Exclusive: Warren G On New Documentary “G Funk”: “It’s Showing Them Their History”

NAPA, CA – MAY 26: Warren G attends a Culinary event during the 2018 BottleRock Napa Valley at Napa Valley Expo on May 26, 2018 in Napa, California. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

Warren G’s “G Funk” Premieres July 11 On Youtube

West Coast rap icon Warren G is revisiting his hip-hop heyday with a new documentary from Youtube.

Using archival footage and interviews from fellow West Coast rappers, the film, “G Funk” tells the story of Warren G’s life and career in music from his perspective for the first time. Everything from growing up with Snoop Dogg, his evolving relationship with Dr. Dre after his father married Dre’s mother, his ouster from Death Row Records and the stories behind some classic California rap songs are all covered in the no holds barred documentary.

BOSSIP recently sat down with the West Coast rapper and producer to talk about his new film, the story behind his hit song “Regulate,” and his thoughts on hip-hop today.

BOSSIP: The 90s seemed like a surreal time in your life. Tell us about that time.

Warren G: “(I remember) a lot of good music, a lot of fun times, and a lot of difficult times, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. We just told the story how it was.”

BOSSIP: Your song “Regulate” with Nate Dogg, is arguably one of the best-known songs from West Coast rap. Tell us about the story behind “Regulate.”

Warren G: “It was a story. It was some of the things I went through, some of the things my friends went through. It’ about some young men trying to see some beautiful women and all this stuff happened in between. It was a West Side story that ended up good. I didn’t even know ‘Regulate’ was going to be as good as it was. We were trying to be different and tried something called ‘Gansta R&B.’ I told Nate, ‘So you’re going a verse. I do four bars, your do four bars.’… I still get chills when I do that record, it’s such a rush. And the chills, that means that’s a hit. That’s how a lot of that stuff happened.”

INGLEWOOD, CA – APRIL 21: Rapper Warren G performs onstage during the KDay 93.5 Krush Groove concert at The Forum on April 21, 2018 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

BOSSIP: What do you want viewers to take away from this film?

Warren G: “Just to see the things that we went through, the things I went through, my journey in hip-hop, and what it takes for artists become a legend, a superstar. It also gives the new generation who don’t know who Nate Dogg is, who Snoop Dogg is, who DOC is, Ice T – it’s showing them their history.”

BOSSIP: What do you think about hip-hop today?

Warren G: “I like a lot of the rap today, you got a lot of talented artists out there. Some of the guys I dig are Kendrick, J. Cole, I like Drake, Joey Badass. It’s a bunch of guys out there I like, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz – he rolling right in with what’s going on. I like a lot of the artists today, I just ain’t into some of the stupid s**t that be going on, but I’m in the new hip hop world.”