<P> G - funk, given its name by Laylaw from Lawhouse Production, became a very popular genre of hip hop in the 1990s . Although G - funk originated in Los Angeles, the subgenre drew a large amount of influence from the earlier Bay Area - based sound known as Mobb music of the mid - to late 1980s, pioneered by Oakland rappers like Too Short & E-40 . Too Short had experimented with looping sounds from classic P - Funk records over bass - heavy tracks during this period . However, unlike Bay Area Mobb music, Southern California - born G - funk used more portamento synthesizers and less live instrumentation . Too Short's lazy, drawl - heavy delivery was also a major influence on later G - funk rappers like Snoop Dogg . </P> <P> There has been some debate over who should be considered the "father of G - funk". Dr. Dre is generally believed to have developed the sound, but Cold187um and KMG of Above the Law, Laylaw for Lawhouse Production have claimed that they developed the sound . Cold187um and KMG claim that Dr. Dre did not credit the group for pioneering the style when he released The Chronic, his Death Row debut album . They both released records on Ruthless Records prior to that . Warren G and Snoop Dogg were with Cold187um before joining Dr. Dre and Death Row . On Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album, Warren G and Daz Dillinger from Tha Dogg Pound claim they produced "Ain't No Fun", even though Dre is credited as the album's sole producer . </P> <P> The earliest use of sine wave synthesizers and Parliament - Funkadelic - style bass grooves in Dr. Dre's work appeared on N.W.A's single "Alwayz into Somethin"' from their 1991 album Efil4zaggin . When Dr. Dre's 1992 Death Row debut album The Chronic was released, the album was immensely successful, and consequently made g - funk a popular genre of hip hop . </P> <P> Another early G - funk pioneer, also from Compton, was rapper and producer DJ Quik, who was already using P - Funk instrumentals as early as 1991 in his debut album Quik Is the Name, though his most recognizable G - funk album would be 1995's Safe & Sound and also Battlecat, whose aesthetic is a progression from the early -' 90s G - Funk sound pioneered by the group Above the Law, characterized by phat synth bass lines and soulful keys . Other well known artists that used G - funk were Bone Thugs - n - Harmony, Tupac Shakur, Nate Dogg, Mac Dre, Spice 1, Geto Boys, Havoc & Prodeje, BG Knocc Out, Dresta, Rappin' 4 - Tay, 3X Krazy and Warren G. Warren G's first album was called Regulate...G Funk Era, which featured Nate Dogg - who called himself "the king of G - funk". </P>

The g-funk style is characterized by all of the following except