make sense, I ain’t into that sh*t that don’t make sense. Like with Young Dolph, he’s telling you a story of where he’s from and I can relate to it just in a west coast type of way.
I like Young Thug, too, I like “Lifestyle” and “About the Money” with T.I., that sh*t is dope, I bang both of those. Rich Homie Quan, too.
Outside of rapping, what interest you?
Acting, bikes, I like to ski, I like to do all kinds of stuff outside of rap and start up other business ventures. I’m a partner in a media company that’s taking off in a minute. And I’m getting ready to go back to school at the same time; got to learn more on a few things, but I’ll still be doing what I’m doing.
Good for you, what would you study?
It’s a different type of doing music. I want to learn how to write, not just play music, but writing. I want to learn how to write because I know how to do the other stuff.
I’m thinking of learning how to study TV from behind the camera. I have access to where I can do my own movie. You got to be self made and independent. I wish I was with a company like Def Jam but its not worth it for a new artist yes, but for me, no, because it cost, because I have such a big name it cost to push an artist of my caliber. But I wouldn’t mind doing an EP on a major cause I know it’ll get around the world.
What’s something you know now that you wish you would have known when you were younger?
I wish I would’ve been more business minded at the beginning because when you’re young and getting all this money and spending it on cars you’re not thinking about the future, even though I did have some businesses going I just didn’t have the right people running them. I wish I would have been sharper, paying more attention to what I had.
Fill in the Blank: If I weren’t a rapper I’d be a _____:
A NFL football player or a coach.
You’re a huge football fan, who’s your team?
I’m a Oakland Raiders fan, that’s it and that’s all. But if the Raiders don’t come to LA or if LA gets a team, I’ll support them.
Warren will be playing at the Highline Ballroom in New York City Sunday, August 9, 2015 at 9:00 PM.
He’ll perform at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on Thursday, August 13, 2015, 8:00 PM.
Check out the official track list for Regulate… G Funk Era Part II The EP, available for download on August 6.
Intro (feat. Reverened TaaaDow)
My House (feat. Nate Dogg)
Saturday (feat. E-40, Too $hort, Nate Dogg)
Keep on Hustlin’ (feat. Young Jeezy, Bun B, Nate Dogg)
Dead Wrong (feat. Nate Dogg)
Click the link to pre-order now on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/regulate…-g-funk-era-part/id1020512625?ls=1
Photo credit: Getty Images
