G-funk
Encyclopedia
G-funk, or Gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip hop music
that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap
in the early 1990s. G-funk (which uses funk music with an artificially altered tempo
) incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk
tunes, and a high-pitched portamento
sine wave synthesizer lead. The lyrical content consisted of sex, drugs, violence, and women. There was also a slurred “lazy” way of rapping in order to clarify words and stay in rhythmic cadence.
Unlike other earlier rap acts that also utilized funk samples (such as EPMD
or The Bomb Squad
), G-funk often utilized fewer, unaltered samples per song. Music theorist Adam Krims has described G-funk as "a style of generally West Coast rap whose musical tracks tend to deploy live instrumentation, heavy on bass and keyboards, with minimal (sometimes no) sampling and often highly conventional harmonic progressions and harmonies". Dr. Dre, a pioneer for the G-Funk genre, normally uses live musicians to replay the original music of sampled records. This enabled him to produce music that had his own sounds, rather than a direct copy of the sample.'
Albeit G-Funk was birthed in Los Angeles, the popular subgenre drew a large amount of influence from the earlier Bay Area-based sound known as Mobb Music of the mid to late 80's pioneered by legendary Oakland rappers like Too Short. Too Short had experimented with looping sounds from classic P-Funk records over bass heavy tracks during this period. However, unlike Bay Area Mobb Music, Southern California-born G-Funk used more portamento synthesizers and less live instrumentation. Too Short's lazy, drawl-heavy delivery was also a major influence on later G-Funk superstar rappers like Snoop Dogg
.
There has been some debate over who should be considered the "father of G-funk." Dr. Dre
is generally believed to have developed the sound, but Cold187um and KMG of Above the Law have claimed that they originated the sound. They claim that Dr. Dre did not credit the group for pioneering the style when he released The Chronic, his Death Row
debut album. They both released records on Ruthless Records prior to this. Warren G
and Snoop Dogg
were with Cold187um before joining Dr. Dre and Death Row. On Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album, Warren G and Daz Dillinger claim they produced "Ain't No Fun," even though Dre is credited as the album's sole producer.
The earliest use of sine wave synthesizers and Parliament-Funkadelic
-style bass grooves in Dr. Dre's
work appeared on N.W.A's single "Alwayz Into Somethin'
" from their 1991 album Efil4zaggin. Dr. Dre's first true G-funk single, however, was 1992's "Deep Cover
", the title song from the movie soundtrack
of the same name, which also introduced Snoop Dogg
to the world. It was Kokane
who appeared on the Deep Cover soundtrack with a song that was produced by Cold 187um
called Nickel Slick, there was a video done for & a remix of the song was done by Dr. Dre. When Dre's 1992 Death Row Records
debut The Chronic
was released, the album was immensely successful, and consequently made G-funk the most popular sub-genre of hip hop.
Another early G-funk pioneer, also from Compton, was rapper and producer DJ Quik
, who was already using P-funk instrumentals as early as 1991 in his debut album Quik is the Name
, though his most recognizable G-Funk album would be 1995's Safe & Sound. Another well known singer that used G-Funk was Nate Dogg
.
G-Funk lost mainstream popularity after the late '90s, as hip-hop became influenced more by the Dirty South
. However, during the late 2000s and early 2010s, it started to become revived by underground Westcoast rap artists and is recently seen on some mainstream album(s).
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
that emerged from Westcoast gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
in the early 1990s. G-funk (which uses funk music with an artificially altered tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
) incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
tunes, and a high-pitched portamento
Portamento
Portamento is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" , denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used...
sine wave synthesizer lead. The lyrical content consisted of sex, drugs, violence, and women. There was also a slurred “lazy” way of rapping in order to clarify words and stay in rhythmic cadence.
Unlike other earlier rap acts that also utilized funk samples (such as EPMD
EPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
or The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad is an American hip hop production team, known for their work with the rap group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track...
), G-funk often utilized fewer, unaltered samples per song. Music theorist Adam Krims has described G-funk as "a style of generally West Coast rap whose musical tracks tend to deploy live instrumentation, heavy on bass and keyboards, with minimal (sometimes no) sampling and often highly conventional harmonic progressions and harmonies". Dr. Dre, a pioneer for the G-Funk genre, normally uses live musicians to replay the original music of sampled records. This enabled him to produce music that had his own sounds, rather than a direct copy of the sample.'
Albeit G-Funk was birthed in Los Angeles, the popular subgenre drew a large amount of influence from the earlier Bay Area-based sound known as Mobb Music of the mid to late 80's pioneered by legendary Oakland rappers like Too Short. Too Short had experimented with looping sounds from classic P-Funk records over bass heavy tracks during this period. However, unlike Bay Area Mobb Music, Southern California-born G-Funk used more portamento synthesizers and less live instrumentation. Too Short's lazy, drawl-heavy delivery was also a major influence on later G-Funk superstar rappers like Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
.
There has been some debate over who should be considered the "father of G-funk." Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
is generally believed to have developed the sound, but Cold187um and KMG of Above the Law have claimed that they originated the sound. They claim that Dr. Dre did not credit the group for pioneering the style when he released The Chronic, his Death Row
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
debut album. They both released records on Ruthless Records prior to this. Warren G
Warren G
Warren G , is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer. He is also Dr. Dre's half-brother.His biggest hit is the song "Regulate" with Nate Dogg released in 1994...
and Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
were with Cold187um before joining Dr. Dre and Death Row. On Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album, Warren G and Daz Dillinger claim they produced "Ain't No Fun," even though Dre is credited as the album's sole producer.
The earliest use of sine wave synthesizers and Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
-style bass grooves in Dr. Dre's
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
work appeared on N.W.A's single "Alwayz Into Somethin'
Alwayz Into Somethin'
"Alwayz Into Somethin" is a 1991 single by American hip hop group N.W.A featuring Admiral D from their third full-length studio album, Niggaz4Life. The song also appeared on the N.W.A's Greatest Hits album and The Best of N.W.A. - The Strength of Street Knowledge.-History:The song is an early...
" from their 1991 album Efil4zaggin. Dr. Dre's first true G-funk single, however, was 1992's "Deep Cover
Deep Cover (song)
"Deep Cover", also known as "187", is Dr. Dre's debut solo single, his first song since the N.W.A. break up. It was made for the soundtrack from the film Deep Cover . The song features Snoop Dogg making his first appearance on record.-History:...
", the title song from the movie soundtrack
Deep Cover (soundtrack)
Deep Cover is the soundtrack to the 1992 film, Deep Cover. It was released on April 4, 1992 through SOLAR Records and consisted of hip hop, Reggae and R&B music. The soundtrack peaked at 166 on the Billboard 200 and 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and featured the popular single "Deep Cover" by Dr...
of the same name, which also introduced Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
to the world. It was Kokane
Kokane
Kokane, also known as Jerry B. Long, Jr. , is a rapper from Pomona, California best known for his co-appearances on Dr. Dre's album 2001 and the work on G-funk album Funk Upon A Rhyme and his backup work with Snoop Dogg in Tha Last Meal album, who signed him to Dogghouse Records, bringing a renewed...
who appeared on the Deep Cover soundtrack with a song that was produced by Cold 187um
Cold 187um
Gregory Fernan Hutchinson , better known by his stage names Big Hutch and Cold 187 um, is an African American rapper and producer, and the lead act of the rap group Above the Law. The group signed to Ruthless Records in late 1989, releasing their debut album, Livin' Like Hustlers, in 1990...
called Nickel Slick, there was a video done for & a remix of the song was done by Dr. Dre. When Dre's 1992 Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
debut The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
was released, the album was immensely successful, and consequently made G-funk the most popular sub-genre of hip hop.
Another early G-funk pioneer, also from Compton, was rapper and producer DJ Quik
DJ Quik
David Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
, who was already using P-funk instrumentals as early as 1991 in his debut album Quik is the Name
Quik Is the Name
- Track listing : Additional productionSample credits*"Sweet Black Pussy" contains a sample of "The Incredible Fulk" by Blowfly.*"Tonite" contains a samples of "Tonight" by Kleeer....
, though his most recognizable G-Funk album would be 1995's Safe & Sound. Another well known singer that used G-Funk was Nate Dogg
Nate Dogg
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale , better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, was an American musician. He is noted for his membership of rap trio 213 and his solo career in which he collaborated with Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac and Snoop Dogg on many hit releases. Nate Dogg released three solo albums, G-Funk...
.
G-Funk lost mainstream popularity after the late '90s, as hip-hop became influenced more by the Dirty South
Southern rap
Southern hip hop, also called Southern rap, is a genre of American music influenced by hip hop that emerged from a late-1980s club-oriented vibe in southern U.S...
. However, during the late 2000s and early 2010s, it started to become revived by underground Westcoast rap artists and is recently seen on some mainstream album(s).