G-Funk godfather Warren G lays it down

Warren G's beats had that thing. That special bah-bum-bum thing that made your head bob when his jams came on the radio.

You couldn't help but groove to multi-platinum hit “Regulate.” The hypnotic 1990s song made him the godfather of G-Funk.

At 38, the West Coast rapper is still performing and will make a Nov. 16 stop at the Whiskey Roadhouse at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs. Warren G has sold 10 million albums worldwide. His most recent release is “The G-Files,” his seventh studio album, which features Travis Barker, Snoop Dogg, Ray J and Raekwon.

Warren recently chatted about his new release, Nate Dogg (who performed with him on “Regulate”) and his standout performance at the recent VH1 “Hip-Hop Honors” tribute to the music label Def Jam:

Q. VH1's “Hip-Hop Honors” recently celebrated Def Jam for the careers of LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy and yourself. What are your thoughts about the music label?

A. Def Jam rolled out the red carpet for me from day one and I hope to be a part of it again. As far as “Hip-hop Honors,” it was a great day for them to honor me and me to honor them. Also to see all of my old and new label mates and the Def Jam staff that helped me get to where I am today.

Q. There's a lot more appreciation for hip-hop now.

A. I think it's great. BET was doing a great job. But VH1 has strictly that platform for all of those artists who deserve to be honored and for the new generation to know what they've done and how they've carried it for the last 25 to 30 years.

Q. Did you ever think your 1994 album “Regulate” would reach the masses? It's one of Def Jam's all-time best-sellers.

A. I knew I had a great record. I just didn't know how big it was going to get.... I'm just happy to be one of those people that are still around. I see a bunch of artists that had albums last year and none of them are around. To be able to do records and people buy them, I'm blessed for that.

I do have a model that some of these young people can follow: You get yourself a good lawyer, a good manager and make sure your business is tight. Also, keep great relationships and don't burn bridges. Don't be one of those guys who want to beef with everyone, because when you go downhill nobody is going to have your back even if you do have a lot of money.

Q. You made a difficult decision early on to go with Def Jam and not Death Row. Were there hard feelings?

A. I did that because I wanted to have my music to be heard. I would have loved to be on Death Row. I wanted to be with my brother (Dr. Dre, who helped found Death Row), but God had other plans for me. Those are still my folks. Hopefully, we'll be able to get back together on “Detox” (Dr. Dre's upcoming album) so people can get a chance to see me, Dre and all of us together.

Q. How did music play a role in your childhood?

A. When I was a kid my father and I used to listen to music — everything from jazz to R&B and soul and reggae. I'd sit there for hours. That's where my ears were trained for music. My brother (Dre) was a DJ, and you know how all little brothers wanted to be like their older brothers. I remember being 10 when I asked him to show me how to DJ. ... I used to always be around Snoop (Dogg) because we went to elementary school together. He always used to rap and I'd try to rap myself. When we got to high school we formed a group. And we've just been rolling like that ever since. At parties, I used to MC and rap with Snoop. I just felt like I wanted to do more than just DJ. ... I started working with Dre on his “Chronic” album, bringing a few ideas to the table. In a short way, that's how it all jumped off. When I branched out on my own, there wasn't no room for me. There was a long line to get on at Death Row. I just didn't want to be DJ-ing. I just wanted my music to be heard. So I went ahead and did that.

Q. No hard feelings?

A. Nah, Dre is my brother. Snoop was my homeboy. I mean ... (long pause.) It is what it is. Even today a lot of people keep asking how come Dre doesn't have me on his label. I can't call that one out. He has who he wants to have on his record and the same with Snoop. I'd love to work with such incredible producers. But I'm not mad at them. I wish we could work more together. I wish I could be on “Aftermath.” I wish I could work hand-in-hand with Dre. It's his call. I'm open all day.

Q. You brought an all-star cast of musicians, from Snoop to Travis Barker and Raekwon, into your new album “G-Files.”

A. I love what Travis does on those drums. There for a while I was performing a lot with him. So I asked him to be on my album. Me, him and (the late DJ) A.M. were doing shows. He came in and laid it down. I asked Snoop and boom. That was automatic. The same with Ray J. It's respect. The average artist can't just call Snoop and ask him to be on their album. Raekwon is an incredible artist and I finally got a chance to work with him. I have mad love for him.

Q. Tell me about your single “Swagger Rich” with Snoop.

A. I wanted to mix some G-Funk with electro-hip-hop. I wanted people to know that I'm swagga rich but I'm rich without chains, cars and clothes. It's natural. I don't have to wear a chain or any of that stuff. I'm born with it.

Q. How's Nate Dogg (who suffered his second stroke of the year in September)?

A. He's in slow recovery ... in therapy. He's progressing real good. We're praying for a fast recovery.

Q. Did his stroke come as a shock?

A. It was an eye-opener for everyone. We're all getting older. When you hit 40, I'm not 40 yet, but when I do that's when it's time to think about all these diseases like prostate cancer. I'm going to have my system clean. Hey, I might become a vegan. You never know. I need to exercise more. Right now I've been eating a little bad lately. I had McDonald's the other day. I don't have too much fried food. When we do cook fried food at home, I try to cook it in olive oil.

Q. You know it wasn't just the fried food that got Nate.

A. Yeah. But we all need to take better care of ourselves. Once Nate gets up and running, he needs to.

Q. In your opinion who is the greatest rapping producer of all time and why?

A. I'm really diggin' what Dre does. He's incredible. He does the unthinkable. I really like guys like Quincy Jones who used to put it down. There are a lot of producers, especially the ones of the 1970s, '80s and late '90s. Whoever was arranging for Michael Jackson was incredible. I got the chance to lay down three tracks for Michael. I worked with two of his producers ... where it's at I don't know, somewhere in that vault. Maybe one day we'll hear it.

Contact the writer:

444-1075, j.loza@owh.com