Warren G
Born: 1970-11-10 in Long Beach, California, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper, record producer, and DJ who helped popularize West Coast hip hop during the 1990s. A pioneer of G-funk, he attained mainstream success with his 1994 single "Regulate" (featuring Nate Dogg). He is credited with discovering Snoop Dogg, having introduced the then-unknown rapper to record producer Dr. Dre. His debut studio album, Regulate... G Funk Era (1994), debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 176,000 in its first week. The album has since received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying sales of three million copies. "Regulate" spent 18 weeks within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, with three weeks at number two, while its follow-up, "This D.J.", peaked at number nine. At the 37th Annual Grammy Awards, both songs received nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Solo Performance, respectively. Three songs from his second album, Take a Look Over Your Shoulder (1997), peaked within the top 40, as did his 1998 duet with Nate Dogg, "Nobody Does It Better". Both the album and its follow-up, I Want It All (1999), received gold certifications by the RIAA. His fourth album, The Return of the Regulator (2001), failed to yield his earlier commercial heights. Along with longtime collaborators Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg, he formed the hip-hop trio 213, named for Long Beach's area code; they released the album The Hard Way (2004) to mild success. His next two albums, 2005's In the Mid-Nite Hour and then 2009's The G Files, were released independently and self-produced. In 2015, he released Regulate... G Funk Era, Part II, an extended play featuring archived recordings of Nate Dogg, who died in 2011. In 2017, "Regulate", certified platinum in 1994, went multi-platinum, propelled by digital downloads. Warren Griffin III was born on November 10, 1970, and grew up in Long Beach, California. He had three sisters and was the only son of Warren Griffin Jr., an airplane mechanic, and Ola, a dietician. They divorced when Warren was 4 and he lived with his mother and three sisters in East Long Beach until he was just about to start middle school. In 1982, Warren went to live with his father in North Long Beach. His new wife, Verna, had three children from a prior marriage, one of whom was Andre Young, the soon-to-become Dr. Dre who in 1984 joined a leading DJ crew, the World Class Wreckin' Cru, which by 1985 doubled as an electro rap group, which in 1987 put out the Los Angeles area's first rap recording under a major label. By then, a Jordan High School student, Warren was playing football and running with friends. In 1988, age 17, Warren was jailed for gun possession. While incarcerated, he took the nickname Warren G. By this time, Dr. Dre was already beginning to experience success as the writer and record producer for Ruthless Records, as well as being a member of N.W.A with Ruthless Records founder Eazy-E and Ice Cube. N.W.A’s landmark album, Straight Outta Compton, was driving the Los Angeles area's rap scene to swiftly drop electro for gangsta. Once out of jail, Warren worked at the Long Beach shipyardsand began focusing on music after Dr. Dre taught him how to use a drum machine. ...
Filmography
2024
- John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in L.A. as Self - Music Performance
2023
2022
- The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
2018
- Survivor's Guide to Prison as Self
2017
- G-Funk as Self
2015
- Mac Dre: Legend of the Bay as Self - Interviewee
2014
- American Hustle Life as Self
- American Hustle Life as Self
2012
- The Eric Andre Show as Self
2009
- Big Pun: The Legacy as Self
2006
- Flavor of Love as Self
2005
- Celebrity Fit Club as Self - Contestant
- Letter to the President as Self
- The Strip Game as Self
2004
2003
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self - Musical Guest
- All of Us as Officer
- Old School as Self
- Pepsi Smash as Self
- Beef as Self
- Bigg Snoop Dogg | Raw N Uncut Volume 1 as Self
2001
- BET Awards as Self - Performer
- Xzibit | Restless Xposed as Self
2000
- The Up in Smoke Tour as Self
- Little Richard as Studio Musician
- Tha Eastsidaz as Self
1999
- The Parkers as Warren G
- Speedway Junky as Brentley Shaw
1996
- Clueless
- E! True Hollywood Story as Self
1995
- The Parent 'Hood as Self
- The Show as Self
1993
- Late Show with David Letterman as Self - Musical Guest
1987
- Le monde est à vous as Self