G-funk

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For the record label, see G-Funk Entertainment. For the documentary, see G-Funk (film).
G-funk
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsLate 1980s and early 1990s, Pomona, California, United States
Subgenres
G-punk
Other topics

G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s, the genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic.[4]

Characteristics[]

G-funk (which uses funk 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 saw wave synthesizer lead.

The lyrical content depended on the artist and could consist of sex, drugs, love for a city, love for friends and relaxing words. There was also a slurred "lazy" or "smooth" 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 and the Bomb Squad), G-funk often utilized fewer, unaltered samples per song.[5] 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".[6] Dr. Dre, 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.[7]

Although G-Funk originated in Los Angeles, the subgenre drew a large amount of influence from the earlier Bay Area-based sound known as Mobb music of the mid-to-late 1980s, pioneered by rappers like Too Short and E-40. 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 rappers like Snoop Dogg.[8]

History and origins[]

Beginnings[]

Early examples of the genre began to show up in 1989 with The D.O.C.'s It's Funky Enough and The Formula,[9][10] the former was an early minor hit for the genre, reaching No. 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[11] Two years later, in 1991, N.W.A. released another early example of the genre with their album Niggaz4Life,[12] which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200,[13] and No. 2 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[14] The same year, Ice Cube's diss track towards N.W.A. "No Vaseline", was made in the style.[15] Dr. Dre, who produced No One Can Do It Better and Niggaz4Life, is often seen as the originator/creator of the G-funk sound.[16][1] Though these claims have been disputed with Cold 187um, a member of Above the Law, claiming that he came up with the name and sound.[17]

Mainstream[]

1992 was the breakout year for the genre, with Dr. Dre dropping his album The Chronic. The album was a massive success, having three top 40 singles: "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang", the Eazy-E diss "Dre Day", and "Let Me Ride."[18] It also reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200,[19] and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[20] The album was eventually certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA in 1993 for selling three-million copies,[21] it has also been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[22] Though G-funk had previously existed, Dr. Dre's The Chronic is often seen as the beginning of the genre.[23][1]

Dr. Dre, considered a pioneer of G-Funk.

The following year had numerous successful songs and albums, Ice Cube's songs "It Was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self" both made it to the top 10, peaking at No. 15 and No. 20 respectively,[24] and were both certified at least gold.[25] "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".[26][15] Snoop Dogg released his first album Doggystyle, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200,[27] and contained the hits "Gin and Juice" and "What's My Name?", both songs reached No. 8 on the Hot 100.[28] The album was certified Quadruple Platinum, and both singles were certified gold.[29] Eazy-E released the G-funk influenced album "It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa",[30] which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200,[31] and contained the No. 42 hit "Real Muthaphuckkin G's",[32] which was made as a response to Dre's song "Dre Day" from the previous year.[33]

The genre's popularity grew even bigger in 1994, especially because of Warren G's song "Regulate", which was featured on the Above The Rim soundtrack. The single reached the top 10 peaking at No. 2.[34] 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.[35] Popular rapper MC Hammer went for a more gangsta image and G-funk sound on his album "The Funky Headhunter",[36][37] which contained the No. 26 single "Pumps and a Bump".[38] The G-funk group Thug Life, featuring 2Pac released their first and only album, "Thug Life: Volume 1", it peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard 200,[39] it had one minor hit single with "Cradle to the Grave", it charted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and on the Hot Rap Songs charts, at No. 91 on the former and No. 25 on the latter.[40][41]

In 1995, 2Pac released the album "Me Against the World" which although not entirely G-funk, has been described as having "half the record [resound] to the boom and bap of New York" while having "the rest [shimmer] in a G-funk haze". The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200,[42] and was certified Double Platinum.[43] Later in the year,[44] he released the G-funk classic,[15] "California Love" which as a double A-side with "How Do U Want It", hit No. 1 on the Hot 100.[45] Coolio released his debut album "It Takes a Thief", the album peaked at No. 8,[46] it contains the Top-10 hit "Fantastic Voyage".[47]

In 1996, the super-group Westside Connection released "Bow Down", it had two hit singles: "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Make the World Go Round", they peaked at No. 21 and No. 40, respectively.[48] The album itself peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200,[49] and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in 1997.[50] 2Pac released his album "All Eyez on Me", which has been described as "lush G-funk" and as having a "commercial G-funk sheen",[51][52] the album, just like "Me Against the World", hit No. 1.[42]

Warren G released his second album "Take a Look Over Your Shoulder" which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200,[35] it had two Top-40 singles, a cover of "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Smokin' Me Out".[34]

Modern G-funk[]

Many contemporary West Coast rappers have released albums with strong G-funk influences in recent years, including Kendrick Lamar with Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, YG with Still Brazy and Schoolboy Q with Blank Face LP.[53] G-funk also has had some influence on the development of modern Christian hip hop and gospel rap. For example, many of the albums of Christian recording artists Gospel Gangstaz, who have also enjoyed relatively mainstream success in the past, have exhibited token G-funk musical elements.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "G-Funk Music Genre Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  2. ^ a b Miss2Bees (2017-12-15). "Today in Hip Hop History: Dr Dre's 'The Chronic' Was Released 25 Years Ago". The Source. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  3. ^ a b Rogulewski, Charley (2013-12-11). "A Return To G-Funk: Snoop Dogg & Dam-Funk Look Back To Move Forward". VIBE.com. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
  4. ^ a b Christopher Hunter (March 16, 2017). "Warren G Is Releasing a Documentary on the History of G-Funk - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  5. ^ Brown, Ethan (November 22, 2005). "Straight Outta Hollis". Queens Reigns Supreme: Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustler. Anchor. ISBN 1-4000-9523-9. [Unlike] popular hip-hop producers like the Bomb Squad, Dre instead utilized a single sample to drive a song.
  6. ^ Krims, Adam (2000). Rap Music and the Poetics of Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 74. ISBN 0-521-63447-4. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
  7. ^ Hilburn, Robert (September 23, 2007). "The Dr.'s Always In". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Hess, Mickey (November 2009). Hip Hop in America - Google Boeken. ISBN 9780313343216. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  9. ^ Trent Fitzgerald (June 30, 2018). "'Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang, Baby: Watch 'G Funk' Official Trailer". The Boombox. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
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  12. ^ https://hiphopdx.com, HipHopDX- (2015-07-28). "efiL4zaggiN: N.W.A.'s 4gotten Masterpiece". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2021-06-11. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  13. ^ "N.W.A". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
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  15. ^ a b c "The 30 best G-Funk tracks of all time". Fact Magazine. 2016-07-26. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
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  21. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  22. ^ "National Recording Registry Class Produces Ultimate 'Stay at Home' Playlist". Library of Congress. March 25, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
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  25. ^ "Ice Cube - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  26. ^ "Ice Cube has launched a charity clothing range to support autism". Fact Magazine. 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
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  28. ^ "Snoop Dogg - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  29. ^ "Snoop Dogg - Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  30. ^ "It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa - Eazy-E | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  31. ^ "Eazy-E". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  32. ^ "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  33. ^ Sacha Jenkins, Elliott Wilson, Gabe Alvarez, Jeff Mao & Brent Rollins, eds., Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2014), p 237.
  34. ^ a b "Warren G - Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  35. ^ a b "Warren G - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  36. ^ Aaron, Charles (April 1994). "Hammer". Vibe Vixen. Vibe Media. 2 (3): 99–100. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  37. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash'. "Hammer :: The Funky Headhunter – RapReviews". Retrieved 2021-06-11.
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  44. ^ Allah, Sha Be (2015-12-03). "The Source |Today In Hip Hop History: Tupac's "California Love" Featuring Dr. Dre Turns 20". The Source. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
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  46. ^ "Coolio - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
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  52. ^ https://hiphopdx.com, HipHopDX- (2015-11-05). "Makaveli & Riskie: A Conversation with Death Row Graphic Artist Ronald "Riskie" Brent". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2021-06-12. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  53. ^ "The Story Behind Kendrick Lamar's 'good kid m.A.A.d city'". highsnobiety.com. 16 May 2018.
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