Song of the Day: Regulate

Today’s song is Regulate by Warren G.

Time for something that holds a significant weight in terms of historical connotations.
This one has a ton of mellow funk elements blended into mid-90’s gangsta rap, which was a popular (yet controversial) sub-genre.
90’s parents had to be mad at something, but it mainly held roots as a reaction to the endless crime/rampant violence/drug scares stemming from the 80’s.
Thankfully, the artistic medium highlighted so much of it that it shaped the culture and led to many artists working to improve conditions (if only slightly).

If you look at the history, you can really see how this song took West Coast themes & G-Funk influences (from what Dre and Snoop Dog were releasing around that time). The lyrics literally note this in the closing lyrics (“Funk on a whole new level”).

The rhythm is the bass and the bass is the treble.

Yeah, the song has violent themes but it was a violent time (west-coast gang activity hitting it’s peak following a heavy string of events).

The history truly is fascinating, drenched in both tragedy and heartbreaking moments.
On the flip side, it also led to some excellent forms of expression (like this song).
It’s worth highlighting. Not just because it has a deep history, but because it’s just a damn good track.

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Click here for the full YouTube playlist (of all of the song’s I’ve talked about).
I’ve talked about hundreds of them, so you’re bound to find something entertaining.