Milk Crate's Top 10 Albums: Kannon #10

I was born in the central coast of California in 1986. For the first 18 years of my life I lived there. I was always big into music as a child, but for the first few years of my life, I listened to what my parents listened to (as I'm sure most of you did). This being the case, I grew up listening to a lot of Jazz music, a whole lot of Phil Collins, some classic rock and funk, and a bunch of country music (on my moms side) that I did whatever I could to avoid. I was fortunate enough to be able to claim Michael Jackson's Thriller as the first full length cassette tape that I ever owned. It was a gift from my father. On the flip side, the first CD I ever purchased with my own money was TLC's CrazySexyCool. Not quite as proud of that one, but I embrace it. 1993 was the year that I remember really getting into hip hop music. And being on the West coast, the music that was being played on the radio was almost all tied back to NWA. It was like 6 degrees of Eazy. Although a few east coast emcees and groups made their way onto the stations, it was largely Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Daz & Kurupt, Tupac, Nate Dogg, and basically anyone else you could think to mention who had worked in that circle. One of the first albums I really fell in love with from front to back, is my #10 selection....

10. Warren G - Regulate... G Funk Era

As was probably the case with most people, the first stand out song of Warren's I heard was "Regulate" featuring Nate Dogg (R.I.P.). And, although he was part of a huge camp that were all doing pretty big things, there was always something about Warren G that set him apart from his peers to me.


Warren G ft. Nate Dogg - Regulate

When thinking about what makes an album one of the greatest of all time, I have to think about longevity. And when I was compiling this list, I realized that I can still listen to this album from front to back today, and its just as dope as it was the first time I heard it. This album was first released in June of 1994, and I remember borrowing the cd from a friend of mine that summer. Regulate... contains 12 tracks, including two skits. And of the 10 songs on the album, I couldnt find a bad one. But my favorite track from the album was always "This DJ." There was something almost haunting about the synths and the harmonies in the chorus that kept this song on repeat. By the end of the summer, I'm pretty sure I could recite this song word for word, and I can still do a pretty decent job haha.


Warren G - This DJ

One of my other favorite things about this album was that Warren used it as a platform to introduce the listeners to a variety of other artists that he co-signed. Almost every track had a feature of some sort, and one song in particular (Super Soul Sis) didnt even have Warren on it at all. But the only guest spot that ended up getting some decent shine after this album was The Dove Shack. I'm sure the name doesnt sound familiar. They never really had a ton of exposure, other than being that group that chilled with Warren... But the song they did with Warren on this album was another one of my favorites...


Warren G ft. The Dove Shack - This Is The Shack

In conclusion, this album stand the test of time for me. It also takes me back to a better time, when all I had to worry about was how to get past King Koopa haha. But the music is still dope to me, and Warren G was one of the illest producers in his heyday.

High point: "This DJ."
Low point: The chorus on "So Many Ways." Oh, and also when Warren says, "Whats next, whats next, whats N-X-E-T"

Purchase Warren G - Regulate...G Funk Era: iTunes | Amazon (MP3) | Amazon (Physical)

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