Here’s a truly amazing piece from Pitchfork on Warren G’s impact on the G-Funk era. While Dre’s name is often the one most prominently associated with the genre, it quite possibly may not have existed without little stepbrother Warren. Check out the excerpts below and then head to pitchfork for a truly exceptional piece of Hip-Hop literature.

Here is a brief excerpt from the article:

Life became rhythm when the night’s ad-hoc DJ[1] asked Dre’s stepbrother Warren Griffin III, aka G’d Up, if he had any music. Tossing a friend the car keys, Warren told him to dig the 213 demo tape out the car—quick. 213 was Warren G, Calvin “Snoop Doggy Dog” Broadus, and Nathaniel “Nate Dogg” Hale, lifelong friends from Pop Warner football and the streets of eastside Long Beach.

It’s hard to imagine hearing Snoop’s aftershave sneer and Nate’s bloodshot gospel for the first time. Maybe it was like being at the Atlanta soda fountain when the ex-morphine addict who invented Coca-Cola rolled up to offer the initial fix—complete with the tonic’s namesake secret ingredient. It was refreshing and addictive, and people began dancing.

Lumbering in from the next room, Dr. Dre asked: “What is this shit? It’s banging.”

Click here for the full article.

Related: Take a Trip Back to the G-Funk Era With This Video Playlist (Video)