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G-funk, short for gangsta funk, (or funk rap) is a sub-genre of
gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...
that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre is heavily influenced by the
synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
-heavy 1970s
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
sound of
Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American musical collective, music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament (band), Parliame ...
(aka P-Funk), often incorporated through samples or re-recordings. It is represented by commercially successful albums such as
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
's ''
The Chronic ''The Chronic'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records along with Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records. The recording ses ...
'' (1992),
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
's ''
Doggystyle ''Doggystyle'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop Doggy Dogg's appearances on Dr. Dre's ...
'' (1993), and
2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
's '' All Eyez on Me'' (1996).


Characteristics

G-funk, which uses
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
with an artificially altered
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
, incorporates multi-layered and melodic
synthesizers A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
, slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, heavy use of the snare drum, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of
P-Funk Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American musical collective, music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament (band), Parliame ...
tunes, and a high-pitched
portamento In music, portamento (: ''portamenti''; from old , meaning 'carriage' or 'carrying'), also known by its French name glissade, is a pitch sliding from one Musical note, note to another. The term originated from the Italian language, Italian exp ...
saw wave synthesizer lead. G-funk is typically set at between 90 and 100 BPM. The lyrical content depended on the artist; it could consist of sex, drug use (especially
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
), love for a city, and love for friends. There was also a slurred "lazy" or "smooth" way of
rapping Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...
in order to clarify words and stay in
rhythmic cadence Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor ...
. Many R&B and pop singles of the 1990s incorporated the G-funk sound to their music. The trademark West Coast G-funk style of hip-hop was a very defining element of the region's music. The genre helped distinguish West Coast hip-hop from the rivaling rap scene on the East Coast. In essence, the smooth, slow-tempo sound of G-funk accompanied the perceived "laid-back" stereotype of Californian culture whereas East Coast hip-hop typically featured more aggressive attitudes alongside a fast-paced tempo (e.g.
hardcore hip-hop Hardcore hip-hop (also known as hardcore rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is ge ...
). Unlike other earlier rap acts that also utilized funk samples (such as
EPMD EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is an initialism for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon ("E" a.k.a. E Double) and Parrish Smith ("PMD" a.k.a. Parrish Mi ...
and
the Bomb Squad The Bomb Squad was an American hip hop production team known for their work with hip hop 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 Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
, a pioneer of 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.


History and origins


1988–1992: Beginnings

Although it is a predominantly West Coast sound, one of the earliest examples of hip-hop making strong use of synths over funky samples is "The R"; the track was released in mid-1988 by New York duo Eric B. & Rakim. The origins of the style, however, are mainly attributed to
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
. Dr. Dre produced tracks by
N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...
such as " Dope Man" (1987) and " Gangsta Gangsta" (1988), both of which sampled the squealing synth solo from
Ohio Players Ohio Players are an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and " Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models f ...
' " Funky Worm" that would later go on to be sampled many times by other artists, including Michigan duo MC Breed & DFC on their mid-1991 hit " Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'". This solo, moreover, provided the blueprint for G-funk's distinctive synth tone in later years. Dre also produced
the D.O.C. Tracy Lynn Curry (born June 10, 1968), better known by his stage name the D.O.C., is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Along with his solo career, he was a member of the Southern hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and later co-wr ...
's "
It's Funky Enough "It's Funky Enough" is the debut single by American rapper The D.O.C., featured as the first track on his 1989 debut album '' No One Can Do It Better''. It spent 18 weeks on the US Top Rap Songs chart, including four at number one. A video shot ...
" and " The Formula" in 1989, the former being an early minor hit for the genre, reaching No. 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Two years later, in 1991, N.W.A released another early example of the genre with their album ''
Niggaz4Life ''Niggaz4Life'' (also known as ''Efil4zaggin'' per its mirrored title as seen on the cover) is the second and final studio album by American hip-hop group N.W.A, released on May 28, 1991. It was their final album, as the group disbanded later t ...
''; the album reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and No. 2 on ''Billboard''s
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...
. The same year, Ice Cube's diss track towards N.W.A, " No Vaseline", was made in the style. Dr. Dre, who produced ''
No One Can Do It Better ''No One Can Do It Better'' is the first solo album by the D.O.C., released on July 13, 1989, by Ruthless Records and Atlantic Records. It reached no.1 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, while peaking in the Top 20 on the ''Bil ...
'' and ''Niggaz4Life'', is often seen as the originator/creator of the G-funk sound. However, these claims have been disputed with
Cold 187um Gregory Fernard Hutchison (born August 4, 1967), known as Big Hutch and Cold 187um, is an American rapper and hip hop production, producer, and leader of the rap group Above the Law (group), Above the Law. He currently records for his self- ...
(a member of Above the Law) claiming that he came up with the name and sound.


1992–1997: Mainstream peak

The genre experienced a breakout year in 1992, with Dr. Dre dropping his album ''
The Chronic ''The Chronic'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records along with Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records. The recording ses ...
''. The album was a massive success. It had three top 40 singles: "
Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" is a song by American rapper Dr. Dre, featuring fellow American rapper Snoop Dogg, Snoop Doggy Dogg, on Dre's debut solo album, ''The Chronic'' (1992). Released in January 1993 by Death Row Records, Death Row, Interscope ...
", the Eazy-E diss "
Dre Day "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')", or censored as a single (music), single titled "Dre Day", is a song by American rapper and record producer Dr. Dre featuring fellow American rapper Snoop Dogg, Snoop Doggy Dogg and uncredited vo ...
", and "
Let Me Ride "Let Me Ride" is a song by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre, released in August 1993 by Death Row, Interscope and Priority as the third and final single from his debut studio album, ''The Chronic'' (1992). It experienced moderate success on ...
." It also reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was eventually certified Triple Platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
in 1993 for selling three-million copies; it has also been selected by the
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
for preservation in the
National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...
for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Though G-funk had previously existed, Dr. Dre's
The Chronic ''The Chronic'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records along with Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records. The recording ses ...
is often seen as the beginning of the genre. The following year had numerous successful songs and albums, Ice Cube's songs "
It Was a Good Day "It Was a Good Day" is a song by American rapper Ice Cube, released on February 23, 1993, by Lench Mob Records, Lench Mob and Priority Records, Priority as the second single from his third solo album, ''The Predator (album), The Predator'' (1992 ...
" and "
Check Yo Self "Check Yo Self" is the third and final single from American rapper Ice Cube's third solo album, '' The Predator'' (1992). It was released on July 13, 1993 by Lench Mob Records and Priority Records, and features New York City rapper Das EFX. It top ...
"; both made it to the top 20 (peaking at No. 15 and No. 20 respectively) and were both certified at least gold. "It Was a Good Day" is commonly placed high on best of lists for the genre, being considered "one of the best G-Funk tracks ever made". Snoop Dogg released his first album ''
Doggystyle ''Doggystyle'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop Doggy Dogg's appearances on Dr. Dre's ...
'', which debuted at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album contained the hits "
Gin and Juice "Gin and Juice" is a song by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on January 18, 1994 by Death Row, Interscope and Atlantic, as the second single from his debut album, ''Doggystyle'' (1993). The song was produced by Dr. Dre and con ...
" and " What's My Name?"; both songs reached No. 8 on the Hot 100. The album was certified Quadruple Platinum, and both singles were certified gold. Eazy-E released the G-funk-influenced album '' It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa'', which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200, and contained the No. 42 hit "
Real Muthaphuckkin G's "Real Muthaphuckkin' Gs," or "Real Compton City Gs" in its radio edit, is a diss track released as a single in August 1993 by American rapper Eazy-E with guest rappers Dresta, Gangsta Dresta and B.G. Knocc Out. Peaking at #42 on Billboard Hot 10 ...
", which was made as a response to Dre's song "Dre Day" from the previous year. The genre's popularity grew even bigger in 1994. This was early because of Warren G's song "
Regulate Regulate may refer to: * Regulation Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly diff ...
", which was featured on the ''Above the Rim'' soundtrack. The single reached the top 10 peaking at No. 2. His album '' Regulate... G Funk Era'' which also contained the song, and another top 10 hit "This D.J.", reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Popular rapper
MC Hammer Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, e ...
went for a more gangsta image and G-funk sound on his album ''
The Funky Headhunter ''The Funky Headhunter'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Hammer, released on March 1, 1994, via Giant Records and Reprise Records. The album at the time was hailed as Hammer's comeback album. As with some earlier songs such as "Cri ...
'', which contained the No. 26 single "
Pumps and a Bump "Pumps and a Bump" is a song by American rapper MC Hammer, now named as only Hammer, released in February 1994 by Giant Records as the first single from his fifth album, ''The Funky Headhunter'' (1994). It was both co-written and co-produced by H ...
". The G-funk group Thug Life, featuring
2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
, released their first and only album, '' Thug Life: Volume 1''; it peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard 200. The album had minor hit single with "Cradle to the Grave". The song charted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and on the Hot Rap Songs charts; it placed No. 91 on the former and No. 25 on the latter. West coast rapper
Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known by his stage name Coolio, was an American rapper. He was best known for his single "Gangsta's Paradise" (1995), which won a Grammy Award, and was credited for changing the cours ...
released his debut album '' It Takes a Thief'' in 1994. The album peaked at No. 8; it contains the Top-10 hit "
Fantastic Voyage ''Fantastic Voyage'' is a 1966 American science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. The film is about a submarine crew who is shrunk to microsco ...
". In 1995,
2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
released the album ''
Me Against the World ''Me Against the World'' is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14, 1995, by Interscope Records and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impend ...
''; although it is not entirely G-funk, the album has been described as having "half the record esoundto the boom and bap of New York" while having "the rest himmerin a G-funk haze". The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and was certified Double Platinum. Later in the year, he released the G-funk classic "
California Love "California Love" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring fellow American rapper Dr. Dre. The song was released December 3, 1995, as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist ...
" which as a double A-side with " How Do U Want It", hit No. 1 on the Hot 100. In October 1995,
Tha Dogg Pound Tha Dogg Pound is an American hip-hop duo composed of West Coast rappers Kurupt and Daz Dillinger. They were among the first acts to sign to Death Row Records in 1992. Kurupt and Daz went on to release solo albums starting in 1998; they left th ...
released their debut album ''
Dogg Food ''Dogg Food'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Tha Dogg Pound, released on October 31, 1995, by Death Row Records, Interscope Records and Priority Records. The album features guest appearances from Snoop Doggy Dogg, Nate D ...
'' and it debuted at No. 1 on the billboard, continuing G-funk's dominance in the mainstream with the top 50 singles "
New York, New York New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
" and "
Let's Play House "Let's Play House" is a song by hip hop duo Tha Dogg Pound featuring Michel'le. The song is the second single released from their debut album '' Dogg Food''. Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg and Michel'le make appearances in both the song and the video. ...
". In 1996, the super-group
Westside Connection Westside Connection was an American hip-hop Supergroup (music), supergroup formed by Ice Cube, Mack 10, and WC (rapper), WC. The group's debut album, ''Bow Down'', reached the number two position on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 in 1996 ...
released ''
Bow Down ''Bow Down'' is the debut studio album by American West Coast hip hop supergroup Westside Connection. It was released on October 22, 1996, through Priority Records. The recording sessions took place at Ice Cube's house studio, Westsiiiiide Stud ...
''. It had two hit singles, "
Bow Down ''Bow Down'' is the debut studio album by American West Coast hip hop supergroup Westside Connection. It was released on October 22, 1996, through Priority Records. The recording sessions took place at Ice Cube's house studio, Westsiiiiide Stud ...
" and "
Gangstas Make the World Go Round "Gangstas Make the World Go Round" is the second single by Westside Connection Westside Connection was an American hip-hop Supergroup (music), supergroup formed by Ice Cube, Mack 10, and WC (rapper), WC. The group's debut album, ''Bow Down'', ...
", which peaked at No. 21 and No. 40, respectively. The album itself peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 1997. 2Pac released his album '' All Eyez on Me'', which has been described as "lush G-funk" and as having a "commercial G-funk sheen". The album hit No. 1. In 1997, Warren G released his second album, ''
Take a Look Over Your Shoulder ''Take a Look Over Your Shoulder'' is the second solo studio album by American hip-hop musician Warren G. It was released on March 25, 1997, via Rush Associated Labels. The recording sessions took place at G-Funk Studios in Lakewood, Golden Lad ...
'', which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200; it had two Top-40 singles, a cover of "
I Shot the Sheriff "I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Jamaican reggae musician Bob Marley and released in 1973 with his band Bob Marley and the Wailers, the Wailers. Background The song was first released in 1973 on Bob Marley and the Wailers, the Wailers ...
" and " Smokin' Me Out". Although the majority of G-funk music has come out of
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, the overall sound has been utilized by additional US rappers and hip-hop groups that were based in other states across the U.S. during the time of the style's popularity in the 1990s. Some of the most notable of these artists include
Outkast Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip-hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest an ...
(
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
),
G-Slimm Kenneth Jackson Jr. (February 17, 1975 – October 13, 1996), best known by his stage name G-Slimm, was an American rapper. Biography Jackson was raised in the Christopher Homes Housing Development, Christopher Homes area in the Algiers, ...
(
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
),
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (formerly known as B.O.N.E. Enterpri$e and also referred to as simply Bone Thugs or Bone) is an American hip hop group formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio. Consisting of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie ...
(
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
),
Tela Tela is a town, with a population of 39,920 (2023 calculation), and a municipality in Honduras on the northern Caribbean coast. It is located in the Atlántida department, department of Atlantida. History Colonial era Tela was founded by th ...
(
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
), Top Authority (
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
), E.S.G. (
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
) and
DMG DMG may refer to: Organizations Entertainment * DMG Clearances, music licensor in Delaware, USA * DMG Entertainment, a Chinese-based film production and distribution company * DMG Nashville, a brand of Hollywood Records specializing in country musi ...
(
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
). In the 1990s,
Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, had a small, but noteworthy, G-funk scene at the peak of the genre's popularity. Artists from the city include the
Geto Boys Geto Boys (originally spelled Ghetto Boys) were an American hip hop group originally formed in Houston, Texas. They saw commercial success in the 1990s with the lineup consisting of Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D. The group became best ...
,
Blac Monks Blac Monks was an American southern hip hop group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Mr. 3-2, D.A. and Awol. In 1994, they released their debut album '' Secrets of the Hidden Temple'' via Rap-A-Lot Records, which also featured Quiet Storm (As ...
, E.S.G., 5th Ward Boyz, Street Military, Big Mello, Scarface,
Ganksta N-I-P Rowdy Lewayne Williams (born August 28, 1969), better known as Ganxsta NIP (pronounced Gangsta Nip), is an American rapper from South Park, Houston, Texas and a member of the South Park Coalition, which he co-founded in 1987 with Houston rapper ...
, Bushwick Bill, Big 50, 5th Ward Juvenilez and
South Circle South Circle was an American hip hop group composed of Houston rappers Mr. Mike (Mike Walls) and Thorough (Rex Robeson) that was signed to Suave House Records Suave House Records, also known as ''The Legendary Suave House'', is a record lab ...
.


1997–present: Influences on modern hip-hop

In the late 1990s and 2000s, G-funk music significantly declined in mainstream popularity. Dr. Dre's 1999 album ''
2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
'', produced by Mel-Man, was noted as "reinvent nghis sound, moving away from G-funk to something more gothic and string-heavy." In 2001, Warren G released his fourth studio album, ''
The Return of the Regulator ''The Return of the Regulator'' is the fourth studio album by Warren G. The album can be considered a return to the roots of West Coast gangsta music, but it sold less than the rapper's two previous albums. Track listing Samples Ghetto Vi ...
''. The album includes " Here Comes Another Hit" , (which featured
Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American rapper and singer. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the ...
and
Mista Grimm Rojai Trawick, better known as Mista Grimm, is a rapper formerly signed to Epic Records' sub-label, 550 Music. Grimm's first release was the 1993 single " Indo Smoke" featuring Warren G and Nate Dogg from the '' Poetic Justice soundtrack''. Th ...
) and Lookin' at You (featuring LaToiya Williams). The album can be considered a return to the roots of G-funk West Coast gangsta music, but it sold less than the rapper's two previous albums. Midwestern rapper
Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold ...
made use of the G-funk style on his early releases, most notably his second studio album, '' The Worst'' (2000). His 2001 follow-up album, '' Anghellic'', incorporated the subgenre's characteristics to a much lesser extent. Most recently, starting in the 2010s, many contemporary West Coast rappers have released albums which contain strong G-funk influences. Examples include
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
with ''
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City ''Good Kid, M.A.A.D City'' (stylized as ''good kid, m.A.A.d city'') is the second studio album by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on October 22, 2012, by Interscope Records, Top Dawg Entertainment and Dr. Dre's Aftermath Enter ...
'' as well as ''
To Pimp a Butterfly ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout ...
'', YG with ''
Still Brazy ''Still Brazy'' is the second studio album by American rapper YG. It was made available for streaming on June 14, 2016, by Apple Music. Later, it was released physically for the digital download purchases on June 17, 2016, by 4Hunnid Records, ...
'',
Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...
with ''
Blank Face LP ''Blank Face LP'' is the fourth studio album by the American rapper Schoolboy Q. It was released on July 8, 2016, through Top Dawg Entertainment and distributed by Interscope Records. SchoolBoy Q began work on the album in July 2014, months after ...
'',
Nipsey Hussle Ermias Joseph Asghedom (born Airmiess Joseph Asghedom; August 15, 1985 – March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle, was an American rapper, entrepreneur, and activist. Emerging from the West Coast hip-hop scene in the mid-20 ...
with ''
Victory Lap A victory lap (also lap of honor) is a term used in motorsports to describe an extra lap of the race track after the conclusion of a race. This lap, driven at reduced speed, allows the winning driver to celebrate their victory and gives the ...
'', Buddy with '' Harlan & Alondra'' and
Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper and singer. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold ...
with '' The Gates Mixed Plate''.


See also

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Gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...
*
Golden age hip-hop Golden age hip hop refers to hip hop music created from the mid or mid-late 1980s to the early or early-mid 1990s, particularly by artists and musicians originating from the New York metropolitan area. A precursor to the new-school hip hop mov ...
* List of G-funk artists and producers *
Ice-T Tracy Lauren Marrow (born February 16, 1958), known professionally as Ice-T (or Ice T), is an American rapper and actor. He is active in both hip hop music, hip hop and heavy metal music, heavy metal. Ice-T began his career as an underground r ...
*
Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...


References

{{P-Funk 1990s in music 2000s in music 2010s in music 2020s in music Hip-hop genres Funk genres Music of California Music of Los Angeles Music of the San Francisco Bay Area West Coast hip-hop 1990s neologisms