| When Long Beach OG rapper Warren G talks about wanting it all, he doesn’t just mean material things. On his album “I Want It All,” the ambitious, Grammy-nominated, platinum-plus performer/producer/actor/businessman makes it a point that rewards come to those who work for them. Given the changes of the last few years, Warren G is one to testify. "Every young person wants it all," he says. "And you don’t have to sell drugs to get it. You have to pay your dues, stay on the right track and master what you want to do. I don’t have everything. Not that I ever expect to get it. But I am in control of my own destiny and that’s the most important thing." Warren G might not have everything, but he’s offering something for everyone on "I Want It All.” Unlike rap’s traditional misogyny, Warren is not afraid to give female artists their own voice, and even tries to argue for male sensitivity. "Even the hardest man has a heart and women shouldn’t take that as a weakness," he explains. "Because game recognizes game." Mack 10 lends his viewpoint to the title track, which slyly criticizes the blind pursuit of riches and living a lifestyle "that Robin Leach talks about." For Warren G aka Warren Griffin III, the hard work he’s put into his career since his days running with the Long Beach Crips and pal Calvin Broadus aka Snoop Dogg (whom he’s known since the sixth grade) has paid off handsomely. After several skirmishes with the law, the two turned to rap music and, along with another friend from the hood, Nate Dogg, formed a hip-hop trio called Three The Hard Way, named for the blaxploitation film, which eventually became 213. The two went on to hook up with Warren’s step-brother, Andre Young aka Dr. Dre, for the groundbreaking, multi-platinum ‘92 classic rap album, "The Chronic." Warren G was signed by Chris Lighty, President of Violator Records. His ‘94 solo debut, “Regulate…G-Funk Era,” introduced the world to Warren G’s influential “Gangsta-Funk,” a seamless blend of old-school R&B and cutting-edge street rap best represented by the album’s chart-topping single, “Regulate," which took its rhythm track from the most unlikely place, ex-Doobie Brother Michael McDonald’s ‘82 A/C hit, "I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” and its plot from an actual averted carjacking he saw on 61st Street in Long Beach. "I had just bought the Michael McDonald album and really liked the soulful beat on that song,” recalls Warren. "So Nate Dogg and I flipped the beat on it and then worked off one another for new lyrics. That’s how the song was created and how my career jump-started.” A follow-up single, “This DJ,” made the Billboard Top Ten as well, helping the album sell more than four million in the U.S. and six million worldwide, earning Warren G a Grammy nomination in the process. Three years later, in ‘97, Warren G’s second album, “Take A Look Over Your Shoulder (Reality)” was released. The first single, a hip-hop cover of Bob Marley’s "I Shot The Sheriff," went gold, followed by "Smokin’ Me Out," featuring Ronald Isley. The album went platinum, selling more than a million copies. Since then, Warren G has stayed busy producing other acts and working on his solo album, but not without his additional interests. He remains active with youth in his Long Beach community, supporting a proposed teen center, speaking at high schools, performing for free at ‘97s Long Beach Public Safety Summit, participating in MTV’s "Rock The Vote" and always trying to employ people from the local neighborhood. Proving hip-hop’s complete renaissance man, Warren’s also acted in a pair of TV shows, "Parenthood" and "Clueless.” During this time, with Def Jam and it’s distributor Polygram eventually sold to Universal Music, Warren saw an opportunity to take control of his destiny: He inked a three-year multimillion dollar, 50-50 joint venture deal with film mogul Arnon Milchan’s New Regency Enterprises and Joe Regis’ affiliated record label, Restless Records for his own G-Funk Millennium 2000 label. The company’s stake in both movies and German-based sports apparel and equipment giant Puma gives Warren G plenty of cross-promotional possibilities. “Restless and I clicked from the beginning," says Warren. "They allow me artistic freedom. I’m stepping it up and I’m changing it up, offering up some new styles,” says Warren G about his latest incarnation. "I haven’t reached my peak yet. I want it all, not just for me, but for my family and friends, for those around me." |
