Why Warren G always preferred this rapper to Biggie Smalls
Warren G has profoundly impacted hip-hop, and most don’t even realise the full extent of his influence. Notably, he helped Dr Dre bring G-funk and the West Coast sound to the mainstream in the 1990s. Furthermore, as the creator of the hit album Regulate…G Funk Era, the lyricist (real name Warren Griffin) has an essential place in hip-hop history.
As both a producer and emcee, Griffin worked with many West Coast artists, such as the Long Beach native Daz Dillinger, Tha Dogg Pound, Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg. Warren G’s production features on a multitude of G-funk projects, and he made some of Death Row’s most iconic tracks, carving out an immaculate legacy in the process.
Warren G grew up in the same Long Beach neighbourhood as Snoop Dogg and was close friends with Nate Dogg. During the late 1980s, the three emcees were recording demos, and much to their surprise, one of which ended up launching the career of Snoop Dogg.
As someone in proximity to Death Row, despite not being signed to the label, Warren G knows first-hand what it was like experiencing the East Coast versus West Coast battle between 2Pac and Biggie Smalls. As one of Snoop Dogg’s closest friends, Warren G was wary of the dangers of the feud, and Snoop Dogg was even at Griffin’s house when 2Pac was shot.
That said, akin to Snoop, Warren G had no ill will towards Biggie Smalls or any of the Death Row artists. However, during an appearance on the Drink Champs podcast hosted by Noreaga and DJ EFN, Griffin was asked who he prefers between the Brooklyn rapper and Big L, and his answer was surprising.
Responding to DJ EFN’s question concerning who was the better emcee, Griffin stated, “Big L. Big L was harder than a muthaf*cka! I didn’t get to meet him. I heard his music, and I was like, ‘This n*gga hard!'”
He continued, “He was on some thug sh*t way back before a lot of gangster sh*t was coming out. He was vicious”. Big L was murdered on West 139th Street in Harlem in 1999, the prevailing narrative is that he was shot in retaliation for something his brother did.