Warren G regulates at Dew Tour in the L.B.C.

West Coast hip-hop pioneer and local Long Beach rap legend Warren G performed a surprise set on Saturday night from the Dew Tour Stage, following the Men’s Street Semi Final. The performance wasn’t announced until earlier in the day on Saturday as a special bonus for fans on site. He closed his set with “Regulate,” featuring student percussionists from the Long Beach Unified School District Marching Band Drumline, who also performed earlier in the night during and after the Semi Final. And, perfect timing, it was indeed a clear black night with a clear white moon.

As a teenager in the Long Beach Unified School District himself, Warren G was a founding member of 213, a rap trio with his friends Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg, then made hip-hop history with his debut solo album, Regulate… G Funk Era. The hit single “Regulate” helped the album to triple platinum sales and has persisted as one of the all-time most memorable and iconic rap songs: it was a crowd favorite among fans at the Dew Tour, and many of the skaters competing this week could be seen singing along for the grand finale.

Warren G gave special shoutouts to the skaters in the crowd during his performance – at Dew Tour, that’s just about everybody – and said he skated when he was a kid, but admitted the best trick he ever figured out how to do was a tic tac.

This year he’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of his third album, “I Want It All,” released in 1999, making his Dew Tour appearance an even more special occasion. His concert capped a day of music on the Dew Tour stage featuring Destiny Rogers and Hopsin.

Dew Tour competition continues on Sunday with the Men’s and Women’s Park and Street Finals, beginning at 11 a.m., and a performance by Austin, Texas hip-hop trio Blackillac on the Dew Tour stage at 12:45.