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G-funk

(Redirected from G Funk)

G-funk, an abbreviation of Gangsta-funk, is a type of hip hop music that emerged from West Coast gangsta rap in the early 1990s. The accepted progenitor of the sound is Dr. Dre, whose 1992 (see 1992 in music) album The Chronic invented and named the sound, which is a slow, stoned P-funk inspired style characterized by 'groovy' bass lines and synthesizers (though some dispute this claim and assert that it was Eazy-E who originated G-Funk). The genre's most notable feature is a high portamento sine wave keyboard lead. After Dr. Dre's success, G-funk became the dominant sound in hip hop for several years, with Death Row Records artists like Snoop Doggy Dogg and Warren G (blessed with Dre's production) crossing over to the mainstream.

Also, G-funk uses similar production cues, if not the same, as San Francisco Bay Area hip hop created "Mobb Music ." Mobb Music incorporates the G-funk sound, with more tempo variations, less portamento, synthesizers, Moog bass lines, and more live instruments. The sound, Mobb Music, can be attributed to a host of producers such as Mike Mosley, Sean T, One Drop Scott, Cellski, Ant Banks, JT the Bigga Figga, Dj Darryl, Ric Roc, and Studio Tone. SF Bay Area hip hop artists, San Quinn, RBL Posse, Mac Dre, E-40, B-Legit, Suga-T, D-Shot, Too $hort, Mac Mall, Gelo, C-Bo, JT the Bigga Figga, 11/5, Cold World Hustlas, 3xCrazy, UDI, Guce, and Spice-1, used Mobb Music as the back drop for most of their lyrics.

There has been some debate about Mobb Music having a longer presence on the West Coast hip hop scene than G-funk, which gained more commercial acceptance.

Last updated: 09-12-2005 02:39:13