The Relativez

Suga Buga and Big Wy, real-life cousins, constitute the duo that operates as the Relativez and updates G-funk for the current era with their hard-hitting West Coast approach. Natives of Inglewood, California, they began together inside the four-man collective Young Soldierz, whose self-titled album appeared in 1994 and remained a regional item. Their contribution to the Murder Was the Case soundtrack, issued by Death Row during its strongest period, nevertheless suggested wider prospects ahead. Tragedy intervened when another cousin was murdered, an event the pair absorbed with difficulty; by the moment they regrouped, Death Row had already dissolved. The two reconnected in 1998 for a series of live dates whose warm reception persuaded them to continue. They chose the fitting name the Relativez and delivered Dirty Money on the Break Bread label in 2000. Two years later The Takeover arrived, featuring WC and Snoop Dogg, yet its reach stayed regional. After stepping back for several years to map a national strategy, the Relativez resurfaced in 2005 with Money Respect Money, their most refined and ambitious release to date.