Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the nickname "King of Hooks".Garth Cartwright
"Nate Dogg obituary"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' (UK), March 16, 2011. Hale began his career in the early 1990s as a member of

213 Year 213 ( CCXIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Calvinus (or, less frequently, year 966 ''Ab urbe cond ...

, a trio formed in 1990 with his cousin

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

and friend

Warren G Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper and producer known for his role in West Coast rap's 1990s ascent.Steve Huey"Warren G: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020. Along with Snoop Dogg and ...

. In 1994, he co-wrote and sang as the featured performer on Warren G's hit single "

Regulate Regulate may refer to: * Regulation * '' Regulate...G Funk Era'', an album from rapper Warren G ** Regulate (song), title song from the album See also * * * Regulator (disambiguation) Regulator may refer to: Technology * Regulator (automat ...

", which reached number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and served as a breakout success for both artists.John Bush
"Nate Dogg: Biography"
'' AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited April 24, 2020. Nate Dogg would soon become a fixture in the

West Coast hip hop West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast region of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the e ...

genre, regularly working with

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...

and Xzibit in the 1990s; his deep vocals became sought after for hooks, and he would expand to work with a larger variety of artists in the 2000s, such as Eminem,

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...

, Fabolous, Mos Def and Ludacris. As a featured artist, Nate charted 16 times on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and in 2003 reached number one via 50 Cent's "

21 Questions "21 Questions" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent featuring fellow American rapper and singer Nate Dogg. It was released in March 2003 through Interscope Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, Eminem's Shady Records, and 50 Cent's own ...

". Nate Dogg also was notably featured on Dr. Dre's "

The Next Episode "The Next Episode" is a single by American rapper-producer Dr. Dre, released on June 26, 2000 as the third single from his second studio album, ''2001'' (1999). The track features Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and Nate Dogg, but only Snoop Dogg is credi ...

" and Eminem's "

'Till I Collapse "Till I Collapse" is a song by American rapper Eminem featuring fellow American rapper and singer Nate Dogg, released from his fourth studio album ''The Eminem Show'' (2002). Despite never being released as a single, the song has managed to chart ...

". In addition to his guest work, Nate Dogg released three studio albums, as well as a string of moderately successful singles of his own in the 1990s. In December 2007, Hale suffered a stroke, weakening his body's left side, while his cognition and voice remained intact.''MTV News'' staff
"Hannah Montana contest winner apologizes for fake essay; plus 'American Idol,' C-Murder, R.E.M., Birman & more, in ''For the Record''"
''MTV.com'', January 4, 2008. Several months later, he had another stroke.Matthew Perpetua
"Rapper and singer Nate Dogg dead at 41"
and appended update, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' website, Wenner Media LLC, March 16, 2011. In 2011, he died of heart failure at age 41 as a result of multiple stroke complications.

Early life

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale was born on August 19, 1969, in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

. (Some sources say he was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, eventually moving to Long Beach in his teens.) Hale met

at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. As a youth, he sang at Long Beach's New Hope Baptist Church, where his father was a

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

.Sean Ryon
BREAKING: NATE DOGG PASSES AWAY AT 41 YEARS OLD
hiphopdx.com, USA, March 16, 2011 He also sang at Life Line Baptist Church in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Military career

At age 17, Hale dropped out of high school, left home, and 30 days later enlisted in the

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...

. He was stationed at Camp Schwab in

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest cit ...

, Japan, in the Materiel Readiness Battalion of the 3rd Force Service Support Group, which supplied ammunition to most of the Pacific. After three years as an ammunition specialist, he was discharged in 1989. Hale would recall that he joined the military because he "wanted to see if he was a man".

Entertainment career

213 trio

In 1990, Nate Dogg,

, and

, formed a rap trio called

. They recorded their first demo tape in the back of record store V.I.P. in Long Beach. The demo was later heard by

at a bachelor party.

Solo career

Nate Dogg debuted on Dr. Dre's first solo album, '' The Chronic'', in 1992. Nate's trademark singing, complementing the new

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...

sound G-funk, was well received by critics. He signed to Dr. Dre's label,

Death Row Records Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. Dre ...

, in 1993. Nate Dogg also featured on

's debut solo album, '' Doggystyle'', in 1993, his singing prominent on the track "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)". In 1994, Nate Dogg cowrote his duet with Warren G, the single "

". Nate was also featured on 2Pac releases, including his group's '' Thug Life: Volume 1'', also released in 1994. In July 1998, amid his departure from Death Row Records, the label released his double album, delayed about two years, '' G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2''. In 2001, his Elektra Records follow-up, ''

Music & Me ''Music & Me'' is the third studio album by American singer Michael Jackson, released on April 13, 1973 on the Motown label. The album was reissued in 2009 as part of the three-disc compilation '' Hello World: The Motown Solo Collection''. Back ...

'', peaked at No. 3 on the '' Billboard''

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

chart. He also had an eponymous album that saw unauthorized release in 2003.

Collaborations

Nate Dogg was often sought to sing on other artists' tracks, usually to sing the hook. As a featured artist, he charted 16 times on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and in 2003 reached No. 1 via

's "

". Otherwise, his successful collaborations are numerous, including 2Pac's "All Bout U",

's "

", Westside Connection's " Gangsta Nation", Mos Def's "

Oh No Oh No may refer to: * An Interjection, exclamation used to indicate shock or dismay, primarily used in the English language Music * Oh No (musician) (born 1979), American rapper Albums * ''Oh No!'', 2004 album by Crackout (band), Crackout * Oh ...

", Fabolous' "

Can't Deny It "Can't Deny It" is the debut single by American rapper Fabolous from his debut studio album ''Ghetto Fabolous''. It features Nate Dogg and uncredited backing vocals by Lil' Mo. The song was produced by Rick Rock. Its chorus contains similar lyrics ...

", Ludacris's "

Area Codes A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunication to assign telephone numbers to subscriber telephones or other telephony endpoints. Telephone numbers are the addresses of participants in a telephone network, r ...

", Kurupt's "Behind the Walls",

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

's " Ooh Wee",

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

's " I Like That", Eminem's "

", "Never Enough" and " Shake That", and

Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American hip hop duo from New York City. The duo consisted of rappers Prodigy and Havoc. They are considered to be among the principal progenitors of hardcore East Coast hip hopEdwards, Paul, 2009, '' How to Rap: The Art & Sc ...

's "

Have a Party "Have a Party" is the first single from rap group Mobb Deep's 2006 album ''Blood Money'', and is also the fourth single from soundtrack of the film ''Get Rich Or Die Tryin. It is a hip hop song, and is also their debut single with G-Unit Recor ...

". Further, in 2002, appearing on television, Nate Dogg was on a celebrity episode of ''

Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host Anne Robinson completed her contract. ...

'', where, finally eliminated by Xzibit and

Young MC Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young M.C., is a British-born American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album ''Stone Cold Rhymin found international acc ...

, he was among the final three.

Artistry

Hale was known for his deep, melodic vocals, with his music often described as a mix between hip hop and R&B, and his vocal range between tenor and

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the ...

. Hale himself considered his voice and style to be mostly influenced by the

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is co ...

he performed in the church choir as a child, though he also grew up listening to

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

and cited Marvin Gaye,

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

and

Maurice White Maurice White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter, and producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, and served as the ...

of Earth, Wind & Fire as some of his biggest musical influences. He's considered to be the inventor of "gangsta singing", a singing style that consisted in the blend of R&B/soul vocals with

lyrics. The style was heavily influential to urban culture, with major R&B artists like R. Kelly and

Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to ''Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempor ...

later using it.

Legal issues

Hale was charged for a 1991 robbery of a Check Changers shop and for a 1994 robbery of

Taco Bell Taco Bell is an American-based chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, includi ...

in San Pedro, but was acquitted. In 1996 he was convicted of a drug offense in

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

. On June 17, 2000, for allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend and setting her mother's car on fire in Lakewood, Hale was charged with kidnapping, domestic violence, terrorist threats, and arson. Dr. Dre posted a $1 million bond. The charges were dismissed while he pleaded

no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant ne ...

to illegal gun possession by a felon, and received a $1,000 fine and three years' probation. On April 12, 2002, a tour bus carrying Hale, while outside of Kingman, Arizona, was found with two pistols and four ounces of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

, whereby he was booked and then released on $3,500 bond. The next month, the weapon charges were dropped for his guilty plea on a drug charge, and he was sentenced to probation, community service, and drug counseling. In July 2006, Hale was charged with misdemeanor aggravated trespassing, telephone harassment, battery assault, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, and breaking a

restraining order A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and personal protecti ...

. On March 20, 2008, pleading guilty to trespassing and battery, he lost gun-ownership rights for 10 years, received three years' probation, and was ordered to a domestic-violence intervention program. On June 23, 2008, after allegedly threatening his estranged wife by emails and chasing her on Interstate 405, Hale was charged with two felony counts of criminal threats and one count of stalking. He pleaded not guilty. In April 2009, as the alleged victim had failed to contact prosecutors, the charges were dropped. Incidentally, he was also convicted of driving under the influence of drugs.

Health problems and death

On December 19, 2007, Hale suffered a

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

. After a week in Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, he entered a

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

facility. Although his body's left side was weakened, neither his cognition nor voice were affected and a full recovery was expected. Hale suffered another stroke on September 12, 2008.Jayson Rodriguez
"Nate Dogg paralyzed after stroke; manager slams coverage of 911 call"
''MTV.com'', January 18, 2008. On March 15, 2011, Hale died at age 41 in

, of complications of multiple strokes, or by congestive heart failure. He was interred in Long Beach at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Legacy

In 2013, Nate Dogg's son Naijiel Hale was committed to play football at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seatt ...

. A couple of years later, in 2015, Nate's other son, Nathaniel Jr., having adopted the stage name Lil Nate Dogg, released his own album, ''Son of a G''. Naijiel would also begin to create music, adopting the stage name NHale, and released his debut studio album, ''Young OG'', in 2020. It was reported a posthumous and final studio album entitled ''Nate Dogg: It's a Wonderful Life'' was announced in 2012, with a late spring or early summer 2013 release from Seven Arts Music and United Media & Music Group. As of 2022, the album has not been released—with no further announcements given—and it was quietly shelved.

Discography

Solo albums

*'' G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2'' (1998) *''

'' (2001) *'' Nate Dogg'' (2003)

Collaboration albums

*'' The Hard Way'' (2004)

Filmography

* ''

Doggy Fizzle Televizzle ''Doggy Fizzle Televizzle'' was a sketch comedy show that was produced by and starred rapper Snoop Dogg. It aired on MTV in 2002 until 2003. Snoop Dogg stated that according to the contract, the show was to air six times, but was later extended ...

'' (2002–2003) * ''

Head of State A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and ...

'' (2003) * ''

The Boondocks Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas. Boondocks may also refer to: * The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band * ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...

'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

Nate Dogg was nominated for four

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dogg, Nate 1969 births 2011 deaths 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American male singers African-American male rappers African-American songwriters American baritones American contemporary R&B singers American people convicted of assault American people convicted of drug offenses Atlantic Records artists Death Row Records artists G-funk artists Musicians from Long Beach, California Deaths from congestive heart failure Rappers from Los Angeles Songwriters from California United States Marines West Coast hip hop musicians 213 (group) members Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Long Beach) American hip hop singers