Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang

"Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang"
Single by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg
from the album The Chronic
Released	November 12, 1992 June 18, 1994 (reissue)
Format	12" vinyl, CD single
Recorded	June 1992
Genre	West coast hip hop, g-funk, gangsta rap
Length	3:58
Label	Death Row 53816
Writer(s)	Andre Young, Calvin Broadus
Producer	Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre chronology
"Deep Cover" (1992) "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" (1992) "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')" (1993)
Snoop Doggy Dogg chronology "Deep Cover" (1992) "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" (1992) "Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin')" (1993) Audio sample file info · help

"Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" is a song by American gangsta rapper Dr. Dre, from his debut solo album, The Chronic (1992). It features rapper Snoop Dogg and is the first single from the album. "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, outperforming The Chronic's other singles "Fuck wit Dre Day (and Everybody's Celebratin')", which peaked at #8, and "Let Me Ride", which peaked at #34. The single also reached number one on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. It was also a hit in the UK, where it reached number 31. The song was selected by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll. XXL magazine named it the top hip hop song of the decade. The song samples "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" by Leon Haywood. The single was later reissued in June 1994 in certain European countries.

Background

The vocals are shared by Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg, who has sole songwriting credit, who drop in trademark references to Long Beach and Compton in California. The song contains samples from Leon Haywood's "I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You", B-Side Wins Again by Public Enemy and "Uphill (Peace of Mind)" by Kid Dynamite. On the inside cover of The Chronic album under Credits, Leon Haywood's name is incorrectly cited as "L. Hayward". "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" is listed in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It's Dre's only song on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, ranked number 419, not counting two other songs that feature Dre as producer and on vocals, N.W.A.'s "Fuck tha Police" and 2Pac's "California Love". Q magazine listed it as the 24th greatest hip-hop song of all time. In September 2010 Pitchfork Media included the song at number 3 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.

Snoop Dogg's first single from Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told was a sequel to the song entitled, "Still a G Thang". Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg retooled "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" into the titular theme of their 2001 comedy film The Wash.

The song has also been adopted as a soccer chant at LA Galaxy games by supporters group LA Riot Squad and performed by several hundred fans simultaneously.

Music video

The music video, directed by Dr. Dre, depicts Dr. Dre coming into Long Beach, California to pick up Snoop Dogg and go to a block party. They arrive at the party where they perform the first verses outside, while a barbecue cookout and a game of volleyball goes on. A female player's bikini top is pulled down, exposing her breasts. For the next verses they go inside the house where the party is taking place. A small sequence of events shows a snobbish female party-goer humiliated by being sprayed with shaken-up malt liquor. The video ends with Dre dropping Snoop off back at his house, with Snoop staggering up the driveway. The MTV edit censors nudity, drug paraphernalia, Warren G with a blunt, copyrighted logos, White Sox ball cap, and screen text.

In popular culture

Kris Kross heavily sampled "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang" on their 1993 single "I'm Real". The song "Get It Up" by Silkk the Shocker uses the reworked chorus of "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang". Ja Rule's track "Livin' It Up" contains a sample of the song. It was nominated for a Grammy Award. The song was parodied by The Fringemunks to recap Fringe episode 2.04 "Momentum Deferred". The song was also featured in the hit 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on a fictional radio station, Radio Los Santos

The comedic internet website Funny or Die posted a parody in January 2011, called "Nuthin' But A Glee Thang". The song is about the TV series Glee, co-written by Glee cast member Heather Morris and co-starring Sofia Vergara, Riki Lindhome and Ashley Lendzion. The video features several Glee castmates Matthew Morrison, Cory Monteith, Harry Shum, Jr. & Naya Rivera.

Track Listing

• 1992 CD single

1. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Radio Mix) - 3:56
2. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (LP Version) - 3:58
3. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Instrumental) - 4:06
4. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Club Mix) - 4:38
5. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Vibe Instrumental) - 4:30
6. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Freestyle Remix) - 4:11

• 1994 CD single

1. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Radio Mix) - 3:56
2. "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix) - 4:22
3. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Club Mix) - 4:38
4. "Let Me Ride" (Extended Club Mix) - 11:01

• 1992 12" vinyl

1. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Radio Mix) - 3:56
2. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (LP Version) - 3:58
3. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Instrumental) - 4:06
4. "A Nigga Witta Gun" - 3:56
5. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Club Mix) - 4:38
6. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Freestyle Remix) - 4:11

• 1994 UK 12" vinyl

1. "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix) - 4:22
2. "Let Me Ride" (Extended Club Mix) - 11:01
3. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Freestyle Remix) - 4:11

• 1994 US 12" vinyl

1. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Radio Mix) - 3:56
2. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Red Eye Mix) - 4:25
3. "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" (Club Mix) - 4:38
4. "Let Me Ride" (Radio Mix) - 4:22

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1992-1993)	Peak position
New Zealand (RIANZ)	39
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)	31
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles	1

See also

• R&B number-one hits of 1993 (USA)

External links

• Music video at MTV.com