Nate Dogg - G-Funk Classics, Vols. 1 & 2

Nobody does it Better...

I myself consider G-Funk Classics, Vols. 1 & 2 to be a compilation rather than a full fledged album. Nate Dogg would begin production with Death Row records and later jump ship when the label folded under due to Suge Knight's financial/legal woes**. He then brought his project to Breakaway Records where he would record enough material to release a double album.

Enough with the history lesson. What we have here is 2 discs containing over 30 unadulterated G-Funk classics. I myself welcome the heavy guest spots on this record simply because Nate Dogg is an artist that works best when accompanied by his peers. Nate Dogg is well known for laying down the hooks and does so on many tracks, as well as holding his own on others. Anything you've ever heard on a Dre, Snoop, Dogg Pound record will be touched on in this selection as well so it wont stray too far from commonplace material. Either way, Nate's rhythm and smooth vocals will rock your soul and entice your ears with clean, G-Funk laced production. Each Guest rapper plays an essential part in this "book of tales" complimenting Nate's crooning with a gangster lean. Definitely pick up, good purchase for Nate Dogg fans, west coast aficionados or hip hop fans alike.peace.
**Don't quote me on this...heard this thru hearsay December 2, 2007

Mellow Out To The Sounds Of This G-Funk And G-Soul

1998, Nate Dogg drops a double disc of game, G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 & 2. Now, there is a sad history of this album. Nate Dogg Was supposed to release disc 1 "Ghetto Preacher" around 96, and Death Row shelved it until 1997 as G-Funk Classics Vol.1 and was never successful since G-Funk lost it's commercial heat even though it was still hot, in my opinion. It seems that the industry was in line for the next fad, Puff Daddy and the East Coast late 90's revival. Hip Hop constantly evolves, so G-Funk went more underground. Disc 2, "The Prodigal Son" was made in 98 and was released with disc one. I love Nate's soulful voice, and his music runs a fine line between G-Funk (since there are some rappers here with him)and R&B soul. Both discs are great, but I like Disc 1 a tad more. "First We Pray" features Kurupt's firey flows and is hella gangsta over a sweet lowrider beat. "Bag O' Weed" with Tray Deee is fun and funky. Nate, Tray wanna hook up with some honies and hopes they bring the wine as he gets the dank. Nate is real playa, pimp, reflective, and can be socially aware on this one. "Who's Playin' Games" from disc 2 is cool with a nice cooing by Nate over a bouncy beat. He exercises and flexes his swinging personality and analyzes a player's ways from back in the day. Nate, Warren G, and Snoop takes a look at trusting friends as they evolve and grow up, but you can see that Warren G, Snoop and Nate (213) stayed true to each other. The beat is relaxed and sunny. "Hardest Man In Town" from disc 1 is hard with a dope whiny synth, and Nate Dogg personifies himself as a gun. "Me & My homies" from disc 1 is also a classic. The beat is sunny and laidback. Nate and 2Pac spit about why they put their truest homies so high on their priorities. "Dogg Pound Gangstaville" (disc 2) is twangy and has a neat, original beat, and Snoop and Kurupt come by to spit some gangsta game. "Crazy, Dangerous" (disc 1)fateures a Nate and Nancy Fletcher duet over a slow twangy southern-fried inspired beat. "G-Funk" from disc 1 is what it is, twangy, deep groove funk about Nate's style, a classic. There are cool R&B/Soul joints like "It's Goin' Down Tonight," and "Almost In Love" without any rappers or rap inflence. There are way too many songs to review, but this album is definitely worth the high cost it is now commanding now since it is out of print. Nate Dogg has style and a cool swagger, and he employs his homies, fellow Long Beach rappers. Too bad, he never had the chance to blow up as a solo artist. September 4, 2007

An ingenious musical triumph squandered by the record industry

Probably the best example of Industry Rule #4,080 ("record company people are shady...") is Nate Dogg's amazing double album "G-Funk Classics Vol. 1-2." This is a simply brilliant musical product that has never received fair sales or recognition because of poor decisions by record labels. "G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1-2" is in fact two separate albums. The second disc was recorded to be an album between 1995 and 1996 called "The Prodigal Son" on Death Row Records. Had this been released by Suge Knight, I am sure that this would have followed suit as a critical and commercial success in the procession of platinum selling classics like "The Chronic," "Doggystyle," and "Dogg Food," complete with the guest appearances, W-Balls interludes, and all. Of course, the collapse of Death Row around 1996 led to this album being shelved for years, with enough time for Nate to go back to the studio and independently record "The Ghetto Preacher," the first disc of this set, which he finished by 1998. Since time had passed and options were limited, Nate was forced to release these as a double album independently, and thus is this product with the fairly shabby packaging and virtually no promotion, so much that it was out of print within only a few years. Over the years both discs have been frequently and poorly re-released by multiple labels to little success.

But both discs are overall phenomenal. They sound like a full, cohesive album and there's really no flaw in any. On "G-Funk Classics" it's so easy to see why Nate is the world's most sought after hook man. Nate has more style than any three R&B singers combined. He comes across as a seasoned Long Beach gangster, as hard and tough as any gangsta rapper, yet the smooth edge he polishes over each of his productions leaves you with a great impression. The way he tells stories of his dealings in his hometown, interactions with women, philosophies, and problems are convincing and entertaining. As I'm sure you know by now, his voice is also very enticing. His deep, soulful baritone expresses so much emotion. The production is absolutely extraordinary. While Nate calls it G-Funk, the style he really puts across on these discs is not like the Warren G and Snoop Dogg G-Funk that we all think of. Over woozy, soulful beats, Nate's solo songs could be labeled G-Soul. There's not a poor production to be found on either disc, these are the kind of songs that get stuck in your head and you love it. An all-star production team including LT Hutton, Warren G, Teddy Riley, Daz Dillinger, and Soopafly make what is some of the best laidback west coast music I've ever heard. This is the perfect soundtrack for riding slow in the car or chilling out by yourself. People who think that Nate carry an album by himself have no idea. He exhibits enough talent, character, and style that easily fill two discs of ultimate quality. Another piece that makes "G-Funk Classics" so fulfilling is the guest appearances. Each guest appearance is A-list, making for a who's who of west coast hip hop. Guest rappers include Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Tray Deee, Big Syke, and even 2Pac. "G-Funk Classics" is completely unlike anything I've ever heard and if this weren't such a victim of misfortune this would be an undisputed classic among the top of west coast albums. I can't recommend it any higher.

Disc 1, aka "The Prodigal Sun," is the one recorded later. It starts off with one of Nate's best songs ever, "The Hardest Man in Town." This song is produced by New Jack Swing legend Teddy Riley, of Guy and Blackstreet fame, so it's surprising to hear a beat from him that is so lovably woozy with synths and heavy bass with funk instrumentation. It's an excellent production and Nate totally does it justice with a perfect performance. His lyrics speak of "the hardest man in town," the guns that cause and solve problems in lives. The song "G-Funk" has a great musical track too, using funky guitars for a great backing. Nate sings in an emotional joyful style, expressing happiness of seeing "Long Beach on the map" and talking about what music means to him. "First We Pray" is upbeat and hard, discussing the daily dealings in Long Beach. Nate talks about what he would do if he owned the world on "My World," and on the wonderful "Crazy, Dangerous," he makes a soulful performance about the hood mentality over an excellent, droopy beat. "These Days" is another remarkable song, where Nate expresses sadness over the tough state of his life, with great production from Daz. The nice "Bag o' Weed" precedes the slow and bass-heavy "Dirty H...'s Drawers." "Scared of Love" is a softer and enjoyable song, which comes before the phenomenal "Me & My Homies," a joyful anthem about hanging out with his friends, featuring one of 2Pac's last verses. "Because I Got a Girl" shows a lot of style, and the upbeat and ultra-funky "My Money" is another of my absolute favorites. "Never Leave Me Alone" is just wonderful, and the album ends with the conscious "Where Are You Going?" which addresses the state of the world with a great performance.

Either one of these discs is perfect by itself, but the fact that they're together makes it that much better. The second one, the earlier Death Row material, begins with the extra-funky "Who's Playing Games?", a definite highlight. "I Don't Wanna Hurt No More" is a mournful and deep performance. My favorite track on either disc, though, is "Just Another Day," a perfect, fast beat with heavy bass and synths that allows Nate to shine with a great chorus and verses talking about the strains of being a performer. After the good collabo "She's Strange" is the slow and excellent "Almost in Love." "No Matter Where I Go" is fast, soulful, and a lyrical highlight. "Stone Cold" is a very unique and interesting song, which comes before "Friends," a classic featuring Snoop and Kurupt, a g-funk update to the Whodini standard. Snoop and Tha Dogg Pound show up again for "Puppy Love," an archetypical DPG track. "It's Goin' Down Tonight" once again displays Nate Dogg at his best, and the Warren G collabo "Nobody Does It Better" entertainingly speaks of life after "Regulate." The light "Sexy Girl" features Big Syke from Thug Life, and the self explanatory "Dogg Pound Gangstaville" follows. The last song is "Never Too Late," a horn-fueled Nate Dogg signature ballad.

If you take nothing else from this review, know that "G-Funk Classics" is a truly special double album from an amazing talent with amazing production. His next album "Music and Me" is also good but not on the level of this one. Everything goes right on these records. It's an absolute shame that this is so hard to find today. Is it worth the $30-$40? Well, for two full CDs of rare, 5-star material, this reviewer says yes, although that's a steep price to pay for any music. If this comes your way, it would be a crime not to pick it up. "G-Funk Classics" is that remarkable. January 17, 2007

I LOVE IT, IVE WANTED THIS FOR 3 YEARS N JUST GOT IT AND ITS GREAT

This Album is a certified classic in my opinion. This is a very rare and valualbe album. As far as I know, Nate Dogg has been on countless songs by other artists. Despite his amazing talent as far as I know hes only come out with 2 albums. His newest one is called "Music & Me". I think that that one is alright. No offense 2 him but I definetely think it could have been better. The thing is you really have to have a good appreciation for REAL CLASSIC G-Funk. Ive been loving GFunk for years, so I can really appreciate his music. But if your new to Nate Dogg, and new to the overall G-Funk genre, than I wouldnt recomment listening to "Music & Me", I would reccomend "G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 & 2". If your looking for a mindless, pointless charade of people yelling and jumping around like brainless animals, I mean Crunk music, than you definetely do not want to get this. However if your lookin for a smooth laid back collection of West Coast music than this is the best thing. THis album makes me feel care free, with out stress and also spits some good game too.This is the kind of Cd that makes you feel pimpish as hell and like you THA MAN, haha. Everytrack has something good to offer. THis is a cd you can play all the way through. Its somewhat of an acquired taste. So to those of you who are already fans of the G-FUnk genre, than you all will LOVE THISSSS, thats if you really understand G Funk, and its Roots, influences and history. But to those of you with no idea, its still a pretty good chill album. GET IT GO GET IT GO GET IT, its worth the price, Because nobody has this!!!!! Its rare, go get it babay. April 14, 2006

4.5 star Debut from the King of Hooks

After first hearing Nate Dogg on Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" in late 1992 he has been my favorite "singer" around. After a long wait for this album to finally drop I'm glad it did because it is one good double disc CD. The first disc was released in 1997 but was very rare and hard to find. Out of the 28 songs on here I skip 5, and 5 are just ok; which means it could have been a classic 18 song album, but it's still a very good one. It has 3 classics and 15 good or great songs on here. The production is great for Nate's voice and is done mostly by Daz Dillinger, Soopafly, Nate Dogg, Warren G, and LT Hutton (all do at least 3 songs) with 2 or 3 others contributiong to a song each. The guests are mostly his old LBC homies. A must have West coast G-Funk album.

DISC 1
#1 -8
#3- 8
#4 - 8.5 (f/ kurupt -- upbeat song)
#5 - 8
#6 - 6 (slower song)
#7 - 9.5 (f/ daz dillinger -- also on "Gang Related" sndtk)
#8 - 9 (f/ tray deee -- about sticky green & alcohol)
#9 - 7 (about dirty h0e$)
#10 - 5 (f/ butch cassidy)
#11 - 9.5 (f/ 2Pac {R.I.P.} -- about their homies)
#12 - 9 (upbeat song about hitting off other girls even if he got one already)
#13 - 10 (Classic upbeat song about getting his money)
#14 - 7.5 (f/ snoop dogg)
#16 - 2 (SLOW song -- f/ pamela hale)

DISC 2
#2 - 7.5
#3 - 7
#4 - 9.5 (upbeat song)
#5 - 8 (f/ barbara wilson)
#6 - 4 (slow song)
#7 - 8.5
#8 - 9.5 (about how he's stone cold)
#9 - 7 (f/ warren g & Snoop dogg (213)
#10 - 10 (Classic upbeat song by Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger & Kurupt -- Nate Dogg does a few ad libs)
#11 - 4.5 (f/ butch cassidy & uisaac hayes -- slow song)
#12 - 10 (CLASSIC -- one of my all time favorites --- f/ Warren G --- about how no one can do it better then them)
#13 - 9.5 (f/ Big Syke -- great beat)
#14 - 8 (f/ snoop dogg & kurupt)
#15 - 3 (slow song)

DPG
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale -- b. around 1972 -- Long Beach, CA

check all my reviews December 23, 2004

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