G-Funk Page #9

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invite you to the weddin'!

[Too Short] During that era,

G-Funk sold more records

than any group

in any era number-wise.

[screaming]

No matter where we went

all over the world,

people embraced G-Funk

and what we did.

G-Funk was more

than just a sound.

See, G-Funk opened rap up

to a bigger audience,

because it would never go

out of style or come in style

because it was a melody.

[Big Boy] People were so

intrigued for whatever reason.

It could have been you

really enjoyed the music,

you really enjoyed

the lifestyle,

or you also felt

this little thing where

you felt like, man, this is-

you know, this is dangerous.

White folks is gonna always

be fascinated with niggas.

It's the nature of the beast.

[man] 'Cause I love...

the beat lives.

I've always

listened to it.

You know, white people

are gettin' into it.

[The D.O.C.] The reason they

fell in love with it is because

it's just dope, you know,

and they wish

they could do the sh*t.

[Big Boy] You'd see boxers

walk out to it.

You would see

football players.

You'd see cats from baseball,

that's their walk-out song.

[Sanders] You know, most people

in their locker rooms,

you know, trying to get...

hype themself up to play.

In Atlanta with the Falcons?

It wasn't nothin' but noise.

The head coach,

Jerry Glanville,

he brought

in these huge speakers

where it was a concert

in the locker room, man.

I wouldn't say

it crossed over

because when

something's so good

and something's

at another level,

it ain't a crossover.

It is what it is.

Like Jordan's so good,

Jordan ain't black or white.

Jordan's Jordan, man.

So when you hear

that beat drop...

the white dudes, yeah.

The black dudes.

The coaches.

The ball boys.

Everybody, you know?

It's the lifestyle

of partyin' and smokin',

drinkin', hangin'.

Everybody gotta get on.

It was like a new day.

That basically opened the door

for East Coast listeners

to feel cool

with playin' West Coast music,

because before that point,

niggas on the East

couldn't just play

West Coast music like that.

They was looked at as like,

"Nigga, what is you doin'

playin' that sh*t?"

until we made it

fashionably cool with the sound

that took over America

to where it was like,

"Oh, you not playin' it?

You the only nigga on the block

that ain't playin' it."

[Ice T] Everybody

had their own level of success,

so there wasn't no hatin'

goin' on.

We were handlin' business.

Business was getting handled.

But at the same time,

it was just too much fun

at that age to be makin'

that sort of impact

in the music industry.

It was just too much there

to not enjoy.

And I was like, "These dudes

is turned up, man.

They livin' la vida loca."

[woman] I got handcuffs

at home waitin' for you!

I got handcuffs waitin' for

you on my bed at home!

[sound fades]

[money counter clicks]

[jet engine whining,

pen scratching]

[Ice T] Death Row

had really come out

and really made a mark

in the music business.

Takin' rap's shine from New York

had never been done.

Death Row, you know,

they was the best

at that G-Funk style,

and only people that can

even... hint

or sniff in their direction

was Bad Boy at the time.

["Hypnotize"

by The Notorious B.I.G. playing]

Sicka than your average

Poppa twist cabbage

off instinct

[Snoop Dogg] Puffy, he

had started Bad Boy Records,

you know,

out there in New York.

Timbs for my hooligans

In Brooklyn

Dead right

If the head right

Biggie there e'ry night

Poppa been smooth

Since days of Underroos

[Snoop Dogg] He had signed

Biggie around this time,

and he was starting

to blow up with a lot of hits

that used the same samples

from the same era

that influenced us.

You know, but Suge,

he wasn't down with that.

Just hit the east side

Of the LBC

On a mission trying

To find Mr. Warren G

Seen a car full of girls

Ain't no need to tweak

All of you skirts know

What's up with 213

First of all,

I'd like to thank God.

Second of all, I'd like thank

my whole, entire

Death Row family on both sides,

you know what I'm sayin'?

I'd like to tell Tupac

keep his guards up.

We ride with him.

And what else

that I'd like to say?

Any artist out there

wanna be an artist

and wanna stay a star

and don't wanna have to worry

about the executive producer

trying to be all in the videos,

all on the records,

dancin', come to Death Row!

[audience hooting]

I think that was the moment...

just period, the moment

where everything Suge said

was directed directly to Puffy.

And he put that out there,

Puff took it in,

and the sh*t went to where

it went to.

It was a bold move

also to do it in New York.

Suge had a problem

with Puffy.

That was his personal problem.

But the thing is

this one particular guy

is a representation

of the East Coast.

So the East Coast

took offense to it.

That's what made it

an East Coast/West Coast war.

The East Coast was behind Puffy

'cause they supported him,

and the West Coast

was behind Suge,

and he was behind us.

By him being on our team

and being our leader,

we'd naturally have

to ride with him.

Divide and conquer

is his primary tactic.

In order for me to get

the support I need,

let me make sure

that I alienate the ones

that aren't going to be with me.

They say it all the time

in that culture...

"Either you with me

or you against me."

That's gang culture.

They're throwing Bad Boy,

Bad Boy and Death Row.

So it's like I'm lookin'

at the room,

you could see all them

New York niggas,

like, huddlin' up

like, ""Nigga, it's all of us

versus them niggas."

Al these weak rappers, Naz,

all these suckers,

they battlin' over East and

West like this is a game.

This ain't no game.

[Snoop Dogg] Media did what

they were supposed to do.

They took a story

and ran with it.

And turned it into something.

Controversy.

And controversy sells.

Every other question

they would ask us

was about East/West.

[Simmons] I blame

The Source magazine,

and I especially blame Vibe

for creating an environment

where people got killed.

They were instigating

something

they didn't even understand.

These nonviolent poets

who escaped the hood

were surrounded by

violent people with no future.

[Knight] Ain't nothin' between...

you with us?

Those who are with us,

we got love for you.

Those who are not with us...

you don't even exist.

We didn't know the...

consequences

and repercussions

from what the youth

would see out of it,

what the streets would see

out of it,

and what the music industry

would see out of it.

We was just kids.

Shakur was shot four times

after leaving the Mike Tyson

boxing match in Las Vegas

in a car driven

by Marion "Suge" Knight,

the head of his label,

Death Row records.

[Simmons] I should have

got involved earlier.

I should I should've put

Suge and Puff in a room.

I should've put people

together.

[male reporter]

On March 9, 1997,

Biggie Smalls was shot

and killed in Los Angeles.

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