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, 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 N ...

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

Regulate Regulate may refer to: * Regulation Regulation is the management of complex systems according to a set of rules and trends. In systems theory, these types of rules exist in various fields of biology and society, but the term has slightly dif ...

", 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,

and

Xzibit Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced "exhibit"), is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, and radio personality. Xzibit began his musical career after the release of his ...

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 Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

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 John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition while still a senior in high school, when he performed live on American music executive ...

, 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". Nate Dogg also was notably featured on Dr. Dre's " The Next Episode" and Eminem's " 'Till I Collapse". 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 c ...

'' 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. Incorporated ...

. (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 A ...

.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 Prefectures of Japan, 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 Square kilometre, km2 (880 sq mi). ...

, Japan, in the Materiel Readiness Battalion of the 3rd Force Service Support Group, which supplied ammunition to most of the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

. 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 213. They recorded their first demo tape in the back of record store V.I.P. in Long Beach. The demo was later heard by Dr. Dre at a bachelor party.

Solo career

Nate Dogg debuted on Dr. Dre's first solo album, ''

The Chronic ''The Chronic'' is the debut studio album by the American hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records and distributed by Interscope Records. Recording sessions took place in ...

'', 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 ''Doggystyle'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg (then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg). It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row Records and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop's app ...

'', 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 Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

follow-up, '' Music & Me'', peaked at No. 3 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

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 Jan ...

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 A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one ...

. As a featured artist, he charted 16 times on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and in 2003 reached No. 1 via

's " 21 Questions". Otherwise, his successful collaborations are numerous, including 2Pac's "All Bout U", Dr. Dre's " The Next Episode", Westside Connection's " Gangsta Nation", Mos Def's " Oh No",

' " Can't Deny It", 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, re ...

Kurupt Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer who aided gangsta rap's rise via 1990s verses helping set lasting trends. He is one half of the rap duo Tha Dogg Po ...

'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, Ro ...

'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 i ...

's " I Like That",

's " 'Till I Collapse", "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 & Scie ...

's " Have a Party". Further, in 2002, appearing on television, Nate Dogg was on a celebrity episode of '' Weakest Link'', where, finally eliminated by

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 A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is ...

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 th ...

. 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 Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

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 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 Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses. During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...

and Chris Brown 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, inclu ...

in San Pedro, but was acquitted. In 1996 he was convicted of a drug offense in Los Angeles County. 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 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 Kingman is a city in, and the county seat of, Mohave County, Arizona, United States. It is named after Lewis Kingman, an engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. It is located southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and northwest of Arizon ...

, was found with two pistols and four ounces of cannabis, 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 protection or ...

. 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 Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The term ...

. 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 medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop function ...

. After a week in Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, he entered a rehabilitation 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. 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) *'' Music & Me'' (2001) *'' Nate Dogg'' (2003)

Collaboration albums

*'' The Hard Way'' (2004)

Filmography

* '' Doggy Fizzle Televizzle'' (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 l ...

'' (2003) * '' The Boondocks'' (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 pres ...

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