G-funk , short for gangsta funk , (or funk rap ) is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre is heavily influenced by the synthesizer -heavy 1970s funk sound of Parliament-Funkadelic (aka P-Funk), often incorporated through samples or re-recordings. It is represented by commercially successful albums such as Dr. Dre 's The Chronic (1992) and Snoop Dogg 's Doggystyle (1993).
141-477: G-funk, which uses funk with an artificially altered tempo , incorporates multi-layered and melodic synthesizers , slow hypnotic grooves, a deep bass, heavy use of the snare drum, background female vocals, the extensive sampling of P-Funk tunes, and a high-pitched portamento saw wave synthesizer lead. G funk is typically set at between 90 and 100 BPM . The lyrical content depended on the artist and could consist of sex, drug use (especially marijuana ), love for
282-455: A Dorian or Mixolydian mode , as opposed to the major or natural minor tonalities of most popular music. Melodic content was derived by mixing these modes with the blues scale . In the 1970s, jazz music drew upon funk to create a new subgenre of jazz-funk , which can be heard in recordings by Miles Davis ( Live-Evil , On the Corner ), and Herbie Hancock ( Head Hunters ). Funk continues
423-433: A " call-and-response , intertwined pocket." If a band only has one guitarist, this effect may be recreated by overdubbing in the studio, or, in a live show, by having a single guitarist play both parts, to the degree that this is possible. In funk bands, guitarists typically play in a percussive style, using a style of picking called the "chank" or "chicken scratch", in which the guitar strings are pressed lightly against
564-485: A "benchmark album". The album also received some negative criticism. Erlewine mentioned the album did not "surprise or offer anything that wasn't already on The Chronic ". Christopher John Farley noted Snoop Doggy Dogg had little examination over his emotions and feelings. David Browne spoke of "Ain't No Fun", stating it was an example of how "musically artful, yet lyrically repellent, this album can be" and went on to say, "It's easy to be impressed one moment and appalled
705-532: A "black aesthetic" to perform that made use of "colorful and lively exchange of gestures, facial expressions, body posture, and vocal phrases" to create an engaging performance. The lyrics in funk music addressed issues faced by the African American community in the United States during the 1970s, which arose due to the move away from an industrial, working-class economy to an information economy, which harmed
846-550: A "commercial G-funk sheen". The album hit No. 1. In 1997 Warren G released his second album, Take a Look Over Your Shoulder , which peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200; it had two Top-40 singles, a cover of " I Shot the Sheriff " and " Smokin' Me Out ". Although the majority of G-funk music has come out of California , the overall sound has been utilized by additional US rappers and hip-hop groups that were based in other states across
987-447: A "gooey, slurpy, quacky, and syrupy" sound) and imitate keyboard synthesizer bass tones (e.g., the Mutron envelope filter) and overdriven fuzz bass effects, which are used to create the "classic fuzz tone that sounds like old school Funk records". Other effects that are used include the flanger and bass chorus . Collins also used a Mu-Tron Octave Divider , an octave pedal that, like
1128-823: A 'G' Thang ", the Eazy-E diss " Dre Day ", and " Let Me Ride ." 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 in 1993 for selling three-million copies, it has also been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Though G-funk had previously existed, Dr. Dre's The Chronic
1269-460: A Black President be considered in the future. The political themes of funk songs and the aiming of the messages to a Black audience echoed the new image of Blacks that was created in Blaxploitation films, which depicted "African-American men and women standing their ground and fighting for what was right". Both funk and Blaxploitation films addressed issues faced by Blacks and told stories from
1410-555: A Black perspective. Another link between 1970s funk and Blaxploitation films is that many of these films used funk soundtracks (e.g., Curtis Mayfield for Superfly ; James Brown and Fred Wesley for Black Caesar and War for Youngblood ). Funk songs included metaphorical language that was understood best by listeners who were "familiar with the black aesthetic and [black] vernacular". For example, funk songs included expressions such as "shake your money maker", "funk yourself right out" and "move your boogie body". Another example
1551-494: 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 " 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 released their debut album Dogg Food and it debuted at number 1# on the billboard, continuing G-funk's dominance in
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#17328696331261692-694: A Little Bit of Bitch in Him"); clavinet ("Joyful Process", "Up for the Down Stroke", "Red Hot Mama"); Minimoog synthesizer ("Atmosphere", " Flash Light ", "Aqua Boogie", "Knee Deep", "Let's Take It to the Stage"); and ARP string ensemble synth (" Chocolate City ", " Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) ", "Undisco Kidd"). Synthesizers were used in funk both to add to the deep sound of
1833-622: A baritone sax. Horn sections played "rhythmic and syncopated" parts, often with "offbeat phrases" that emphasize "rhythmic displacement". Funk song introductions are an important place for horn arrangements. Funk horn sections performed in a "rhythmic percussive style" that mimicked the approach used by funk rhythm guitarists. Horn sections would "punctuate" the lyrics by playing in the spaces between vocals, using "short staccato rhythmic blast[s]". Notable funk horn players included Alfred "PeeWee" Ellis , trombonist Fred Wesley , and alto sax player Maceo Parker . Notable funk horn sections including
1974-402: A beat so by the time he's finished with the beat, they are ready to hit the booth and start spittin'. To see those young cats – they were all hungry and wanted to make something dope. The atmosphere that was there, you couldn't be wack. Williams said the album was never finished and because of the demand for the record, the distributors insisted the album be completed, otherwise they would cancel
2115-471: A city, love for friends. There was also a slurred "lazy" or "smooth" way of rapping in order to clarify words and stay in rhythmic cadence . 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 and helped distinguish it from the rivaling rap scene on the East Coast. In essence,
2256-417: A clean sound, and given the importance of a crisp, high sound, Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters were widely used for their cutting treble tone. The mids are often cut by guitarists to help the guitar sound different from the horn section , keyboards and other instruments. Given the focus on providing a rhythmic groove, and the lack of emphasis on instrumental guitar melodies and guitar solos , sustain
2397-411: A complex, driving rhythmic feel. Even though some funk songs are mainly one-chord vamps, the rhythm section musicians may embellish this chord by moving it up or down a semitone or a tone to create chromatic passing chords. For example, the verse section of " Play That Funky Music " (by Wild Cherry ) mainly uses an E ninth chord, but it also uses F#9 and F9. The chords used in funk songs typically imply
2538-592: A constant haze of marijuana smoke", such as Parliament's " Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop) ", which includes words such as "bioaquadooloop". The mainstream white listener base was often not able to understand funk's lyrical messages, which contributed to funk's lack of popular music chart success with white audiences during the 1970s. Horn section arrangements with groups of brass instruments are often used in funk songs. Funk horn sections could include saxophone (often tenor sax), trumpet, trombone, and for larger horn sections, such as quintets and sextets,
2679-466: A drum part played by a percussionist , often at slower tempos than other popular music. Funk typically consists of a complex percussive groove with rhythm instruments playing interlocking grooves that create a "hypnotic" and "danceable" feel. It uses the same richly colored extended chords found in bebop jazz, such as minor chords with added sevenths and elevenths, and dominant seventh chords with altered ninths and thirteenths. Funk originated in
2820-443: A gaggle of background singers and rappers, quirky samples, his trademark horror-flick keyboard lines". The Source magazine columnist wrote: "Dre's brand of G-funk may be common now, but it is still painstakingly well-produced". In 2023, former Death Row CEO, Suge Knight, stated that Daz Dillinger had actually produced the album. Snoop Doggy Dogg's lyrics were generally praised by critics, although they caused some controversy. He
2961-418: A half-swung feel), and less use of fills (as they can lessen the groove). Drum fills are "few and economical", to ensure that the drumming stays "in the pocket", with a steady tempo and groove. These playing techniques are supplemented by a set-up for the drum kit that often includes muffled bass drums and toms and tightly tuned snare drums. Double bass drumming sounds are often done by funk drummers with
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#17328696331263102-439: A high degree of anticipation among hip hop for the release of his own solo album. Doggystyle and The Chronic are associated with each other mainly because each prominently featured Snoop Dogg and because both contain G-funk style production from Dr. Dre. The two releases are linked by the high number of vocal contributions from Death Row Records artists, including Tha Dogg Pound , RBX , The Lady of Rage , while both contain
3243-513: A high density of misogyny and profanity in their lyrics. In addition, the two albums are each viewed by critics as early "G-funk classics", and have been described as "joined at the hip". 'Doggystyle' also marked the debut of Death Row vocalist, Nanci Fletcher - the daughter of jazz legend Sam Fletcher . Gangsta rap has been criticized for its extreme lyrics, which are often accused of glamorizing gang violence and black-on-black crime. The Gangsta rappers responded that they were simply describing
3384-409: A horn section is not feasible, a keyboardist can play the horn parts on a synthesizer with brass patches; however, choosing an authentic-sounding synthesizer and brass patch is important. In the 2010s, with micro-MIDI synths, it may even have been possible to have another instrumentalist play the keyboard brass parts, thus enabling the keyboardist to continue to comp throughout the song. Funk bands in
3525-399: A hybrid of electronic music and funk; funk metal ; G-funk , a mix of gangsta rap and psychedelic funk ; Timba , a form of funky Cuban dance music; and funk jam. It is also the main influence of Washington go-go , a funk subgenre. Funk samples and breakbeats have been used extensively in hip hop and electronic dance music . The word funk initially referred (and still refers) to
3666-501: A mixture of thumb-slapped low notes (also called "thumped") and finger "popped" (or plucked) high notes, allowing the bass to have a drum-like rhythmic role, which became a distinctive element of funk. Notable slap and funky players include Bernard Edwards ( Chic ), Robert "Kool" Bell , Mark Adams ( Slave ), Johnny Flippin ( Fatback ) and Bootsy Collins . While slap and funky is important, some influential bassists who play funk, such as Rocco Prestia (from Tower of Power ), did not use
3807-631: A more gangsta image and G-funk sound on his album The Funky Headhunter , which contained the No. 26 single " Pumps and a Bump ". 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, 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
3948-529: A nasty one-fingered melody on an old Minimoog synthesizer that's been obsolete since 1982, and Dre scratches in a sort of surfadelic munching noise, and then from his well-stocked Akai MPC60 samples comes a shriek, a spare piano chord, an ejaculation from the first Beastie's record —' Let me clear my throat '—and the many-layered groove is happening, bumping, breathing, almost loud enough to see." While recording Doggystyle with Dr. Dre in August 1993, Snoop Dogg
4089-473: 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. Although it’s typically viewed as a West Coast sound the very first example of what defines G-Funk was on an Eric B & Rakim song called The R. Other examples of the genre began to show up in 1989 with The D.O.C.'s " It's Funky Enough " and " The Formula ",
4230-497: A response to Dre's song "Dre Day" from the previous year. 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. 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 went for
4371-510: A shift from G-funk production. Snoop Doggy Dogg's follow-up album, Tha Doggfather (1996), did not involve Dr. Dre, as he left Death Row Records. As a result, DJ Pooh was the main beat-maker for the album. Tha Doggfather followed the methods of a G-funk record and initially sold well, but received mixed reviews and failed to produce a major hit single. In 1998, Snoop Dogg left Death Row and joined No Limit Records , changing his stage name from Snoop Doggy Dogg to Snoop Dogg. During his tenure at
G-funk - Misplaced Pages Continue
4512-413: A short duration (nicknamed "stabs") with faster rhythms and riffs. Guitarists playing rhythmic parts often play sixteenth notes, including with percussive ghost notes. Chord extensions are favored, such as ninth chords. Typically, funk uses "two interlocking [electric] guitar parts", with a rhythm guitarist and a "tenor guitarist" who plays single notes. The two guitarists trade off their lines to create
4653-588: A single pedal, an approach which "accents the second note... [and] deadens the drumhead's resonance", which gives a short, muffled bass drum sound. James Brown used two drummers such as Clyde Stubblefield and John 'Jabo' Starks in recording and soul shows. By using two drummers, the JB band was able to maintain a "solid syncopated" rhythmic sound, which contributed to the band's distinctive "Funky Drummer" rhythm. In Tower of Power drummer David Garibaldi 's playing, there are many ghost notes and rim shots . A key part of
4794-600: A sonic representation of angry depression as accurate as Cobain 's feedback blasts; Doggystyle is leaner, with its high-tempo Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield -derived tracks". He went on to say that "Most of Dre's hooks and nearly all his beats refuse to linger, as if the songs themselves are nervous, fearful of exposure, restless to get offscreen." Entertainment Weekly magazine's David Browne mentioned that "The mix of samples and live music on Dre's latest, The Chronic , gave it texture and depth, and he continues his knob-turning growth on Doggystyle , fluidly weaving together
4935-457: A strong odor. It is originally derived from Latin fumigare (which means "to smoke") via Old French fungiere and, in this sense, it was first documented in English in 1620. In 1784, funky meaning "musty" was first documented, which, in turn, led to a sense of "earthy" that was taken up around 1900 in early jazz slang for something "deeply or strongly felt". Even though in white culture,
5076-413: A suicide hot line". David Browne of Entertainment Weekly noted "It is the most limber, low-rider gangsta album to date" and went on to say " Doggystyle is a grim, bleak-faced record. It's set in a dead-end, no-tomorrow world of cheap thrills". Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stated " Doggystyle and The Chronic stand proudly together as the twin pinnacles of West Coast G-funk hip-hop of
5217-513: A suspended fourth (e.g., C7 (#9) sus 4); dominant ninth chords (e.g., F9); and minor sixth chords (e.g., C minor 6). The six-ninth chord is used in funk (e.g., F 6/9); it is a major chord with an added sixth and ninth. In funk, minor seventh chords are more common than minor triads because minor triads were found to be too thin-sounding. Some of the best known and most skillful soloists in funk have jazz backgrounds. Trombonist Fred Wesley and saxophonists Pee Wee Ellis and Maceo Parker are among
5358-677: A touch unimaginative; a tad, let's be honest, dull ... And the sleeve competes with The Waterboys ' Dream Harder and Billy Joel 's River of Dreams as the worst attached to a recent release." Despite the initial mixed criticism, critical perception of the album later improved, as Doggystyle has earned several accolades and rankings on critics' "best album" lists. A review of the album's reissue upped Q 's rating from three to four stars out of five. "A modern classic," observed reviewer Tom Doyle. In 2020, "Doggystyle" placed 340 in Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time. The album
5499-463: 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 mid-20th century. It deemphasizes melody and chord progressions and focuses on a strong rhythmic groove of a bassline played by an electric bassist and
5640-422: Is a role model to many young black men, and that his songs are designed to relate to their concerns. "For little kids growing up in the ghettos," he said, "it's easy to get into the wrong types of things, especially gangbanging and selling drugs. I've seen what that was like, and I don't glorify it, but I don't preach. I bring it to them rather than have them go find out about it for themselves." He further explained
5781-420: Is an unrecorded number by Buddy Bolden , remembered as either "Funky Butt" or "Buddy Bolden's Blues", with improvised lyrics that were, according to Donald M. Marquis, either "comical and light" or "crude and downright obscene" but, in one way or another, referring to the sweaty atmosphere at dances where Bolden's band played. As late as the 1950s and early 1960s, when funk and funky were used increasingly in
G-funk - Misplaced Pages Continue
5922-414: Is catchy" and stated "His relaxed vocal style is a perfect match for Dre's bass-heavy producing. Snoop's voice is lithe enough to snake its way around the big beats," said Farley on November 29, 1993. The ideas put forward through the lyrics include Snoop Doggy Dogg's adolescent urges, as he freely talks of casual sex, smoking marijuana and gunning down rival gang members. Time magazine remarked that
6063-815: Is considered one of the first G-funk albums, the style of which many rappers duplicated in later years. It has been suggested by some writers and publications that Doggystyle has considerably affected African-American culture. Some publications have held the rap genre responsible for social problems such as sexual violence and sexism , which has been blamed on Snoop Doggy Dogg and other rappers for calling their controversial lyrics "keeping it real." The problems of sexual violence and sexism are attributed to lyrics degrading women such as "bitches" and "ho's," which some believe have influenced black males. Snoop Doggy Dogg and other hip hop artists, including N.W.A , especially Eazy-E , Dr. Dre and Ice Cube (due to their success) and 2Pac , have been held accountable for developing
6204-432: Is going be released by Death Row Records and Dr. Dre's label, Aftermath. On March 10, 2023, Doggystyle and many other Death Row releases were brought back to streaming services. Doggystyle was released to widespread critical acclaim. Rolling Stone writer Touré mentioned " Doggystyle is filled with verbal and vocal feats that meet its high expectations. It speeds through 55 minutes of constant talk as if on
6345-415: Is not sought out by funk rhythm guitarists. Funk rhythm guitarists use compressor volume-control effects to enhance the sound of muted notes, which boosts the "clucking" sound and adds "percussive excitement to funk rhythms" (an approach used by Nile Rodgers ). Guitarist Eddie Hazel from Funkadelic is notable for his solo improvisation (particularly for the solo on " Maggot Brain ") and guitar riffs,
6486-496: 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 " and " Check Yo Self " 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 , which debuted at No. 1 on
6627-470: Is seen by many hip hop pundits as a "classic". It is credited with defining West Coast hip hop ; shifting the emphasis to more melodious, synth-driven, and funk-induced beats. About.com stated during the period the album was released, "Gangsta rap never sounded so sweet." The album is credited for further establishment of the slurred "lazy drawl" that sacrificed lyrical complexity for clarity and rhythmic cadence on Doggystyle and The Chronic . The album
6768-527: Is the use of "bad" in the song "Super Bad" (1970), which black listeners knew meant "good" or "great". In the 1970s, to get around radio obscenity restrictions, funk artists would use words that sounded like non-allowed words and double entendres to get around these restrictions. For example, The Ohio Players had a song entitled "Fopp" which referred to "Fopp me right, don't you fopp me wrong/We'll be foppin' all night long...". Some funk songs used made-up words which suggested that they were "writing lyrics in
6909-640: Is used in funk, in songs such as "Cissy Strut" by The Meters and "Love the One You're With" (with Aretha Franklin singing and Billy Preston on keyboards). Bernie Worrell 's range of keyboards from his recordings with Parliament Funkadelic demonstrate the wide range of keyboards used in funk, as they include the Hammond organ ("Funky Woman", "Hit It and Quit It", "Wars of Armageddon"); RMI electric piano ("I Wanna Know If It's Good to You?", " Free Your Mind ", "Loose Booty"); acoustic piano ("Funky Dollar Bill", "Jimmy's Got
7050-524: Is used in funk, including in "September" by Earth Wind & Fire and " Will It Go Round in Circles " by Billy Preston . The electric piano is used on songs such as Herbie Hancock 's "Chameleon" (a Fender Rhodes ) and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" by Joe Zawinul (a Wurlitzer ). The clavinet is used for its percussive tone, and it can be heard in songs such as Stevie Wonder 's " Superstition " and " Higher Ground " and Bill Withers' " Use Me ". The Hammond B-3 organ
7191-467: The Billboard 200 , and contained the hits " Gin and Juice " 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 ", which was made as
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#17328696331267332-903: The Billboard 200 in January 1994, when it was already certified three times platinum by the RIAA. The record was mildly successful in Europe, reaching No. 18 in Sweden, No. 21 in Germany and No. 35 in Austria. It also peaked at No. 25 on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand album chart. At the end of 1994, the album was No. 3 on the Billboard Year-End Top Albums Chart and No. 1 on
7473-553: The Civil Rights Movement . Gerhard Kubik notes that with the exception of New Orleans , early blues lacked complex polyrhythms , and there was a "very specific absence of asymmetric time-line patterns ( key patterns ) in virtually all early twentieth century African-American music ... only in some New Orleans genres does a hint of simple time line patterns occasionally appear in the form of transient so-called 'stomp' patterns or stop-time chorus. These do not function in
7614-556: The Geto Boys , Blac Monks , E.S.G. , 5th Ward Boyz , Street Military, Big Mello , Scarface , Ganksta N-I-P , Bushwick Bill , Big 50, 5th Ward Juvenilez and South Circle . In the late 1990s and 2000s, G-funk music significantly declined in mainstream popularity. Dr. Dre's 1999 album 2001 , produced by Mel-Man , was noted as "reinvent[ing] his 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
7755-426: The backbeat that typified African-American music. Brown often cued his band with the command "On the one!," changing the percussion emphasis/accent from the one- two -three- four backbeat of traditional soul music to the one -two-three-four downbeat – but with an even-note syncopated guitar rhythm (on quarter notes two and four) featuring a hard-driving, repetitive brassy swing . This one-three beat launched
7896-448: The clave pattern and related two-celled figures in songs such as "Carnival Day" (Bartholomew 1949) and "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" (Longhair 1949). Robert Palmer reports that, in the 1940s, Professor Longhair listened to and played with musicians from the islands and "fell under the spell of Perez Prado 's mambo records." Professor Longhair's particular style was known locally as rumba-boogie . One of Longhair's great contributions
8037-458: The doggy style sex position and is a reference to the musician's name. The artwork was done by the late artist Darryl "Joe Cool" Daniel, Snoop Dogg's cousin, who died in July 2024. The artwork represents the themes covered in the album and the style of implementation of those ideas. Some critics believe the artwork portrays a woman merely as a hole to be filled by the man, which they believe adheres to
8178-476: The fingerboard and then quickly released just enough to get a muted "scratching" sound that is produced by rapid rhythmic strumming of the opposite hand near the bridge . Earliest examples of that technic used on rhythm and blues is listened on Johnny Otis song " Willie and the Hand Jive " in 1957, with the future James Brown band guitar player Jimmy Nolen . The technique can be broken down into three approaches:
8319-508: The narcissistic and sexist lyrical themes Snoop Dogg covers. In this interpretation, the cover art and lyrics convey what they refer to as the self-indulgent "gangsta" lifestyle, drugs , cars , sex , and money . The artwork uses several quotes from the 1982 George Clinton single " Atomic Dog ". The quotes come from the dogs at the top of the brick wall on the album cover, which say, "Why must I feel like dat?", "Why must I chase da cat?" and "Nuttin' but da dogg in me". Dre's handling of
8460-400: The "chika", the "chank" and the "choke". With the "chika" comes a muted sound of strings being hit against the fingerboard; "chank" is a staccato attack done by releasing the chord with the fretting hand after strumming it; and "choking" generally uses all the strings being strummed and heavily muted. The result of these factors was a rhythm guitar sound that seemed to float somewhere between
8601-479: The "dream" that he would pursue after making the album: "I'm going to try to eliminate the gang violence. I'll be on a mission for peace. I know I have a lot of power. I know if I say, 'Don't kill', niggas won't kill". Doggystyle was recorded in early 1993 at Death Row Studios . It was produced in a style similar to The Chronic ; some critics called it a "carbon copy". Snoop Doggy Dogg collaborated with two music groups, 213 and Tha Dogg Pound . Daz Dillinger, of
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#17328696331268742-581: The "mesmerizing" nature of funk. Payne states that funk can be thought of as "rock played in a more syncopated manner", particularly with the bass drum, which plays syncopated eighth-note and sixteenth-note patterns that were innovated by drummer Clive Williams (with Joe Tex ); George Brown (with Kool & the Gang ) and James "Diamond" Williams (with The Ohio Players ). As with rock, the snare provides backbeats in most funk (albeit with additional soft ghost notes). In funk, guitarists often mix playing chords of
8883-439: The "spaces between the notes" as the notes that are played; as such, rests between notes are important. While there are rhythmic similarities between funk and disco , funk has a "central dance beat that's slower, sexier and more syncopated than disco", and funk rhythm section musicians add more "subtextures", complexity and "personality" onto the main beat than a programmed synth-based disco ensemble. Before funk, most pop music
9024-452: The 100 Best Rap Albums, as well as Rolling Stone magazine's list of Essential Recordings of the '90s. About.com placed the album in No. 17 of the greatest hip hop/rap albums of all time. The album was certified 4× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). By November 2015, the album had sold 7 million copies in the United States, and over 11 million copies worldwide. In 1992, Snoop Dogg came to attention of
9165-583: The 1970s adopted Afro-American fashion and style, including " Bell-bottom pants , platform shoes, hoop earring[s], Afros [hairstyles], leather vests,... beaded necklaces", dashiki shirts, jumpsuits and boots. In contrast to earlier bands such as The Temptations , which wore "matching suits" and "neat haircuts" to appeal to white mainstream audiences, funk bands adopted an "African spirit" in their outfits and style. George Clinton and Parliament are known for their imaginative costumes and "freedom of dress", which included bedsheets acting as robes and capes. Funk
9306-467: The 1970s to capitalize on the new "social and political opportunities" that had become available in the 1970s. The Isley Brothers song "Fight the Power" (1975) has a political message. Parliament's song "Chocolate City" (1975) metaphorically refers to Washington, D.C., and other US cities that have a mainly Black population, and it draws attention to the potential power that Black voters wield and suggests that
9447-467: The African musical tradition of improvisation , in that in a funk band, the group would typically "feel" when to change, by "jamming" and "grooving", even in the studio recording stage, which might only be based on the skeleton framework for each song. Funk uses "collective improvisation", in which musicians at rehearsals would have what was metaphorically a musical "conversation", an approach which extended to
9588-621: The African oral tradition approach). The call and response in funk can be between the lead singer and the band members who act as backup vocalists . As funk emerged from soul, the vocals in funk share soul's approach; however, funk vocals tend to be "more punctuated, energetic, rhythmically percussive[,] and less embellished" with ornaments, and the vocal lines tend to resemble horn parts and have "pushed" rhythms. Funk bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire have harmony vocal parts. Songs like " Super Bad " by James Brown included "double-voice" along with "yells, shouts and screams". Funk singers used
9729-570: The Afro-Cuban mambo and conga in the late 1940s, and made it its own. New Orleans funk, as it was called, gained international acclaim largely because James Brown's rhythm section used it to great effect. Funk uses the same richly colored extended chords found in bebop jazz, such as minor chords with added sevenths and elevenths, or dominant seventh chords with altered ninths. Some examples of chords used in funk are minor eleventh chords (e.g., F minor 11th); dominant seventh with added sharp ninth and
9870-496: The Black working class. Funk songs by The Ohio Players, Earth, Wind & Fire, and James Brown raised issues faced by lower-income Blacks in their song lyrics, such as poor "economic conditions and themes of poor inner-city life in the black communities". The Funkadelic song " One Nation Under A Groove " (1978) is about the challenges that Blacks overcame during the 1960s civil rights movement, and it includes an exhortation for Blacks in
10011-580: The Case" were not official singles, but they received radio airplay and charted in Rhythmic Top 40 . An 18-minute music video was shot for the two songs, with an accompanying Murder Was the Case soundtrack. The video won the 1995 Video of the Year award at The Source Hip-Hop Music Awards. "Gin and Juice" was nominated at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance . A bonus track, "Gz Up, Hoes Down",
10152-484: The Erotic: Transaesthetics and Black Sexual Cultures explores these multiple meanings of funk as a way to theorize sexuality, culture, and western hegemony within the many locations of funk : "street parties, drama/theater, strippers and strip clubs, pornography, and self-published fiction." Like soul, funk is based on dance music , so it has a strong "rhythmic role". The sound of funk is as much based on
10293-454: The Octavia pedal popularized by Hendrix , can double a note an octave above and below to create a "futuristic and fat low-end sound". Funk drumming creates a groove by emphasizing the drummer's "feel and emotion", which including "occasional tempo fluctuations", the use of swing feel in some songs (e.g., "Cissy Strut" by The Meters and "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers , which have
10434-661: The Phoenix Horns (with Earth, Wind & Fire), the Horny Horns (with Parliament), the Memphis Horns (with Isaac Hayes ), and MFSB (with Curtis Mayfield ). The instruments in funk horn sections varied. If there were two horn players, it could be trumpet and sax, trumpet and trombone, or two saxes. A standard horn trio would consist of trumpet, sax, and trombone, but trios of one trumpet with two saxes, or two trumpets with one sax, were also fairly common. A quartet would be set up
10575-533: The Regulator , including " Here Comes Another Hit " including Nate Dogg and Mista Grimm and Lookin' at You with 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 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
10716-426: The U.S. during the time of the style's popularity in the 1990s. Some of the most notable of these artists include Outkast ( Georgia ), G-Slimm ( Louisiana ), Bone Thugs-n-Harmony ( Ohio ), Tela ( Tennessee ), Top Authority ( Michigan ), E.S.G. ( Texas ) and DMG ( Minnesota ). In the 1990s, Houston , Texas had a small, but noteworthy G-funk scene at the peak of the genre's popularity with artists such as
10857-485: The addition of more of a "driving feel" than in New Orleans funk, and they used blues scale notes along with the major third above the root. Later funk basslines use sixteenth note syncopation, blues scales, and repetitive patterns, often with leaps of an octave or a larger interval. Funk basslines emphasize repetitive patterns, locked-in grooves, continuous playing, and slap and popping bass. Slapping and popping uses
10998-407: The album a 4/5 mic rating. It said Snoop Doggy Dogg emerged as a rapper who lived up to all the advance hype which came from his work on The Chronic , and discussed songs on the record, stating "If 'Murder Was The Case' is a stroke of near genius, then 'Lodi Dodi' is an example of total genius." NME magazine called the lead single "a pinnacle he conquered effortlessly" and went on to name the record
11139-486: The album dropped to number 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 297,000 copies. In the fifth week the album remained number 3 on the Billboard 200, selling 407,000 copies. In the sixth week the album returned to the top of the Billboard 200, selling 270,000 copies, marking Doggystyle's last week at the top of the chart to date. Doggystyle topped the Top R&;B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for five weeks. As of November 2015,
11280-487: The album had sold seven million copies in the United States, and over eleven million copies worldwide. It was certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on May 31, 1994. It is Snoop Doggy Dogg's most successful album; his following albums were certified single or double platinum. Doggystyle first appeared on music charts in 1993, peaking on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at No. 1. It re-peaked at number one on
11421-463: The album's orders. This resulted in Dr. Dre mixing the album and inserting the skits within 48 hours, which enabled the album to be released. Rolling Stone writer Jonathan Gold described how Dr. Dre produced a beat from scratch to complete instrumental: "Dre may find something he likes from an old drum break, loop it and gradually replace each part with a better tom-tom sound, a kick-drum sound he adores, until
11562-537: The approach, and instead used a typical fingerstyle method based on James Jamerson 's Motown playing style. Larry Graham from Sly and the Family Stone is an influential bassist. Funk bass has an "earthy, percussive kind of feel", in part due to the use of muted, rhythmic ghost notes (also called "dead notes"). Some funk bass players use electronic effects units to alter the tone of their instrument, such as "envelope filters" (an auto-wah effect that creates
11703-442: The artists to add visual illustrations to their lyrics, which generally involve Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg driving around South Central Los Angeles in a lowrider (a vehicle with lowered suspension). This imagery of the "gangsta lifestyle" is thought to have influenced young black males into trying to live the same lifestyle and it is also noted by T. Denean, writer of Pimps Up, Ho's Down: Hip Hop's Hold on Young Black Women , that
11844-446: The back cover of the first pressings, but not included in any pressing. It is considered the original material used for the 2000 Dr. Dre single " The Next Episode " but bears no resemblance to the later song. It was 4 minutes and 36 seconds (4:36) long. "Tha Next Episode" was later released on the Dr. Dre mixtape Pretox under the name "Chronic Unreleased Studio Session", but only 1:10 long. "Doggystyle" featuring George Clinton
11985-467: The beat bears the same relationship to the original that the Incredible Hulk does to Bill Bixby". Gold also described how the track progressed with other musicians adding to the song, stating "A bass player wanders in, unpacks his instrument and pops a funky two-note bass line over the beat, then leaves to watch CNN, though his two notes keep looping into infinity. A smiling guy in a striped jersey plays
12126-439: The context of jazz music , the terms still were considered indelicate and inappropriate for use in polite company. According to one source, New Orleans -born drummer Earl Palmer "was the first to use the word 'funky' to explain to other musicians that their music should be made more syncopated and danceable." The style later evolved into a rather hard-driving, insistent rhythm, implying a more carnal quality . This early form of
12267-634: The demeaning of women. Snoop Doggy Dogg's lyrics depict drugs, alcohol, sex, and money as methods of escape from oppression, but they also show an underside of the "gangsta" lifestyle and the results of following this lifestyle. The lyrics' violent representations, including murder and aggressive behaviour, have also generated controversy. C. DeLores Tucker of the National Political Congress of Black Women named gangsta rap "a profane and obscene glorification of murder and rape", which can be attributed to Doggystyle . " Who Am I? (What's My Name?) "
12408-435: The drummers and arrangers he employed. Brown's early repertoire had used mostly shuffle rhythms, and some of his most successful songs were 12/8 ballads (e.g. "Please, Please, Please" (1956), "Bewildered" (1961), "I Don't Mind" (1961)). Brown's change to a funkier brand of soul required 4/4 metre and a different style of drumming." Stewart makes the point: "The singular style of rhythm & blues that emerged from New Orleans in
12549-477: The early '90s" Stylus magazine presented "The Chronic vs. Doggystyle" article, and stated a strong point of Doggystyle compared to Dre's album was its follow-up singles and that "some of the album tracks are more famous than the singles". Vibe magazine expressed that "Snoop is no ordinary gangsta; that's impossible for an artist this playful. On his debut, with Dre riding shotgun anthems abound as often as gin-soaked debauchery". The Source magazine gave
12690-675: The electric bass, or even to replace the electric bass altogether in some songs. Funk synthesizer bass, most often a Minimoog , was used because it could create layered sounds and new electronic tones that were not feasible on electric bass. In the 1970s, funk used many of the same vocal styles that were used in African-American music in the 1960s, including singing influences from blues, gospel, jazz and doo-wop. Like these other African-American styles, funk used "[y]ells, shouts, hollers, moans, humming, and melodic riffs", along with styles such as call and response and narration of stories (like
12831-399: The first one in the studio and the last one to leave. He'll start messing with a beat. As the beat starts pumping, the guys start filtering in. Everybody will get their little drink and smoke in. Soon enough, the beat starts to make a presence. You'll look around the room and every cat that was a rapper – from Kurupt to Daz to Snoop – will grab a pen. They would start writing while Dre is making
12972-513: The former and No. 25 on the latter. Westcoast rapper Coolio released his debut album It Takes a Thief in 1994. The album peaked at No. 8, it contains the Top-10 hit " Fantastic Voyage ". 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
13113-408: The former was 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 , which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 , and No. 2 on Billboard ' s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums . The same year, Ice Cube's diss track towards N.W.A., " No Vaseline ", was made in
13254-480: The funk drumming style is using the hi-hat, with opening and closing the hi-hats during playing (to create "splash" accent effects) being an important approach. Two-handed sixteenth notes on the hi-hats, sometimes with a degree of swing feel, is used in funk. Jim Payne states that funk drumming uses a "wide-open" approach to improvisation around rhythmic ideas from Latin music, ostinatos , that are repeated "with only slight variations", an approach which he says causes
13395-505: The funk into the rhythm" of rock and roll . Following his temporary exit from secular music to become an evangelist in 1957, some of Little Richard's band members joined Brown and the Famous Flames , beginning a long string of hits for them in 1958. By the mid-1960s, James Brown had developed his signature groove that emphasized the downbeat —with heavy emphasis on the first beat of every measure to etch his distinctive sound, rather than
13536-477: The gangsta rap form; a genre which articulated the rage of the urban underclass and its sense of intense oppression and defiant rebellion, which has been attained through the ability to communicate free of censorship, and has allowed hip hop culture to become a dominant style and ethos throughout the world. Mariah Carey sampled the song "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" in her 1999 album Rainbow for
13677-496: The genre beginning in the late 1960s. Other musical groups developed Brown's innovations during the 1970s and the 1980s, including Kool and the Gang , Ohio Players , Fatback Band , Jimmy Castor Bunch, Earth, Wind & Fire , B.T. Express , Shalamar , One Way, Lakeside , Dazz Band , The Gap Band , Slave , Aurra , Roger Troutman & Zapp , Con Funk Shun , Cameo , Bar-Kays and Chic . Funk derivatives include avant-funk , an avant-garde strain of funk; boogie ,
13818-458: The help of collaborators and addressed the issues with Warren G and Daz, stating "They made beats, Dre produced that record". He discussed the track " Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None) ", mentioning that Daz and Warren G brought Dr. Dre the beat but "Dre took that muthafucka to the next level!" Bruce Williams, closely affiliated with Dr. Dre, discussed the recording process during Dre's time at Death Row Records, stating: Dre's going to be
13959-434: The hip-hop subgenre of G-funk to a mainstream audience, bringing forward West Coast hip-hop as a dominant force in the early-mid 1990s. Doggystyle debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 , selling 806,858 copies in its first week alone in the United States, which was the record for a debuting artist and the fastest-selling hip-hop album ever at the time. Doggystyle was included on The Source magazine's list of
14100-584: The label, he continued several of the themes from Doggystyle with follow-ups to earlier songs, such as "Gin & Juice II" (1998) and " Snoop Dogg (What's My Name II) " (2000). Subsequent studio albums such as Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002) and R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004) exhibited a more mainstream, pop-oriented theme with new sounds, but remained "hardcore throughout" and featured "plenty of street and commercial appeal". These releases included three hit singles, " Beautiful ", " Drop It Like It's Hot " and " Signs ". Snoop Dogg
14241-418: The latter group, accused Dr. Dre of taking sole recognition for producing the album and alleged that Warren G and himself contributed substantially to the production of the project. Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight stated in 2013 that, "Daz pretty much did the whole album", and that credit was signed over to Dr. Dre for a fee. Snoop Doggy Dogg said Dr. Dre was capable of making beats without
14382-412: The low-end thump of the electric bass and the cutting tone of the snare and hi-hats , with a rhythmically melodic feel that fell deep in the pocket. Guitarist Jimmy Nolen , longtime guitarist for James Brown, developed this technique. On Brown's " Give It Up or Turnit a Loose " (1969), however, Jimmy Nolen's guitar part has a bare bones tonal structure. The pattern of attack-points is the emphasis, not
14523-421: The lyrical "realism" that he delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow. Despite some mixed criticism of the album initially upon its release, Doggystyle earned recognition from many music critics as one of the most significant albums of the 1990s , as well as one of the most important hip-hop albums ever released. Much like The Chronic , the distinctive sounds of Doggystyle helped introduce
14664-547: The mainstream with the top 50 singles " New York, New York " and " Let's Play House ". In 1996, the super-group Westside Connection released Bow Down . It had two hit singles, " Bow Down " and " Gangstas Make the World Go Round ", 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
14805-420: The mid-1960s, with James Brown 's development of a signature groove that emphasized the downbeat —with a heavy emphasis on the first beat of every measure ("The One"), and the application of swung 16th notes and syncopation on all basslines, drum patterns, and guitar riffs. Rock- and psychedelia -influenced musicians Sly and the Family Stone and Parliament-Funkadelic fostered more eclectic examples of
14946-407: The most notable musicians in the funk music genre, having worked with James Brown , George Clinton and Prince . Unlike bebop jazz, with its complex, rapid-fire chord changes, funk often uses a static single-chord or two-chord vamp (often alternating a minor seventh chord and a related dominant seventh chord, such as A minor to D7) during all or part of a song, with melodo-harmonic movement and
15087-463: The music industry through his vocal contributions on Dr. Dre's The Chronic . That album is considered to have "transformed the entire sound of West Coast rap" by its development of what later became known as the " G-funk " sound. The Chronic expanded gangsta rap with profanity, anti-authoritarian lyrics and multi-layered samples taken from 1970's P-Funk records. Snoop Doggy Dogg contributed vocals to Dre's solo single, " Deep Cover ", which led to
15228-399: The music set the pattern for later musicians. The music was identified as slow, sexy, loose, riff -oriented and danceable. The meaning of funk continues to captivate the genre of black music, feeling, and knowledge. Recent scholarship in black studies has taken the term funk in its many iterations to consider the range of black movement and culture. In particular, L.H. Stallings's Funk
15369-453: The next". Renowned rock critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "dud" rating, which signifies "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought. At the upper level it may merely be overrated, disappointing, or dull. Down below it may be contemptible." Q 's Danny Kelly observed: "Snoop Doggy Dogg's record is more or less a 19-track homage to/gleeful rip off of George Clinton 's ' Atomic Dog ' ... It's inclined to become
15510-542: The notes to create a percussive sound for their guitar riffs. The phaser effect is often used in funk and R&B guitar playing for its filter sweeping sound effect, an example being the Isley Brothers ' song " Who's That Lady ". Michael Hampton , another P-Funk guitarist, was able to play Hazel's virtuosic solo on "Maggot Brain", using a solo approach that added in string bends and Hendrix-style feedback . A range of keyboard instruments are used in funk. Acoustic piano
15651-463: The notions "are often unnecessarily graphic; at some points they're downright obscene" and that "the album would have been stronger if such misgivings about the criminal life, as well as Snoop's touches of introspection, had been applied to some of the cruder songs". The album also covered gun play, drug dealing and pimping. The New York Times said that the lyrical concepts were delivered in "crudest, rudest terms". Some critics said Snoop Doggy Dogg
15792-438: The onstage performances. Funk creates an intense groove by using strong guitar riffs and basslines played on electric bass . Like Motown recordings, funk songs use basslines as the centerpiece of songs. Indeed, funk has been called the style in which the bassline is most prominent in the songs, with the bass playing the "hook" of the song. Early funk basslines used syncopation (typically syncopated eighth notes), but with
15933-426: The opportunity for the other instruments to play "more syncopated, broken-up style", which facilitated a move to more "liberated" basslines. Together, these "interlocking parts" created a "hypnotic" and "danceable feel". A great deal of funk is rhythmically based on a two- celled onbeat/offbeat structure, which originated in sub-Saharan African music traditions . New Orleans appropriated the bifurcated structure from
16074-456: The pattern of pitches. The guitar is used the way that an African drum, or idiophone would be used. Nolen created a "clean, trebly tone" by using "hollow-body jazz guitars with single-coil P-90 pickups" plugged into a Fender Twin Reverb amp with the mid turned down low and the treble turned up high. Funk guitarists playing rhythm guitar generally avoid distortion effects and amp overdrive to get
16215-546: The pianist employs the 2-3 clave onbeat/offbeat motif in a rumba-boogie " guajeo ". The syncopated, but straight subdivision feel of Cuban music (as opposed to swung subdivisions) took root in New Orleans R&;B during this time. Alexander Stewart states: "Eventually, musicians from outside of New Orleans began to learn some of the rhythmic practices [of the Crescent City]. Most important of these were James Brown and
16356-443: The production was praised by critics. AllMusic writer Stephen Erlewine stated: "Dre realized that it wasn't time to push the limits of G-funk, and instead decided to deepen it musically, creating easy-rolling productions that have more layers than they appear". He added that the beats were "laid-back funky, continuing to resonate after many listens". Rolling Stone writer Touré noted " The Chronic ' s slow, heavy beats were
16497-507: The realities of life in places such as Compton, California , and Long Beach, California . Describing Doggystyle in 1993, Snoop Doggy Dogg likewise points to the album's realism, and the extent to which it is based on his personal experience. He said, "I can't rap about something I don't know. You'll never hear me rapping about no bachelor's degree. It's only what I know and that's that street life. It's all everyday life, reality." Explaining his intentions, Snoop Doggy Dogg claims he feels he
16638-490: The remix of Heartbreaker which featured Missy Elliott and Da Brat . The writers of Enculturation , Steven Best and Douglas Kellner, have noted that Snoop Doggy Dogg and other rappers only condemn violence when it is directed against them, otherwise "they celebrate it, internalize it, and embrace it as an ethos and means of self expression," which some believe has an effect on the black-on-black crime. The release of music videos from Doggystyle and The Chronic has enabled
16779-471: The same as a standard horn trio, but with an extra trumpet, sax, or (less frequently) trombone player. Quintets would either be a trio of saxes (typically alto/tenor/baritone, or tenor/tenor/baritone) with a trumpet and a trombone, or a pair each of trumpets and saxes with one trombone. With six instruments, the horn section would usually be two trumpets, three saxes, and a trombone. Notable songs with funk horn sections include: In bands or shows where hiring
16920-400: The same way as African time lines." In the late 1940s this changed somewhat when the two-celled time line structure was brought into New Orleans blues . New Orleans musicians were especially receptive to Afro-Cuban influences precisely at the time when R&B was first forming. Dave Bartholomew and Professor Longhair (Henry Roeland Byrd) incorporated Afro-Cuban instruments, as well as
17061-722: The shift in Brown's signature music style, starting with his 1964 hit single, " Out of Sight " and his 1965 hits, " Papa's Got a Brand New Bag " and " I Got You (I Feel Good) ". 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 debut solo album The Chronic (1992), to which Snoop contributed significantly. The West Coast style in hip-hop that he developed from Dre's first album continued on Doggystyle . Critics have praised Snoop Dogg for
17202-741: 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 ). 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. 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 ,
17343-492: The style. Dr. Dre, who produced No One Can Do It Better and Niggaz4Life , is often seen as the originator/creator of the G-funk sound. 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. 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
17484-507: The subgenre's characteristics to a much lesser extent. Most recently, into the 2010s and onward, many contemporary West Coast rappers have released albums which contain strong G-funk influences, including Kendrick Lamar with Good Kid, M.A.A.D City as well as To Pimp a Butterfly , YG with Still Brazy , Schoolboy Q with Blank Face LP , Nipsey Hussle with Victory Lap , Buddy with Harlan & Alondra and Tech N9ne with The Gates Mixed Plate . Funk Funk
17625-562: The term funk can have negative connotations of odor or being in a bad mood ( in a funk ), in African communities, the term funk , while still linked to body odor, had the positive sense that a musician's hard-working, honest effort led to sweat, and from their "physical exertion" came an "exquisite" and "superlative" performance. In early jam sessions , musicians would encourage one another to " get down " by telling one another, "Now, put some stank on it!" At least as early as 1907, jazz songs carried titles such as Funky . The first example
17766-533: The tone of which was shaped by a Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone pedal. Hazel, along with guitarist Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers , was influenced by Jimi Hendrix 's improvised, wah-wah infused solos. Ernie Isley was tutored at an early age by Hendrix, when Hendrix was a part of the Isley Brothers backing band and temporarily lived in the Isleys' household. Funk guitarists use the wah-wah sound effect along with muting
17907-696: The videos highlight the representation of class, race and Black masculinity within contemporary urban America. Doggystyle is generally considered Snoop Dogg's best album, in addition to being his highest charting and best-selling album as his later albums were certified double Platinum, Platinum or Gold although Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told was certified double Platinum making it his second best selling album and also his only other one to be certified multi Platinum. It differs from following albums as his later work featured production from multiple individuals, such as The Neptunes , Timbaland and Daz Dillinger , with reduced input from Dr. Dre, which shows
18048-404: The years after World War II played an important role in the development of funk. In a related development, the underlying rhythms of American popular music underwent a basic, yet generally unacknowledged transition from triplet or shuffle feel to even or straight eighth notes." James Brown credited Little Richard 's 1950s R&B road band, The Upsetters from New Orleans, as "the first to put
18189-528: Was "obsessed with being a 'G', a gangster, a lawbreaker who smokes dope and kills with impunity" and that his lyrics depict the black-on-black crime in the inner-cities. The lyrics involve many derogatory terms against women, with expressions such as " bitches " and "hoes" being used throughout, which illustrates the feeling of sexism and oppression within American society. In certain tracks Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound casually speak of group sex, illustrating
18330-439: Was a 5:26 long outtake from the album sessions. It is a singing melody with vocals dominating the song and it extensively samples "Oh I" by Funkadelic from their album The Electric Spanking of War Babies . Jewell & The Brides of Funkenstein are featured on the chorus. The song was released on Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1 amongst other songs recorded by Snoop Doggy Dogg during his tenure at Death Row. Doggystyle
18471-513: Was acclaimed for the realism in his rhymes and his harmonious flow. AllMusic's Stephen Erlewine commended Snoop Doggy Dogg, saying: "he's one of hip-hop's greatest vocal stylists with this record" and he "takes his time, playing with the flow of his words, giving his rhymes a nearly melodic eloquence. Snoop is something special, with unpredictable turns of phrase, evocative imagery, and a distinctive, addictive flow". Time magazine's Christopher John Farley noted "Snoop's rapping isn't flashy, but it
18612-461: Was also placed at number 84 on Apple Music's 100 Best Albums list in 2024. Doggystyle debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 , powered by spectacular first week sales of 806,000 copies. In the second week Doggystyle remained at the top of the Billboard 200, selling 378,000 copies. In the third week the album dropped to number 2 on the chart, selling 259,000. In the fourth week
18753-578: Was arrested in connection with the death of Phillip Woldermarian, a member of a rival gang who was shot and killed in a gang fight. According to the charges, the rapper's bodyguard shot Woldermarian as Snoop Dogg drove the vehicle; the rapper claimed it was self-defense, alleging the victim was stalking him. He spent most of 1995 preparing the case which went to trial in late 1995. He was cleared of all charges in February 1996 when he began working on his second album, Tha Doggfather . The album's title alludes to
18894-452: Was based on sequences of eighth notes, because the fast tempos made further subdivisions of the beat infeasible. The innovation of funk was that by using slower tempos (surely influenced by the revival of blues at early 60s), funk "created space for further rhythmic subdivision, so a bar of 4/4 could now accommodate possible 16 note placements." Specifically, by having the guitar and drums play in "motoring" sixteenth-note rhythms, it created
19035-429: Was credited for returning to his G-funk roots in 2006, which was established with his eighth studio album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006). The album was noted for being a "hard and very G-Funk record". In March 2022, Doggystyle and other Death Row albums were removed from all streaming platforms. In October 2022, Snoop announced a spiritual sequel of the album, Missionary , also produced by Dr. Dre. The album
19176-847: Was formed through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mid-20th century. Musicologist Anne Danielsen wrote that funk might be placed in the lineage of rhythm and blues, jazz, and soul. Sociologist Darby E. Southgate wrote that funk is "an amalgam of gospel, soul, jazz fusion, rhythm and blues, and black rock." The distinctive characteristics of African-American musical expression are rooted in sub-Saharan African music traditions , and find their earliest expression in spirituals, work chants/songs, praise shouts, gospel, blues, and "body rhythms" ( hambone , patting juba , and ring shout clapping and stomping patterns). Like other styles of African-American musical expression including jazz, soul music and R&B, funk music accompanied many protest movements during and after
19317-487: Was his particular approach of adopting two-celled, clave-based patterns into New Orleans rhythm and blues (R&B). Longhair's rhythmic approach became a basic template of funk. According to Dr. John (Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack Jr.), the Professor "put funk into music ... Longhair's thing had a direct bearing I'd say on a large portion of the funk music that evolved in New Orleans." In his "Mardi Gras in New Orleans",
19458-466: Was included in the album's first pressing, but not in later versions because of sample clearance issues. Snoop Doggy Dogg could not gain the rights to use the beats because the record company was not willing to pay license fees for using the samples. "Gz Up, Hoes Down" was later released on the Death Row compilation " 15 Years on Death Row ". A track titled "Tha Next Episode" was listed as the last track on
19599-550: Was released as a Europe-only single on August 8, 1994. Even though the single was not officially released in the U.S., it received some radio airplay which resulted in position 19 on the Rhythmic Top ;40 chart. A music video was produced for the single, which gained American video TV-play and won the 1994 MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video . It reached No. 32 on the UK Singles Chart. "Lodi Dodi" and "Murder Was
19740-577: Was the first single released from the album, on November 11, 1993. It peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and reached No. 1 on the Hot Rap Singles , receiving a Gold certification from the RIAA on February 8, 1994. It reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994 and re-entered the chart in 2004, reaching No. 100. " Gin and Juice "
19881-530: Was the second single released on January 18, 1994. Like the previous single, it was a hit on multiple charts. It reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 , No. 13 on the Hot R&;B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks , No. 1 on Hot Rap Singles , and No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart. The RIAA certified it Gold on April 6, 1994. The song was nominated at the 1995 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance , but lost to Queen Latifah 's " U.N.I.T.Y. ". " Doggy Dogg World "
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