G-Funk
tagStarted 1991Peak 1992-1996Last big hit still activeFrom Los Angeles, United States
Located in 1 route
Gangsta funk: slow, hypnotic 90-100 BPM grooves built on multi-layered Moog synths, a high, whining portamento sawtooth lead, deep rolling bass, crisp live-feel snares and cooing background vocals. Heavy P-Funk sampling and talkbox accents drape menacing, laid-back rhymes in a sunlit, narcotic West Coast haze.
History
Pioneered in L.A. — Above the Law's Cold 187um claims first invention — then exploded with Dr. Dre's 1992 The Chronic and Snoop's Doggystyle, which made the sound global. Drawing on Parliament-Funkadelic and Zapp, it dominated mid-'90s rap, defined Death Row Records, and remains the template for 'sunny' West Coast production.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-funk
- https://hiphopgoldenage.com/list/10-essential-g-funk-tracks-of-the-1990s/
- https://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/g-funk-ma0000011824