If you ask a casual fan who started G-Funk, they’ll probably point at Dr. Dre. They’ll talk about The Chronic. They might mention Snoop Dogg’s laid-back flow. But if you’re actually from the era, or if you spent any real time digging through the crates of 1990s Pomona hip-hop, you know that’s only half the story. Honestly, it might not even be the most important half. Above the Law didn't just participate in the West Coast explosion; they provided the blueprint that everyone else eventually followed.
Cold 18um, KMG the Illustrator, Go Mack, and DJ Total K-OSS weren't just rappers. They were architects.
When they dropped Livin' Like Hustlers in 1990, the landscape changed. It wasn't just another gangsta rap record. It was sophisticated. It was cinematic. It had the backing of Eazy-E and Ruthless Records, but the DNA was something entirely new. While others were still loop-digging and sampling James Brown breaks with a standard boom-bap grit, Above the Law was moving toward live instrumentation and "Mansonite" textures.
The Pomona Sound vs. The World
Pomona isn’t Los Angeles. It’s the Inland Empire. That distinction matters because Above the Law brought a different kind of suburban-meets-street energy to the table. They were more "pimp-ish" than the N.W.A. collective, blending a certain player-philosophical vibe with the hard-hitting reality of the crack era.
Cold 18um (Gregory Hutchinson) is the name you need to remember here. He’s a musical polymath. His father was a professional musician who worked with Willie Hutch, so Greg grew up around Motown royalty. This wasn't a kid just playing with a sampler; this was a trained ear who understood arrangement, key changes, and the soulful bounce of 70s funk.
He’s often cited—and he’ll tell you himself in just about every interview he’s given for the last thirty years—as the true originator of G-Funk.
He isn't lying.
Listen to "Untouchable" or "Murder Rap." The high-pitched synthesizers, the heavy melodic basslines, and the cinematic atmosphere are all there well before 1992. When Dr. Dre was working on the Deep Cover soundtrack and eventually The Chronic, he was spending a significant amount of time around Cold 18um. The exchange of ideas was constant. While Dre is a genius of polish and execution, the structural innovation of that "whining" synth sound frequently traces back to the 187um’s laboratory in Pomona.
The Ruthless Connection
Eazy-E knew exactly what he had. He treated Above the Law as the sophisticated wing of Ruthless Records. They were the ones who could bridge the gap between the raw, shock-value street reports of N.W.A. and something more musical, more "adult."
Livin' Like Hustlers was co-produced by Dr. Dre, but the creative tension was obvious. You can hear the transition. Tracks like "Ballin'" showed a group that was comfortable being smooth while still being dangerous. They weren't trying to be the loudest guys in the room. They were the guys in the corner who already owned the room.
- Livin' Like Hustlers (1990): The breakthrough.
- Vocally Pimpin' (1991): An EP that doubled down on the pimp-persona and smoothed out the edges.
- Black Mafia Life (1993): The undisputed masterpiece that defined their cinematic vision.
- Uncle Sam's Curse (1994): A socio-political pivot that was decades ahead of its time.
Why Black Mafia Life is the Real G-Funk Bible
If you want to understand the evolution of West Coast rap, you have to sit with Black Mafia Life. Released in 1993, it was delayed because of the legal drama surrounding the death of the N.W.A. era and the rise of Death Row Records. But when it finally hit? It was a revelation.
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"V.S.O.P." is a masterclass in mood. It’s thick. It’s hazy. It feels like a humid night in the I.E.
The chemistry between Cold 18um and KMG the Illustrator was unmatched. KMG had this raspy, conversational flow that felt like a big brother giving you game on the porch. He didn't need to shout to get your attention. His voice was the perfect anchor for 18um’s more aggressive, high-energy delivery.
And then there’s the guest list. You had 2Pac, MC Ren, and Eazy-E all showing up, not as stars overshadowing the group, but as peers paying respect to the sound. This album proved that Above the Law could carry a whole sub-genre on their backs. They were exploring themes of institutional racism, economic struggle, and internal community politics while making music that you could play in a lowrider.
It’s actually kinda tragic that this album doesn't get the same "Greatest of All Time" billing as Doggystyle. It’s every bit as consistent. It’s arguably more musically complex. But because Ruthless was losing the PR war against Suge Knight’s Death Row machine at the time, Above the Law became the "connoisseur’s choice" rather than the pop-culture standard.
Uncle Sam's Curse: The Forgotten Political Masterpiece
By 1994, the West Coast was leaning heavily into party music. The G-Funk era had turned into "G-Thang" parodies in some corners. Above the Law went the opposite direction. They got dark. They got angry. They got smart.
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Uncle Sam's Curse is one of the most paranoid, claustrophobic, and brilliant hip-hop albums ever made.
The group began looking at the "The System" with a magnifying glass. Songs like "Kalifornia" and "Rain Be For You" aren't just about street life; they're about the mechanics of why the street life exists. They talked about the government's role in the inner city, the crack epidemic as a tool of suppression, and the feeling of being trapped in a cycle designed for failure.
It was a pivot that confused some fans who just wanted more "V.S.O.P." vibes. But it solidified their legacy. They weren't just here to dance. They were here to document.
The Loss of KMG and the Legacy of the 187um
The hip-hop world took a massive hit in 2012 when KMG the Illustrator passed away. He was the soul of the group. Without that "Illustrator" perspective, the group's dynamic changed forever.
Cold 18um has stayed incredibly active, releasing solo projects and even doing a stint with Psychopathic Records (which was a weird crossover for some fans, but showed his range). He’s also been one of the most vocal advocates for recognizing the history of the music. He doesn't shy away from claiming his crown. He knows what he built.
There’s a common misconception that Above the Law was just a "Ruthless side project." That’s disrespectful. They were a self-contained unit. They wrote, they produced, they conceptualized. They influenced everyone from Warren G to DJ Quik. In fact, the "Quik vs. 18um" debates in Pomona and Compton are legendary among heads who care about who actually pioneered the melodic West Coast bounce.
How to Properly Appreciate Above the Law Today
If you’re just getting into them, don’t start with a "Greatest Hits." You’ll miss the progression.
You need to hear the shift from the sample-heavy Livin' Like Hustlers to the synthesized world of Black Mafia Life. Notice the way the basslines start to take on a life of their own. Notice how the drums become crisper, more deliberate.
The group's influence is still everywhere. When you hear Kendrick Lamar or ScHoolboy Q lean into those weird, dark, atmospheric West Coast textures, you're hearing the echoes of Uncle Sam's Curse. When you hear a producer use a live bass player to recreate a P-Funk vibe, that's the 187um blueprint in action.
They were "Above the Law" because they refused to follow the standard industry rules of what a rap group should be. They didn't chase trends. They created the weather that everyone else lived in.
Take Action: Reclaiming the History
If you actually care about hip-hop history, you've got to do more than just stream the hits.
- Listen to Black Mafia Life from start to finish with headphones. Pay attention to the layering. The way 18um stacks the synths is literally how the G-Funk sound was "composed" rather than just "sampled."
- Watch the "Murder Rap" video. Look at the aesthetic. It’s 1990, but they already had the look and feel of the "G" era that wouldn't become mainstream for another two years.
- Research Gregory Hutchinson's production credits. You’ll be surprised how many tracks he touched without necessarily taking the front-and-center credit.
- Share the music. The biggest reason Above the Law isn't mentioned alongside Outkast or N.W.A. in every breath is a lack of institutional memory. Fix that.
The reality is that history is written by the winners, and "winning" in the music industry usually just means who sold the most units. But in the streets and in the studios, Above the Law won a long time ago. They changed the way the West Coast sounded, and by extension, they changed the way the world heard hip-hop.
It’s time to give them their flowers while the pioneers are still here to smell them. Go back and listen to the Pomona pioneers. You'll realize that the "G" in G-Funk might as well stand for Gregory.