Reader Review: Warren G - I Want It All (October 12, 1999)

(Today I’ve running a Reader Review from BrianL for Warren G’s third album I Want It All. My own attempts at writing up this project resulted in multiple false starts, as I just couldn’t sit down to listen to any of this without becoming easily distracted by literally anything else. Does this mean that the album is of subpar quality? Read on to find out, maybe?)

To me, the producer-slash-rapper Warren G is something of a tragic figure. While he’s certainly seen some reward for his talent and efforts within the music industry, he lives in the shadow of his peers. As a rapper, he has the misfortune of being average at best while being close to the owner of one of the smoothest deliveries in hip hop history, Snoop (Doggy) Dogg, and one of the genre’s finest crooners in the late Nate Dogg (the three also formed a group, 213, which existed long before Snoop’s record deal with Death Row Records). He also has a tendency to be outclassed by just about every artist he’s ever been around, which, given Warren’s own limited ability in the field of rap, was likely inevitable.

Under different circumstances it would have been far rosier regarding recognition on the production side, where Warren Griffin III’s primary talent lies: he is a very capable crafter of laidback summertime G-Funk grooves. Sadly, he’s outshined here as well, as his half-brother just so happens to be Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, a man many consider to be one of the finest producers in the history of music. That the man is not even his biological brother must have made both the association and the overshadowing all the more frustrating. To add insult to injury, the good Doctor has never shown all that much interest in Warren’s endeavors beyond the bare-minimum support and very few collaborative efforts over the span of a quarter of a century. Dre’s not alone on that last point, though: Warren’s friends in the DPGC family have only occasionally seen fit to invite the man onto their projects as either a producer or featured artist. In my view, the G-Child deserved better, as he certainly never lacked in enthusiasm for them.

In likely response, Warren was given far too much responsibility over both his career and those of his protégés too soon. Those stories have already been told in Max’s reviews for his solo debut, his sophomore album, the album he produced for The Twinz in 1995, and the EP he released in 2015 to cash in on hip hop nostalgia, so check out those write-ups for more details. My guest review will deal with his third album, I Want It All, which has been a part of my collection for probably a decade now. It features songs which still get spun by me, though whether that tells you more about the project’s quality or my associative memory when listening to music is a valid question, and I must admit it’s been a while since I listened to it from start to finish.

On his first two albums, most of Warren G’s preferred collaborators were signed to Death Row Records, whose CEO, Suge Knight, had previously declined to give him a deal even with his connections, forcing him to find salvation at Def Jam Records. For whatever reason, Suge played hardball with Warren, refusing to clear any guest appearances from any of his artists (except for Nate Dogg, for some reason), which left him to make do with the assistance he could get from his own friends outside of that camp. However, 1999 was a very different year: Death Row had imploded, and most of its acts had either jumped ship or were far more willing to go against Suge’s career advice. For I Want It All, Warren was free to invite his musical brethren without having to find a quiet place to cry from rejection afterward, and luckily for our host, his friends were also eager to show up to the studio. As a result, it was only on his third album that Warren was finally able to get not just Nate Dogg, but also Snoop, Daz, Kurupt and, for good measure, RBX, in the booth, while Soopafly pops up behind the boards. (Though nowhere on the actual album, Dr. Dre gave I Want It All some promotional consideration as well, which I’ll get to in a bit.)  Not one to waste a good chance at career resurrection, our host also invited a slew of folks from outside of his circle, an act which certainly affected the project as a whole.

1. INTRO

Let’s not waste our time reviewing boring intros, shall we?

2. GANGSTA LOVE (FEAT. RBX, NATE DOGG, & KURUPT)

The most interesting aspect of “Gangsta Love” may be that it marks the first time RBX appeared alongside his former Death Row brethren after leaving them in 1995 (if we choose to ignore the time he cameoed alongside Snoop Dogg on MC Ren’s “So Whatcha Want?”, from the 1998 album Ruthless 4 Life). He’s popped up on loads of other tracks with them since, but this could be considered something of a reunion track. I seem to be among the few of this blog’s readers to like the man a lot, but I can’t say this song makes for a very grand return. The Narrator’s unique voice and flow work best over hard, preferably dark beats, and Warren G’s score here is as breezy and light as they come. This makes the combination sound unbalanced, especially as Warren insisted on having RBX also record whispered ad-libs repeating his own first lines on here, which makes it sound like he’s being indecently proposed to by a “Phenomenon”-era LL Cool J after having smoked too many cigarettes. However, this is still a pretty good track: everyone involved sounds energized and seems to enjoy being here, which means a lot. No one involved makes an effort to impress lyrically, which does detract from the experience even though no one sounds bad. Warren, RBX and Kurupt end up rapping two short verses each while Nate Dogg provides a simple but entertaining-enough outro, which appears to suggest something that is objectively false: the four vocalists here all grew up together in Long Beach. Surely he must have known that Kurupt hailed from Philadelphia? A good enough start altogether.

3. WHY OH WHY (FEAT. DAZ & KURUPT)

Warren was clearly aiming for a more energetic background here, something that could house both halves of Tha Dogg Pound. The chorus was pretty annoying,  incorporating reactions from random people with Daz singing. Daz also drops the longest verse, which was not the best choice, given that Kurupt puts more effort into his contribution here than usual. That being said, Daz’s verse is not bad, simply uninteresting, he unsurprisingly dominates “Why Oh Why”, while our host’s fairly short verse sails by without leaving much in its wake.

4. DOLLAZ MAKE SENSE (FEAT. KURUPT & CRUCIAL CONFLICT)

So far, Kurupt has appeared on every actual song on I Want It All, but on “Dollaz Make Sense” he only saw fit to provide an intro before giving way to the slightly staccato beat and Warren G himself. Our host sounds confident and decent enough lyrically, resulting in a good listening experience… at least until Crucial Conflict come in. Apparently this Chicago-based quartet had a decent run as a rap act (if you want to refer to a single hit song as “a decent run as a rap act”, I’m not going to stop you, as that is actually impressive), but I have only listened to them on this one song and fail to understand how: their voices make my ears bleed. Fortunately, Warren himself provides a second short, enjoyable verse to top things off so you can forget the racket provided by his guests. This could have been very enjoyable had Warren decided to invite some of his more entertaining friends instead.

5. I WANT IT ALL (FEAT. MACK 10)

Mack 10’s Westside Connection group mate WC would appear on Warren’s next album to add something to the proceedings, as was his wont. Mack 10 did not do that when given the opportunity first on “I Want It All”, but still, this track isn’t too bad. Instead of the usual trite gangsta tales we’ve grown to expect, the two emcees rap about material objects they desire, as opposed to only boasting about what they want us to believe they already own. This certainly helps to make them sound relatable, and in that sense, the fact that both of them are not the greatest of rappers actually helps the cause. Combined with the feel-good beat, we end up with a low-key enjoyable track that breathes summertime relaxation. Warren’s “joke” at the end of his first verse is too lame for words, though, and surely he could have thought of better things to want than “socks and drawers”. You’re a rapper, for Christ’s sake!

6. HAVIN’ THINGS (FEAT. JERMAINE DUPRI & NATE DOGG)

Jermaine Dupri is one of those figures in hip hop I feel should not willingly be invited anywhere out of general principle, but he’s here, so I’ll have to make do, as will you, the listener. He and our host are both capable producers who are not particularly great as rappers, so one would think that any collaboration between the two would take place behind the boards. Unfortunately, we end up with both men performing extremely generic verses while the beat suffers from sheer unfulfilled promise. Nate Dogg’s here, as well, and he treats us to an utterly boring hook, an okay bridge, and a pleasant-sounding short verse that really is the highlight of this track. But you miss nothing if you never hear this one.

7. YOU NEVER KNOW (FEAT. SNOOP DOGG, PHATS BOSSI, & REEL TIGHT)

The beat is another laidback affair, guest star Snoop Dogg doesn’t follow suit: his opening verse is performed on auto-pilot, even though his lyrics are decent enough. Not the greatest way to finally make an appearance on your homey’s solo albums, Calvin. Warren does the second verse himself, which means there’s not much of an impact there either, which leaves Phats Bossi (of Yukmouth’s former group The Regime) with the short straw. Given that I’m no fan of rappers who shout their verses, he can only take the song so far, but at least he tried to bring some energy to the table. I am quite fond of the smooth chorus provided by Reel Tight, though. Following our host’s tendency to sign supporting acts to his company that simply vanish from the face of the earth, this appears to be their last recorded appearance ever. Same for Phats Bossi, by the way, despite the co-sign he briefly received from Dr. Dre, which resulted in the fairly entertaining unreleased track “Through the Rain”, which mostly stands out as the lone song produced by both Warren G and Dr. Dre. Look it up on the Interwebs.

8. MY MOMMA (OLA MAE)

Soopafly adds his touch to I Want It All by producing this Warren G solo effort. The resulting beat is atypically low-key for Priest Brooks, but it blends in with everything else we’ve heard so far. Warren waxes poetically about his late mother, sounding sincere and relatable, if a bit corny. The references to God I could do without, mostly because I cannot stand rappers who try to sound pious while still celebrating hedonism, adultery, crime, and whatnot, but that’s neither here nor there, and ultimately this song is fairly enjoyable, if nothing special.

9. G-SPOT (FEAT. VAL YOUNG & EL DEBARGE)

Now this is a good song, despite its questionable title. Warren raps confidently about women without sounding particularly disrespectful while his guests harmonize to great effect on the hook. There are a few very corny bars sprinkled throughout, but the smiles they evoke add more to the track’s entertainment value.

10. WE GOT THAT (FEAT. EVE, DRAG-ON, & SHADOW)

I won’t lie: I’ve always considered “We Got That” to be a highlight even if it’s nowhere near great. The ramped-up energy levels contrast nicely with the rest of I Want It All. Eve sounds particularly good on here, while Drag-On and Shadow manage to hold their own, even if no one exceeds expectations. My one major problem with the Vada Nobles-produced  “We Got That” appearing on this album: our host adds nothing but an appreciative outro. Not a good look, that.

11. DOPE BEAT

This beat is not dope, and neither are the lyrics.

12. WORLD WYDE RYDERS (FEAT. K-BAR & NEB-LOVE)

Could someone please allow one of these ladies (I believe K-Bar) to either catch her breath or take a lozenge or something? Her extremely hoarse voice on this song is frustrating to listen to. Neb-Love has the advantage, and yet still sounds bad. Warren tries to sound like gangsta here, which has never worked for him in the past because everything about him screams “nice guy” at best or “pathetic poser” at worst. (His debut single featured him trying to start some shit with some locals, but the tables quickly turn and he’s robbed and almost killed before his lord and savior Nate Dogg arrives – that’s kind of a difficult image for me to shake.) The beat doesn’t go anywhere either, so the world being ridden here must have a very small diameter indeed.

13. GAME DON’T WAIT (PERFORMED BY 213)

Another low-energy beat here, one which works a bit better, at least. This is mostly due to the fun Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Nate Dogg (as their former (and future, at least after 1999) group 213) seem to have had recording “Game Don’t Wait), even if it didn’t translate into especially engaging verses. The musical equivalent of some good friends chatting on the couch and chilling.

14. IF WE GIVE YOU A CHANCE (FEAT. SLICK RICK, PHATS BOSSI, & VAL YOUNG)

Finally, a bit more activity! The instrumental isn’t exactly party material, but it still sounds fun. Slick Rick is a weird inclusion for a Warren G album (not really – Warren produced on Slick Rick’s 1994 project Behind Bars) but I can imagine our host wanting to work alongside one of his rhyming heroes. Phats Bossi drops the best verse once again, while Warren should have maybe had some strong coffee or something before or during the process of producing this song. Val Young’s chorus is okay, weaving the track together well.

15. I WANT IT ALL (REMIX) (FEAT. DRAG-ON, MEMPHIS BLEEK, & TIKKI DIAMOND)

A boring song with a very annoying chorus. “I Want It All (Remix)” could be used as a teaching opportunity, explaining in great detail why it can oftentimes be better for artists to stick with their usual tricks and collaborators. (I disagree. Not about this song – it sucks. But sticking with the rivers and lakes that you’re used to can result in some boring-ass music.) Let’s forget this one exists, shall we? Warren ought to have kicked producer Vada Nobles to the curb for presenting him with this.

16. OUTRO

Some utterly unnecessary bullshit that has no reason to exist for its one-and-a-half minutes.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I Want It All works best as a straight-through listen from “Intro” to “If We Give You A Chance”, after which the album should be stopped immediately for the sake of your own mental health, because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Individually, the songs range from bad to pretty good, but there are no real standouts on here: Warren G simply isn’t a good rapper, and he is fully aware of that fact, carrying only two tracks on his own while inviting numerous guests to help fill the ranks otherwise. Normally Warren G is a good producer, though: unfortunately, his talent for making beats isn’t very prevalent on the project, as quite a few of the instrumentals on I Want It All are weak, and the rest average at best. He also doesn’t manage to secure notable performances from most of his guests: only Phats Bossi gave his verses his all, but one shouldn’t expect those to carry the album. All in all, I Want It All is (mostly) enjoyable background music that won’t intrude upon whatever task you’re concentrating on.

BUY OR BURN: I wouldn’t recommend you spend your money on this one.

BEST TRACKS: “Gangsta Love”; “I Want It All”; “‘We Got That”; “‘G-Spot”; “‘If We Give You A Chance”

B-SIDE TO TRACK DOWN: GAME DON’T WAIT (REMIX) (213 FEAT. XZIBIT)

This remix for the 213 track from I Want It All is produced by Dr. Dre and is much better, even if it includes our host’s high-pitched cartoon alter-ego the G-Child, whom I didn’t feel the original was missing. More interesting to me is the inclusion of guest rapper  Xzibit, Dre’s protegé of adoption at the time (shades of Illuvatar from Tolkien’s The Silmarillion adopting the Dwarves as his children despite being created by an upstart underling) (thus concluding the nerdiest reference on the blog since… possibly ever). X to tha Z’s short verse is delivered with passion, and given the fact that he’s also a better lyricist than any of his collaborators on here, he ends up ruling the roost. That being said, he doesn’t say anything of note, nor does anyone else. However, Dre’s jumpy beat works wonders for Warren, Nathaniel, and Snoop, which helps add to the laidback vibe the original take already possessed. (Also, hearing Snoop over Dre prescriptions is always a treat.)

- BrianL

(Questions? Comments? Whatever, just leave them below in the comments, and while you're still on the site, why not catch up on the other Warren G write-ups?)