WARREN G (June 2003) | Interview By:  Nima

      Dubcnn.com sat down with "Mr. G-Funk" himself, a pioneer of the G-Funk sound, Warren G! In this exclusive interview, we discuss his past, Death Row, the "Regulate" era, working with 2 Pac, 213, his label situations over the years, plans for the future and much more! We have both the transcript and audio for you to check and feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: nima@dubcnn.com




Huge thanks to Warren G for taking out time to answer the questions fans wanted to know! (Interview was done by phone In June of 2003)

Questions Asked By : Nima

Warren G Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

Warren G Dropped Us A Verse! Check That Here

Full Interview In Audio : Here
 

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dubcnn.com : First, I'd like to know if you were part of a gang, and if yeah which set you claim.

Well, I'll put it to you like this, when I was young, in my teens, that's the life that we grew up in, you know what I'm sayin? You couldn't get around it, you had to be involved in the gang bangin', and the set that I was involved in around that time was Insane Rollin Twenty Crips, back in the day though. Now, I'm a grown man, I got kids and I'm a respectable person and I realise that being involved in shit like that back in the day wasn't good for my health, and it's not good for the teens health today! I think that everybody needs to wake up and see that ain't the life to live and that's not the life you want for you. And I went through a lot of that stuff, jail, sellin' dope, shootin, poppin' guns all that! Shootin at people, people shootin' at me I went through all of that.. And if I could go back and change that shit I'd change it, I'd change it like a motherfucker!


dubcnn.com : How did the group 213 form back in the day?

Well you know, me and Snoop, The Twinz, we was back sellin' candy back in the day, and we used to rap and shit, so we just hung together back then, and then Nate, he played basketball for the church, and he and Snoop linked up playing against each other basketball. Nate was singin at this church, and shit, we just connected all together, we grew up together all our lives, King Parc, and playin' football, playin sports doin' all kinda shit, the gang bang shit we just stuck with each other and Nate could sing, Snoop was rappin' and I was rappin! We just stuck together as a crew all our lives, you know? From elementary!


dubcnn.com : Why didn't ya'll record an album in the early 90's?

We didn't make a album together because we was... Well actually we did a demo together.. And that's one of the things I'ma feature on my website, therealwarreng.com when it's up and running, I got a club that I'm starting, and Ima give away our demo! Our 213 demo back in the day, this was done in like 88, I'ma give it out as a bonus when people join the club along with a T-Shirt, a Key Chain, you know other things that they can't get, and alotta exclusive shit that they wanna see! Remember, THEREALWARRENG.COM!! *laughs*

Anyway, back to that, we was together all our lives man! Back then we had done a demo and we was trying to get put on after we did that! But wasn't nobody tryna hear it! We went to alotta people gettin turned down, dissed, so we just had nowhere to go! So we just let it go on the underground, and then it just started surfacin up in different cities, like it hit Compton, everybody like "who the fuck is 213, who the fuck is Snoop Dogg, who is Warren G, who is Nate Dogg!" It would go to L.A. "who is these niggaz in l.a., who is 213, etc" BAM it hit Pomona, it hit Riverside, it hit allll the cities surrounding, all the hoods, the ghettos, and everybody was wondering like "damn, who the fuck is these niggas??". One day I went to a party that Dre was givin and shit, he said I could come, so I went. Shit, motherfuckers wasn't playin' no music no more, they ran outta music and shit, so I threw our shit in that motherfucker! Then everybody was like "DAMN! Who is that?" And I was like that's Me, Snoop and Nate! That's us, who I've been tellin' ya'll about, and Dre was in there he was givin the party for his homeboy named L.A. Dre and they was like "who is this?" I was like "Dre, this is me, Snoop and Nate this is what I've been trying to tell you about!!!!!" He's like "Check this out, ya'll niggas come to the studio Monday." So he gave me the number to the studio, and I go back and I holla at Snoop. We was goin' at it at that time, so he was mad at me, I was mad at him, but I was like fuck that, I called Snoop and I was like "Snoop, I know you mad at me I'm mad at you, whatever, but I got some good news for us. Dre wanna hook up with us on Monday in the studio!" He was like "Fuck you nigga I'm hangin up!" And he didn't believe me so I called him back I'm like "SNOOP CUZZ I'm not playin man! We can call the nigga right now!" and he wanted me to call him. So I called the nigga and Dre picked up, they put him on the phone I'm like "Dre, I got Snoop on the phone man he don't believe that you want us to come up there!" So he was like yeah, he wants us to come up there, and shit, it's been on ever since! That's when they started workin, that's when they came up with that Deep Cover "187 On A Undercover Cop!" they came up with that, and then the Chronic, we started workin' on the Chronic, and then motherfuckers blew up! And then I felt kinda bad because I wasn't really involved in alotta shit that was goin' on, so I just started doin' my own thang you know? I looked at it as if DJ Quik rappin', my brother rappin' and I can rap plus I'm a DJ and I can produce, so I might as well do my own album since niggas ain't really lettin me get involved in the program that was goin' on, so I was like Fuck it i'll do my own motherfuckin thang! So I went and did my own thang and came up with Regulate, I came up with This DJ and all these other hot ass songs, and just put that shit on the demo, and I did Indo Smoke actually, and that's the one that opened the doors for me. that was with me and Mista Grimm, and I gave that to Paul Stewart and John Singleton, and the motherfuckers got it and just lost it! And it took off, it was hot! Everybody was goin' bezerk! I mean that's what kinda set it off man, it was big man, and I'm still doin' hot shit, I'm gettin' ready to drop a EP!


dubcnn.com : Yeah, we'll come to that later..

Yeah, I'ma drop a EP, it's off the chains, the G-Files EP, I'ma keep droppin' those back to back, it ain't gone stop it ain't like I'ma just give you these and it's gone stop! Nah, it's gone keep movin'! All I gotta do is therealwarreng.com! Real shit!


dubcnn.com : Although you are Dr. Dre's step brother, you always seemed to be a bit in the background with the DPG's, how come?

Uhh, shit I ain't in the background I just don't get up all in the limelight you know? And as far as when people say me and Dre step brothers, yeah we step brothers, but we been together all our life so I don't look at it like that and I'm pretty sure he don't look at it like that. It's all good, we brothers!


dubcnn.com : Why was your verse taken' off "Let's Play House" off Dogg Food?

Why? I ain't had nothin' to do with that, I guess they felt it wasn't tight enough. But I didn't care I'm Warren G! The Regulator!


dubcnn.com : How was your relation with Suge in the early days?

Well I don't have a relationship with Suge, you know what I'm sayin? And I don't really speak about him, he's a grown man I'm a grown man, he do what he do, I do what I do, I ain't gone sit up here and get on no interview and talk shit about the nigga cause he ain't done shit to me! I don't fuck wit the nigga he don't fuck wit me! I ain't gonna get on no motherfuckin record talkin' shit about him, I'ma continue pushin' and move on, live my life and do what I gotta do on my own! I ain't gone get to talkin shit about him, I'm a grown man he's a grown man!


dubcnn.com : Were you offered a deal by Death Row Records back in the day?

Well, not really *laughs* Like I said I wasn't involved in the program, so I had to dip and do what I had to do! My brother told me "You need to go on and be your own man" so that's what I did! I went on and became my own man in this business and I been like that ever since, on my own! But I love these niggas, I love Dre, I love Snoop, I love The Dogg Pound, these is MY niggas, I put these niggas in the game, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Daz, Kurupt, RBX you know what I'm sayin? I put these niggas in the game! Can't nobody say nothin' or deny that, and I've done alotta shit that niggas don't know about, but it's all good! It's all good...


dubcnn.com : Your song Regulate made you a superstar, do you think you could have made it without it?

Without Regulate? Hell yeah!! This DJ was better than Regulate! Hell yeah! Everybody love This DJ better than Regulate!


dubcnn.com : Do you think it would have blown up the same way?

Yup! I guarantee it would have! Because it's something that everybody can relate to. It's something that you can relate to, it's something that the hood can relate to, AND white people out in the suburbs, you know? It's kinda easy when you listen to the G-Dubb sound, Pioneer speakers bumpin' as I smoke on a pound, I got that sound and it's easy to see, and it's plain simple that this DJ IS Warren G. Goddamnit! *laughs*


dubcnn.com : When did you realise you had spelt "Next" wrong on your track "What's Next"?

You know what? I was freestylin, I heard the shit and I just said FUCK IT! I'ma leave that shit like that, it's different, it's crazy, I'm just freestylin any motherfuckin way, I freestyled that whole verse! So it didn't really matter, I just was havin' fun, and the shit became huge! People love it! *laughs* It was just a fuckin freestyle! I was fucked up, niggas know how it is when you freestylin. Also I will have a live freestyle chatroom on my website therealwarreng.com too, so don't forget to let these people know that. And that's part of the club! AND I'ma be on every Wednesday, I'ma be online live, because i'ma give these fans Warren G. Anything you wanna ask me, I'll be on that motherfucker every Wednesday, when I open up my club on therealwarreng.com, you can ask me about the industry, whatever you wanna know, I can show you the pro's and cons, all of that! So I'm really trying to let people feel Warren G, to feel me for real! And if I get a million fans, I'ma try my best to talk to every one of them! And that's real shit, you know? So they'll see, therealwarreng.com, it's comin' up, so ya'll get ready! Are the people gone be able to here me sayin' this?


dubcnn.com : Yeah!

So ya'll get ready to join it, it's worth every penny, cause I'ma give ya'll some real raw shit, you know what I'm sayin? And I'ma have DVDs, T-Shirts, 213 Watches, the whole nine, it's off the hook, I got a whole line of shit comin' up there for the internet world, cause ya'll showed me alotta support. And I have gotten 500,000 hits since I just said a little bit on Daz's website! So I hope I can a million to 500,000 fans up there to talk to me! Ya'll need to come talk to me, once I open up this door, therealwarreng.com, ya'll gotta come in and you got to feel me, cause it's gonna be big! You can ask me anything! I'm like the Montell Williams of the internet! Ya'll can talk to me, it's not like you gone be talkin' to somebody else, you gonna get ME, you're not gonna get no fake shit, you gonna get WARREN G, that's real! So ya'll get ready for that shit, therealwarreng.com, some motherfucker stole my name warreng.com, but I started therealwarreng.com. It's gettin ready to be up and runnin, ya'll check for that shit, I'm tellin you it's gone be hot!


dubcnn.com : The duo Nate Dogg and Warren G is amongst the best in the industry..

THE BEST combination in the industry, alotta people trying to do it right now they usin' my guide but they can't do it better than Warren G. Everybody got my guide on book you know what I'm sayin'? But I'll tell Nate, go get your paper, you got to do it man, and blow up! But watch when we drop this 213, it's off the chain, Warren G, Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg!


dubcnn.com : Did you and Nate ever think of makin' an album together?

We talked about it a couple times, and the way I feel right now is after we do this 213 record, me and Nate probably will do a Regulators album together!


dubcnn.com : What happened between you and Mista Grimm back then? Cause you mentioned him in your song "Do You See"...

I mean we kinda fell out you know? But Mista Grimm is my nigga, I fuck wit him, I talk to him everyday! But we just fell out, we wasn't agreeing on alotta thangs, he didn't want... You know Nate is my homeboy. And he didn't want Nate to come alotta places and I couldn't have that, cause Nate is MY nigga. I mean you my nigga too but I grew up with Nate cuz, I can't sell my nigga out to go do this and do that! So I had to just cut it loose for a minute, but I still got love for him to this day! Ain't no love lost you know? We just had to get it all together, but now he still doin' his thang, the nigga is hot, Mista Grimm is hot, man you talkin' bout a nigga thats underground and that ain't out there? Woooo that guy is vicious!


dubcnn.com : Do you know why his album never came out?

He just wasn't dealin' wit the right company. If the right company gets up under him, Wooooooooooooo!!! I been trying to help him out, and I am gone help him. Wooooooo, that guy's hot! Woooooo, had to do it once more *laughs* THEREALWARRENG.COM!!!! THEREALWARRENG.COM IT'S GONE BE OFF THE HOOK! Woooooooooooooooooooo!! Yup!


dubcnn.com : How long has DJ Rectangle been your DJ?

Uhhh, he's been wit me for uhh shit, 11 years? 10 years?


dubcnn.com : Cool, how did ya'll hook up?

Shit, actually I went to New York and I had a DJ contest to get me a DJ, cause I was goin' on tour. Shit, we did a DJ contest at the palladium and a gang of motherfuckers was up there doin' their goddamn thang but this motherfuckin white boy came up on that motherfucker and ate everybody up! And I was like GODDAMN I have to have this dude! Then come to find out the motherfucker is damn near from Long Beach! He in Bellflower that's 2 minutes from Long Beach! I'm like ain't this a bitch! *laughs* So we hooked up man, and it's been on ever since! And he STILL wants to do it, he's still the dopest to me in the game. On that DJing tip, can't nobody see him! I guarantee it, tell me who, and I'll put up $200,000!


dubcnn.com : You hooked up with Jayo Felony on your second album.. Any chance of seeing that again?

Shit I just gotta get in contact with Jayo, I'm pretty sure he's wit it! So all I gotta do is contact him, we can do a song that's nothin!


dubcnn.com : The Twinz, The Dove Shack, 5 Footaz, Reel Tight, and Warren G used to be a kind of clique... Is that still true today?

Actually, I mean I'm just trying to do my own thang right now, I still talk to the 5 Footaz, I still talk to Reel Tight, I still talk to everybody, but we older now, everybody wants to do their own thang you know? And that's cool with me, cause I ain't the type of nigga to hold anybody up under some paper work, if you don't wanna be with me, I'll let you go! That simple. Cause I don't wanna hold your life up, I ain't that typa person, I'll let you go. So everybody is doin their own thing, I got a few things I'm trying to do outside... I'm putting together some thangs, I can't really let it all out right now, but I got an RnB artist comin outta on Elektra Records, his name is Joonie, he's gonna be comin in fall, this guy is the new D'Angelo, this guy is incredible man! Joonie, it sounds futuristic don't it?


dubcnn.com : Yeah!

It IS futuristic, this dude is the future, this dude is incredible. I can't wait, I'm so pumped up I can't wait for ya'll to hear this dude, he is SICK! And not rapping, this dude is a vocalist! He produces his own music, writes his own music, it's sick! Be lookin out for that, G-Funk Entertainment, got Joonie coming off of Elektra Records, it's incredible. So you gone play this shit live on the site?


dubcnn.com : Yeah people will be able to read the transcript and listen to the audio too.

Man you gotta let all this audio go man!


dubcnn.com : Hell yeah. What do you think of Foesum?

Foesum is tight man! They some dudes from back in Long Beach, they the Twinz
cousins! I think they're a good group, I like them!


dubcnn.com : Would you hook up with them again?

Yeah! Shit I mean I have no problem with that!


dubcnn.com : What happened to Mr. Malik? Are you still in contact with him?

I really don't know.. I mean I ain't seen Malik in so long man, I really couldn't tell you! We lost contact with each other. I had his number but.. I was just down in Atlanta, I heard he lived in Atlanta, I was hopin that he would come up to the radio station and come holla at me you know what I'm sayin?


dubcnn.com : The Twinz Conversation album is a classic record, would you be involved in their new one?

Uhh I mean, I'm pretty sure I'll be on there! It's all good, their my niggas!


dubcnn.com : Yeah I heard they're on DPG Recordz.

Yeah, yeah they on DPG. It's all good, I'll do something for them, they're my guys!


dubcnn.com : What is the main difference between making music in '93 and now?

I'm more advanced now that I was in 93. I know a lot more, and alotta newer technologies came out, like Pro Tools, now you don't even need no Reel to record, even though recording on a reel brings a more warmer sound, the Pro Tools ain't no joke! I like the Pro Tools, you know what I'm sayin? Its just totally different man, the technologies changed. But as far as me, I still use live music, I ain't gone never change that, because that's G-Funk, that's Warren G, that's the G-Funk I started. Warren G-Funk.


dubcnn.com : Will you continue to come with the G-Funk sound or are you planning to change anything?

Most definitely! I'm not changing my sound for nobody! I'm one of the dopest
producers in the game! The most underrated, but can't none of them see me!


dubcnn.com : The fans told me to tell you that you should keep it G-Funk for ever, and not do no mainstream shit.

Right, I'ma keep it G-Funk, they know that!


dubcnn.com : How many songs did you record with 2Pac?

Nope, I don't got none, but it's all good! But I DID do alotta stuff with 2Pac, I did Definition of a thug nigga. I produced that. I produced How Long Will They Mourn Me. I produced Lie 2 Kick It. I produced You Gotta Get Yours I Gotta Get Mine. I did those.


dubcnn.com : And how was it like workin with him?

2Pac was incredible man, he was down to earth, real, and just an incredible worker! He was a hard worker. When I wasn't nothin', I was NOTHING back in the days, I was trying to get put on. This dude calls me at 10 o'clock at night, I'm layin' on the floor at my sisters house, no money, glasses on with tape on the side, I got a needle trying to hold on a arm, I'm in a house on the floor. He calls me 10 o'clock at night, tells me "Warren I need a beat!" Cause he heard how I did Indo Smoke, so he knew I could do tight ass beats, so I rushed up to the studio with a '45 on my hip, went into the studio, I told him what I was goin' through and how the game was and how bad I felt that I wasn't on Death Row. I was fucked up about that shit, I was really fuckin mad! I had a '45 on my hip, with a sweatshirt on and some levi's and some Allstars, and I came up there and I told him exactly what I was goin through, he listened to what I said, turned around and wrote
Definition Of A Thug Nigga. And then Lil Syke, Big Syke and all of them and Mack 10, another Mack 10, not the Mack 10 that's out now, but another Mack 10 from 87th, they came in cause their homeboy had got smoked in Detroit, Nakato. Tupac said Warren you got a beat? We did How Long Will They Mourn Me. And I told 2Pac, you know what? Nate Dogg would sound TIGHT on this motherfucker. So I called Nate, and told him 2Pac wants him to come and do this hook. Nate came over there and layed that bitch down. Hit record! And that was like some of my first studio experiences. Like with that shit then, them niggas had bitches in the studio, they had a gang of fine ass hoes in the fuckin studio, I was like GOD DAMN! and they was on my line, and I had some tore up ass glasses on with a nappy ass head *laughs* But it's all good.. I got a picture too I'ma put it on the internet, back in the day, how I looked. *laughs* Wow when I was strugglin, I didn't have money and I was just trying to get in the game, I got a picture of myself, on the floor, with my turntables and my drum machine, and my mixer, samplin and makin
beats in the headphones. I got a picture of myself. I looked at that picture and said Oh My God! I was tore up! And I changed my life around man, and I'ma still tryna change it, I'm trying to get bigger, I ain't trying to go down, I'm trying to get bigger!


dubcnn.com : Will your track with TQ called "Our Life" ever be released?

That's not up to me, that's up to TQ and Damion Young, you know? But it's all good!


dubcnn.com : What happened to your label, G-Funk music?

It's G-Funk Entertainment now. It's off the chains, my first artist off G-Funk Entertainment is Joonie. It's R&B.


dubcnn.com : And who else is on there?

Right now it's just me and Joonie. I got alotta other artists that I'm checkin out right now, that I'm trying to set it off for, you'll be lookin it's off the chains! On Joonies album we got Angie Stone, Mos Def, we got myself, it's alotta R&B, dope R&B producers that was involved in that record, Warren Campbelle, ya'll gotta check for that man. I'm just trying to be in both styles, I'm not trying to be just strictly Hip-Hop as far as a company, I wanna do R&B and Hip Hop and any other style, Reggae, any of that. It's a slow pace, but you gotta be careful when you startin a label, you don't wanna get 15, 20 artists up under your label and you can't do shit for them. So I take it step by step man, that's why I took it step by step with Joonie, he's up and he's ready to start running, so now it's time for
me to go on to the next, and I got a few others in mind that I think is dope as fuck, thats doper than a motherfucker! That I'm ready to go and put some shit together and make it happen for them too. I don't only just rap and produce, I help careers get up and running too, and I've done that. With basically all of the West Coast except for Dre.. and Eazy. I put the rest of these dudes in the game, I don't know if anybody knows that, but hey, you know it now!


dubcnn.com : How come you and Dr. Dre never had a duo together?

Uhm, I don't know, you got to ask Dre that man! I can't call that one!


dubcnn.com : I heard he was in the OG version of "Lookin' At You"...

He was on that.. He was on there, but I guess Jimmy Iovine didn't agree with it, so I guess he had to take it off!


dubcnn.com : But why wouldn't he agree with it??

I don't know man! I couldn't tell you, I ain't in Jimmy Iovine's head! You know? I can't call that one, ya'll hit Jimmy Iovine up and tell him that. How come you did that? We wanna hear Warren G and Dr. Dre together. You gotta hit them and let them know ! And that question right there, that's HUGE! Man that's something ya'll need to ask Dre! Cause my decision has always been a yay, not a nay! *laughs* So you can ask Dre that all day! That's what you guys have to do, ask Dre. I just be myself man, I just continue to stay Warren G, I ain't gone change! And I'ma still continue to bring you hot music not matter what! If it's independent, or if it's with a major company! But it looks like these major companies right now ain't really doin' it. The independent game is what is taking over. So I don't really give a fuck about no major so they can deny me all they want!


dubcnn.com : How come you weren't on Chronic 2001?

Once again, you got to ask Dre that man!


dubcnn.com : I mean you were in the booklet, but not on the CD.

You gotta ask Dre that man! They could have called me and said Warren come up we want you on there! You gotta ask him that, I didn't know when they were in the studio doin' certain songs, I wasn't there!


dubcnn.com : Damn, he's your step brother after all! It's kinda weird that there isn't much contact..

Hey well that's something you got to ask Dre I keep tellin' you *laughs* Ay I don't know why! Shit, that's something you need to ask him man! I can't call it! Only he can tell you.


dubcnn.com : Were you dissapointed by the sales of Return Of The Regulator?

Oh yeah I was really disappointed, and that album is incredible, it's a dope fuckin' album! The problem was Universal. They was just some fucked up label towards Warren G, they was fucked up! They didn't push my shit right, how the fuck you get a Dr. Dre single, and don't push the motherfucker, and then you get a second single, with Stevie Wonder on the motherfucker, and you don't push it! Alll the motherfuckers who I asked what was happenin, they told me when Universal brought my record, they would bring 35 fuckin different records along with my record! And so radio stations and DJ's and shit were just like everytime they saw Universal comin' they was like "Fuck them! We ain't fuckin with none of ya'll shit, cause all ya'll do is bring us like 35, 40 records and expect us to play the motherfucker" So hey, but don't trip, I'm gettin ready to put it down myself independently, I got the G-Files, it's gettin ready to come out, EP, it's off the chains, Ima keep droppin these EP's for ya'll, and it's gone be tight!


dubcnn.com : Damone had a tight verse on the intro of your album. Are you still working with him?

Damone.. That's one of my guys. That's one of them up and coming dudes I was
tellin you about.


dubcnn.com : He was tight!

He's real tight!


dubcnn.com : So what can we expect from him in future?

Shit, you can expect... *laughs* He's off the chains.. He's gettin ready to do the MTV thing again man, you seen that? He was on Making Of The Band, with Puffy, he gettin' ready to do part 2. So be checkin' for that too.


dubcnn.com : You had Butch Cassidy on the album, do you know what Butch is currently up to?

Well Butch Cassidy is signed to Universal. I hooked that up, he's signed to
Kevin Law at Universal.


dubcnn.com : I thought they suck!

They DO suck! But that was before we found out they suck...


dubcnn.com : But do you have faith in his album seeing the light of day on Universal?

Yeah, I hope!!


dubcnn.com : You signed to Artist Direct... Are you still with them?

Uhh naw, I'm gettin' ready to do my thang independently..


dubcnn.com : But what happened?

I mean they had financial issues, and it ain't workin out! They had financial issues.. It's not gone work out. I can't be with a company that ain't got no money! I respect the CEO 100%, he's incredible but... Actually I wasn't signed to Artist Direct, I was signed to Eye Music, and they financial situation is not all the way together, so I gotta move on man. I'd rather be free than stuck on a company that ain't got no money to push me!


dubcnn.com : You were supposed to drop a LP, called G-Files: Case No. 213..

Yeah now I'm droppin' a G-Files EP!


dubcnn.com : Why did you choose a EP over a LP?

I'ma drop a EP to give ya'll a taste! It don't matter as long as the shit is dope you know what I'm sayin? Ice Cube did it! It's the same type of shit, Puffy did it, Warren G is gonna do it! Thing with me is that I'ma try to drop a EP every month for my club members.


dubcnn.com : Will we see a full lengh album too?

Of course!


dubcnn.com : When?

*laughs* I can't tell you everything that's goin on right now, there's negotiations being done as we speak!


dubcnn.com : Well negotiations about what?

Negotiations! Once the negotiations is over, I'ma tell you where I'ma be at,
but I'ma still gonna be doin it independently too!


dubcnn.com : Will you be producing the whole EP?

Oh yeah.


dubcnn.com : Who do you have on there as far as guest appearances?

Oh guest appearances by Nate Dogg, Xzibit, Knoc-Turn'Al, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre,
RBX... It's family!


dubcnn.com : Sounds tight! When is it coming out?

I'm lookin at early July, but I can't tell you exactly what the day is, because we still gettin everythang together. But you'll know!


dubcnn.com : It's independent.. DPG Recordz?

Nah, G-Funk Entertainment, and therealwarreng.com!


dubcnn.com : And will you have any distribution for it?

Yes.


dubcnn.com : ....?


*laughs* Look man, like I told you I'm in negotiations *laughs*. I don't wanna
say nothing until it's final, it's gone happen, but I can't really tell you until it's all the way final.


dubcnn.com : What does the EP sound like?

It's G-Funk man! It's smooth, deep bass, you got club shit, it's off the chains man, G-Funk! G-Funk ain't just smooth, G-Funk has got ruff shit too.


dubcnn.com : How is your relation with Daz?

Me and Daz got a good relationship! I taught him how to work the drum machine, I started him off producing! I think he's a very talented guy, and he's got a big future, AND he's the king of the independent right now!


dubcnn.com : Is it true that you and Daz produced songs on Doggystyle / Chronic that you didn't get credit for?

Uhh, I didn't produce nothing on Doggystyle, I rapped on Doggystyle, and that was Ain't No Fun. As far as on the Chronic, I'm not trying to take no credit away from nobody, I was involved in the Chronic, Daz was invovled in the Chronic, Chris Glove was involved in the Chronic, Dr. Dre was involved in the Chornic, all of us producers together as one, but Dre is a genius, I'll never try and take no credit away from Dr. Dre! But what we did help out on the Chronic, WITH Dre. The niggas a genius man, he's a genius!

dubcnn.com : I think the majority of the people have been waiting for a 213 album since The Chronic. Is it dropping this year for sure?

Yes, it's definitely gone drop. Right now the negotiations is closing, but we already did 30 songs. And actually this week me and Nate is gonna continue finishing up on songs while Snoop is on tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.


dubcnn.com : When is it gonna come out?

We're lookin at the 4th Quarter, but you know how things change in the music business. It could be 4th Quarter, and then if it don't happen in the 4th Quarter.. because in order to drop it late this year, we'd have to drop a single this summer, so we trying to set all that up right now. Hopefully we can drop a single and get it movin this summer around August, September we can hit ya'll with our first single, that's gone be definitely hot, we just gotta get our warm up record off the ground right now. Once we do that, it's on!


dubcnn.com : Some real hardcore fans of yours are really worried about the 213 album as there's rumours of a lot of other Producers. Why don't you guys strictly put people from LBC on there, as it's a 213 album after all.

Uhh, well ya'll gotta holla at ya boy Snoop Dogg on that one. Snoops sayin' he wants to get other producers beats right now just to go with it. So Ima roll with the program, BUT you WILL, don't let that get all the way twisted, Warren G will be doing tracks on this album. Trust, we gone give them us.


dubcnn.com : How many tracks do you think you will produce?

Shoot.. uhh.. I'm not exactly sure, it's gone be hot though! Don't trip!


dubcnn.com : Do you think you'll be doing more than half of it?

That right there, once again it's gotta be agree'd with by everybody in the group. And right now I'm just rolling with the program but you WILL hear alotta Warren G produced tracks on the 213 album. Trust me. And what I want ya'll to do is, I don't know how ya'll could hit Snoop, but ya'll should tell him what you're tellin me!


dubcnn.com : Bad Azz told me it sounds like the old shit, reminds him of Murder Was The Case... do you agree with that?

Actually, nobody really heard it. Bad Azz probably heard a couple songs, but he ain't heard all of it. We got some tight shit!!!


dubcnn.com : Can you tell me about your shit on there?

Let me give you a little sample of my sound, this is from the EP. *plays 3 songs*


dubcnn.com : Knoc-Turn'Al said the Raphael Saadiq cut was supposed to be the first single of your record..

That ain't the first single though..


dubcnn.com : That's what he said..

You know that's my guy, I haven't decided on the first single yet.


dubcnn.com : Are you going to have a single for the EP too?

Yeah I'ma have one! Those were songs that's gone be on the EP! That was Warren G the G-Files right there!!!!


dubcnn.com : Have ya'll chosen the first single for 213 yet?

Nah we haven't, we're still workin' on it man, you know?


dubcnn.com : But it will be with a video and all right?

Oh yeah!


dubcnn.com : Who did ya'll get to feature on there?

Uhhh, I mean we gone have Dr. Dre for sure, basically we gone try and keep it strictly 213, we might have Eminem on there, we might have 50 Cent on there.. We not trying to cluster our album with a gang of people. We gonna give them 213!


dubcnn.com : Why don't ya'll make it without ANY guest appearances? Strictly Nate Dogg, Warren G and Snoop Dogg.

Well FUCK guest appearances then! *laughs*


dubcnn.com : I mean you got 3 people, a singer, a producer and two rappers, what else do you want?

Man I feel the same way, so when you get at Snoop, grill his ass! You tell him the same thing and let him understand that he doesn't need these motherfuckers or need any of that! We 2 1 motherfuckin 3! So you need to get at Snoop and let him know that! I ain't suggesting we do guest appearances, but Dr. Dre DEFINITELY has to be part of it, that guy absolutely has to be a part of it.


dubcnn.com : But if Snoop Dogg doesn't listen to Warren G, why should he listen to a guy callin' him up to do a interview?

Nah he'll listen to ya! That's what it takes to get him goin'! So far we don't have no guest appearances, we done 30 songs with no guest appearances, so it might turn out like that anyway! But Dr. Dre will be part of it, I can tell you that!


dubcnn.com : Do you think it will have major commercial success and sell a lot?

We gone have incredible success. Cause this has never been done before and
people have been waiting for this. This is what it's all about! This is us, you know what I'm sayin? I think it will be one of the biggest hiphop records ever.


dubcnn.com : It should have happened 10 years ago though.

It should've! Well see that's what ya'll should explain to Suge Knight and Death Row. If they was thinkin like that back then it would have happened, BUT, since everybody is clear and on they own now, it can happen!


dubcnn.com : Is there any chance of hearing the old unreleased material such as the song "LB Is A Muthafucka"?

Like I told you, I'ma send you guys, when you join therealwarreng.com club, you will get our demo! You hear me? I'm gone send ya'll the demo, and that's got Long Beach is a muthafucka on it! Along with other shit.


dubcnn.com : So you still got the masters and all.

C'mon man! I got it on CD!


dubcnn.com : Send me one already!

*laughs* I'ma send you one, but that's part of joining the club! It doesn't cost a lot..


dubcnn.com : How much?

20 dollars maybe? You think that's a lot?


dubcnn.com : Not at all, for all the stuff you get!

Shit, you get a demo from 213, Key chain, T-Shirt, you get to go on live chats, all of that!


dubcnn.com : You should release a double disc.. CD1 new shit, CD2 old shit!

It can't be a double disc cause we didn't do that many songs...


dubcnn.com : You can make CD 1 the new album, and CD 2 just a couple unreleased tracks!

I'ma give away the unreleased shit, and then I'ma give away some shit that they ain't never heard from me! It's therealwarreng.com man, and /213.


dubcnn.com : Will you be producing any tracks for Nate Dogg's new album?

Uhh, yes. Most definitely.


dubcnn.com : Nate's album has been delayed since February.. any idea of when it's coming?
He'll probably drop after we do this 213 album.


dubcnn.com : That's a long time!

Nah that ain't long..


dubcnn.com : It is! It's like 6 months!

Well he's ready to go, so he might drop this summer man! I'd have to talk to his company to see when he's gone come.


dubcnn.com : You're full LP will not be coming before 213 is it?

Nah, the full LP is gone come after the 213 album. My full LP. That's gone come afterwards.


dubcnn.com : Will the song "There She Goes" with you and DJ Quik be on Nate's record?

Damn I didn't even know ya'll got it, let me hear it! I know I did one, but I don't remember it...


dubcnn.com : *plays song* We only have a snippet, but that song is amazing!

Yeah.. that shit's tight.


dubcnn.com : Any chance of you and DJ Quik working together some more in future?

Uhh, we'll probably do something, yeah! On my LP, when I drop the LP..


dubcnn.com : What do you think of Bone Thugs N Harmony? Would you work with them?

I like them!


dubcnn.com : Would you work with them?

Yeah I would, it's up to them!


dubcnn.com : Have you ever out-smoked Snoop?

We went neck and neck in New York one time.. We were in the studio with Puffy. We went neck and neck everybody else was sleeping, me and him was still smoking!


dubcnn.com : How many instruments do you play?

Shit I can play the keyboards.. I ain't a super duper keyboard player, like Chuckey Booker, but the keyboard, I play the trumpet a little bit.. But my instruments is the turntables and the drum machine. They're my serious instruments.


dubcnn.com : What do you do in your spare time?

Chill with my kids, just kick it with the family and shit.. That's about it! I'm playin' in a basketball league right now, and we lost yesterday.. I'm mad as a motherfucker because of that.. We lost, but hey it happens! So yeah I just like to do stuff like that, play basketball, football, play video games and shit.. Just have fun man, I wanna have fun, I wanna jet ski!


dubcnn.com : When you look back, are you happy with your albums and the way your career has been going?

I'm very happy with the way my career has been going, because now I own everything. I own Warren G, don't nobody have control of my shit but me! You understand what I'm sayin? I own my publishing catalogue! There's very few
artists in the industry that own they're publishing catalogue, I own mine. So everything I do, it comes to ME! And not no fuckin' record company.


dubcnn.com : That's important, huh?

That's VERY important, cause that's your life! That's how you make a living. I'll be giving ya'll the real when I do my club though, I need to talk to my club members, I need 100,000 to 500,000 members to make this thang really crack!


dubcnn.com : How often do you go back to visit Long Beach?

I go visit Long Beach every other day.


dubcnn.com : Has it changed a lot since you grew up there?

Uhh, it changed a lot, I mean a lot of the kids I used to see as babies is grown now! So that kinda freaks me out, makes me feel like I'm old and I ain't even old! *laughs* God damn, the youngsters is BIG now, it's trippin me out! And they come to me and tell me like "yeah I remember I was a little baby and you did this and you did that for me" and they remember that shit, they'll never forget it!


dubcnn.com : How can independent artists hook up to collaborate with you?

What they can do is, I'll have a contact number on therealwarreng.com and they can just hit that and leave a message.. I ain't gone charge the motherfucker a whole lot, but I do have to get paid.. I'm givin up discounts.


dubcnn.com : How much do you charge for a beat or 16 bars?

I mean.. 16 bars.. If I know they're strugglin artists and they're trying to make it happen for themselves, I'll help them out, I can't really get all into the numbers, but I mean I really look out for them. It'll be damn near free, I'm a cool motherfucker now, but I can't just give it all up, sell myself short. Now as far as beats, if they strugglin of whatever, it can go from anywhere from 8 to 25, depending on who it is.


dubcnn.com : What advice can you give up and coming rappers / producers?

This is all realwarreng.com shit now man! *laughs* It's all good.. I mean the advice I can give them is just be yourself. Be yourself, be yourself, be yourself, be yourself! Hold on, I got my little son right here he's got a message for ya'll.


dubcnn.com : Aight

Warren's Son : The real Warren G off the hook!

Warren : Put that audio on there too! Say it again, the real warren g is off
the hoook.

Warren's Son : The real Warren G off the hook! Come join my daddy's club!

Warren : That's my son... He's 4 years old..


dubcnn.com : That's sweet! Yeh I'll put that on there. You hire other rappers to write your rhymes, how come?

I mean, you can always use help. I ain't never gone say I don't need no help. Everybody needs help. That's real.


dubcnn.com : Where do you see yourself in 10 years and what do you want to have achieved by then?

I see myself up at the top, one of the biggest dudes in the game. I wanna be able to help people jump start their careers and make it happen for them.


dubcnn.com : How many unreleased songs do you have?

I got a lot of them I just gotta pull them up outta the 8 decks back in the day...


dubcnn.com : Any chance of making a "Lost Tapes" record in future?

Yeah, I'm think about doin' that!


dubcnn.com : You recently released your own line of speakers and amps. What pushed you to do that?

You know because I do music, so why not get invovled in something that gots something to do with music in the electronic world! Why not do a Warren G speaker so ya'll music can come right up outta my speakers! And my speakers is off the hook! JVC, the Warren G series, and I got amps! 10's, 12's, and I got 4 channel and 2 channel amps.


dubcnn.com : How did the deal with JVC happen?

My uncle, he knows some peopel who was involved in it, so they worked the
deal out and it happened, you know what I'm sayin! I mean I do Hip Hop, So
why not have it come out through my speakers, you know what I'm sayin?


dubcnn.com : How much money are you making off it?

Everything is all fresh right now. Best Buy stores out here in the USA, 600 stores picked up my speaker lines, so that's huge, and then you got other stores who picked up the line, so it's gone be pretty big, but as far as me talkin about numbers, that ain't even came up yet. This is all still new!


dubcnn.com : How do you feel about the whole Death Row vs DPG situation?

I don't get involved in that shit, I'm too old for that shit. But hey, controversy sells! I don't get involved in none of that shit.. Daz is my people, Snoops my people, and all of the DPG people is my people, but I'm not goin to get involved in what's goin on.. Now if somebody comes fuckin wit Warren G, it's a different story! I'm not gonna bow down to nobody. You can play that! I'm just bein a grown man, a man! But I'm not goin to go nowhere and start no shit, or get on no record and talk about a motherfucker either, or in a magazine, I'm not gone do none of that shit. Long as nobody talks about me, I ain't gone fuck them up or do anything to them. But I'm a cool ass nigga, I'm a cool person, but don't fuck with me.


dubcnn.com : What do you think of Crooked I?

I think he's dope!


dubcnn.com : Would you work with him?

I mean shit, I'm workin on my own stuff, my artists right now, so I can't work wit him..


dubcnn.com : Nah I mean if given the chance, would you produce something for him, or not BECAUSE he's with Tha Row.

I mean, you gotta look at it like this. The dude is hot, I'ma tell you straight up he's hot. But I can't get involved in what's goin on! That's involving myself in what's goin on. And I'm not gonna involve myself in none of that shit because I don't care about it! It ain't got nothin to do with me, I'm a artist, I'm a producer, I got kids, I got a women, I got other shit to think about! I ain't got time to think about that shit, it's not makin me no money! So why the fuck get involved!? Like I said, as long as nobody fucks with me, then I won't say shit or fuck with them! I'm a MAN, I'm not gone let nobody put one hand on my, nobody. And that's for sure, and you're not gonna hear about nobody put no hands on me, but I'm not gonna
start shit with nobody, I ain't gone say shit about any of these niggas, you know?


dubcnn.com : Would you ever work with Kurupt again if given the chance?

Yeah I'll work with Kurupt again! That's my homeboy! I ain't gone be mad at the nigga cause he had to do what he had to do! I got love for the nigga, and I'm pretty sure Snoop still got love for him and Daz and everybody else! The nigga had to do what he had to do, wasn't nobody else trying to help him, so he had to do what he had to do!


dubcnn.com : Daz and Snoop and them sure don't sound like they got love for him, the way they're dissin him though..

I mean controversy sells, like I said. But deep down in they're hearts, I know they got love for Kurupt, you know? Just like Kurupt got love for them! Shit, Snoop and Suge might not even hate each other like people think! You never know! All of this shit man, controversy sells! And to me all of it is controversy, and I stay out of that shit. I don't need the controversy to sell records!


dubcnn.com : I respect that! What's up with you and Baby Ree Entertainment? Will we hear more of you together in future?

Damion Young is a very good friend of mine, and I help him when he needs help! He comes askin me for some help, I'll help him out! Cause I was like that before where I needed help from other people, and I still need help from other people, so I'ma help people out! Everybody needs help man, nobody who they is! Can no motherfucker do shit on they on.


dubcnn.com : The West doesn't seem to be in the fore front of the mainstream anymore while the mid west, east and south all are except for the west why is that?

One, is that everybody's gangbangin on fuckin records. Once everybody stops all this punk ass gang bangin' bullshit, and get back to talkin about real life shit, gang bangin is real life shit, but once niggas get back to talkin about partyin and shit, clubbin and shit, like the niggas from New York doin! The niggas is talkin about clubbin, and havin a good time! Motherfuckers wanna have a good time! They don't wanna feel sad listenin to a record! And then number 2 is Dr. Dre and Snoop and Warren G and Nate Dogg, Daz, Kurupt, we need to come together again and do another motherfuckin record!


dubcnn.com : Do you think that's possible?

Hell yeah it's possible!


dubcnn.com : And do you think it will really happen?

We ain't signed to no motherfuckin body! Everybody's free! It's just that niggas got to get these ego's out the fuckin' way! And they can hate me for sayin this if they want to!


dubcnn.com : But honestly, do you have hope that Dre, Kurupt, Daz, Warren G, Snoop and all of them will be back on a record together?

Hell yeah I got hope, and it's gone happen! It's just alotta ego's is in the way right now, alotta motherfuckers in each others camps that's carrying shit on, you got people that's up under these niggas that's carrying shit back and forth, because they don't wanna loose they're position, they wanna make it seem like they doin something good you know? The Yes-Man is up under these niggas and tells these niggas shit "we heard this nigga said that, we hear he said this" and when this shit keeps goin on, these motherfuckers ain't never gone get their shit together. We need to get these dick-rydin ass Yes-Men up off they're fuckin dicks, we need to get back together, as a crew, and Regulate this shit again! That's all it takes!


dubcnn.com : Are you down with Xzibit?

Yeah I'm cool with Xzibit! I ain't got nothin against him!


dubcnn.com : Cool, I just wanted to clear that up, cause there's been alotta stuff goin on with him and the rest of the crew..

Ain't nothin goin on with them..


dubcnn.com : Are there any plans to do some tours, possibly overseas?

Hell yeah! Shit I can't wait to get back over there! I'll be in that motherfucker don't trip!


dubcnn.com : Everybody says that when you ask them, but it never happens..

Cologne.. and Oslo, Hamburg.. I was in Cologne, and this motherfucker brought some motherfuckin weed that was so god damn purple, I was scared to smoke that shit! That shit was alll purple everywhere! WOoooo


dubcnn.com : To end the interview, we'll do a little word association. I'll give you
words, and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind about it.

Gangbanging : South Central, L.A., Los Angeles, Long Beach, Compton and
Watts.

Suge Knight : Business man.

Bay Area : Hustlas

Ja Rule : Didn't he say Dr. Dre was gay or some shit? Needs to speak for
real..

Crack : Joey *laughs* Fat Joe! Nah.. Crack... uhh "needs to stop"

The rumors of Dre being gay : False.

Dubcnn.com : Off the hook! Givin' you the real!


dubcnn.com : That's it man, I appreciate you takin the time!

No problem, let's make it happen!

dubcnn.com : Peace