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Biography
Warren G grew up on the east side of Long Beach, California, where gang violence was rampant and a default way of life for many in order to survive the difficult environment. He and childhood friends Calvin (Cordozar) Broadus (aka Snoop Dogg) and Nathaniel Hale (Nate Dogg) also had positive influences such as church and Pop Warner football, but they all played a delicate and tense balancing act. "We were born in the gangbanging world and it was just hard not to be a part of it," he shares. "It was either that or church, and we weren't trying to be in church all the time. Actually, we would go back and forth to church and then be out and on the street." The three shared a bond beyond these typical experiences, though, and that was music. With Warren as the DJ, Snoop rapping and Nate singing, they formed a group called Three The Hard Way, referencing the classic Blaxploitation film starring Fred Williamson. Eventually calling themselves 213 (after Long Beach's area code at the time), they finally caught the ear of Dr. Dre (by then a successful producer and former member of N.W.A) through a mysterious tape played at his house party. Warren G, Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg were quickly on the road to becoming international hip-hop heroes. The three would go on to collaborate with Dre on his 1992 album The Chronic and Snoop's 1993 album Doggystyle, which are still official benchmarks in hip-hop history.
Instead of signing with LA's Death Row Records (who had released Dre and Snoop's albums), Warren G signed with Def Jam in New York and quickly proved he had something remarkable up his sleeve as well. His 1994 debut Regulate . . . The G Funk Era was certified multi-platinum in the U.S., sold over 10 million units worldwide and earned multiple award nominations (Grammy, American Music, Soul Train, and Brit). Robert Christgau of Village Voice declared the album one of his hip-hop favorites that year, even noting it "lither and subtler than anything on The Chronic." Russell Simmons would later cite Warren G's signing as a "turning point" for Def Jam and its subsequent mega-success. "After that, Def Jam never looked back," Simmons says in his book Life and Def.
Subsequent albums Take a Look Over Your Shoulder and I Want It All were certified gold and generated international hits like "I Want It All" and his cover of Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff," while 2001's Return of the Regulator showcased his studio skills through working with legendary artists like Stevie Wonder and George Clinton (the two, alongside the late Tupac Shakur, are cited by Warren as some of the great highlights of his extensive collaborations over the years). Truly an international artist since the beginning, Warren G has shown a very open musical mind through working with a palette of artists across various genres, from Norway's great operatic singer Sissel (their "Prince Igor" was a Top 10 hit across Europe in 1997) to Tokyo rapper Lil Ai (who joined Warren and hip-hop legend KRS-One on "Let's Go (It's a Movement)" for the Beef soundtrack in 2003). He has also performed and shared stages around the world with artists ranging from David Bowie to Lionel Richie to the Fugees.
But throughout it all, he remembered a promise that he made with pals Snoop and Nate as youngsters back on the streets of Long Beach. As their solo careers started on the epic journeys to the large success they've now each had, they vowed they'd come back together as 213 and release an album one day. That promise finally came true in 2004. 213's album The Hard Way debuted as Billboard's Top Independent Album in the country (and number four in the Top 200), while hip-hop magazine XXL praised their "impeccable chemistry" and fans enjoyed a long-anticipated release that promoted friendship as much as good music. That enduring bond is important to see in hip-hop, where beefs and battles make more frequent headlines. Listeners can still hear and feel the closeness between Warren G, Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg as they collaborated once again in the making of In The Mid-Nite Hour.
The three friends have also shown that kids growing up amidst the daunting odds of life in the more strained areas of Long Beach can find a positive direction. Very early on in his career, Warren G made a commitment to regularly go back and give back to the area he came from, and his involvement has only deepened over the years.
In fact, the "LBC" recently marked the 1st annual Warren G Week, an official declaration made by Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neall for the citywide celebration of his care for the community. The activities included the opening of the Willie McGinest Freedom School, a new charter program to enrich learning, and speaking to the Boy's and Girl's Club. He also played with the young men of the Midnight Basketball League (a safe late night alternative to the streets), hosted a children's day at the famous Queen Mary ship that is the city's distinct landmark (and normally too expensive for people to check out), and hosted two concerts (one for kids and one for adults) with the support of up-and-coming Long Beach artists. In spring 2006, he will again be commended by Long Beach when he is awarded the key to the city and an honorary degree from California State University Long Beach.
"He's really shy about it, like, 'Man, they did all that for me?'" says Wron G, Warren's uncle and manager. "I was like, 'Yeah, Warren-you deserve it for all the good you've done.' He's not the kind of guy that ever asks for anything for himself."
Warren G Week was essentially a kick-off to the artist's greater community involvement in the city of his birth, which includes working with City Councilwoman Laura Richardson on a foundation to help keep music in the schools (he and Richardson also partnered with Lenscrafters to provide eyeglasses for children) and continuing his own annual and long-running Christmas Toy Project, where he personally picks out $15,000 worth of toys he would have wanted as a kid and hands them out.
"I'm not trying to be a savior, but to be a part of the kids' life as far as a lightweight role model," Warren explains. "I'm not trying to be a superhero- I'm just trying to be there to let the kids see that if I can make it they can make it and something positive can come out of Long Beach. It motivates me just to see a smile and to see somebody's life change."
In The Mid-Nite Hour gives sound and voice to that positive possibility of change. Warren G has shown that he's got a large capacity for giving, and his greatest gift is still in sharing the music he makes. More than anything, the album is a welcome reminder that it's possible to celebrate and have fun while also acknowledging society's ills and working towards creating a constructive direction in life. 12:01 a.m. Warren G is ready for a long and healthy life with fresh possibilities.
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