"Regulate" is a 1994 song performed by Warren G and Nate Dogg. Released in the summer of 1994, the track appears on the soundtrack to the film Above the Rim and later Warren G.'s album Regulate...G Funk Era. The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[1] and #8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.[2] It is considered the breakout single for both artists[citation needed] and makes heavy use of a four-bar sample of the rhythm of Michael McDonald's song "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)".[3]
The music video featured scenes from the movie Above the Rim including an appearance by Tupac Shakur.
It was number 98 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop[4] and at number 108 on Pitchfork Media's Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.[5]
Single
- "Regulate" - Warren G (feat. Nate Dogg)
- "Pain" - 2Pac (feat. Stretch)
- "Mi Monie Rite" - Lord G
- "Loyal to the Game" - 2Pac (feat. Treach, Riddler)
Personnel
The song label says it was recorded and mixed at Track Record, Inc. in North Hollywood, California by Greg Geitzenauer, with bass by Andreas Straub, keyboards by Greg Geitzenauer, remixing by Marcus McAdam[citation needed]; with additional recording at G-Child Studio in Long Beach, California.[citation needed] However, in a recent interview Warren G claims to have recorded the song in his apartment[citation needed].
Impact and analysis
"Regulate" became Def Jam's biggest single.[6]
During much of the summer of 1994, the video stayed number one on the MTV charts.[7] In the video as played on MTV, the lyrics are censored with the word "cold" being blanked from the line "Nate Dogg is about to make some bodies turn cold"; an action that Spin equated with racism because more explicit songs by white artists like Johnny Cash were not being censored.[8] The video contained "everyday footage" from the film Above the Rim, as well as new footage,[9] although guest vocalist Nate Dogg did not appear due to conflict between Suge Knight and Def Jam.[10]
The lyrics have been described as "a surreal pastiche of half-sung lyrics about fighting and fucking".[11] Craig Marks recommended Regulate for its "lite rock synth lines and rippling base" but thought that Warren G's rapping abilities were "average".[12]
Awards and nominations
1995 MTV Movie Awards
- Best Movie Song — Regulate by Warren G. & Nate Dogg (nominated)
1995 Grammy Awards
- Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group - Regulate by Warren G. and Nate Dogg (nominated)
Chart position
Peak positions
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End of year charts
| End of year chart (1994) |
Position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] |
22 |
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Remixes and covers
References
External links
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