Nathaniel D. Hale, the West Coast rapper and four-time Grammy nominee known in the music industry as Nate Dogg, died Tuesday at age 41. The cause of death hasn't been confirmed, but he suffered from serious health issues in the years leading up to his death, including a 2007 stroke that left him paralyzed and another in 2008.
From MTV News:
With his deep, melodic voice and smooth soul rumble, Dogg was one of the key elements in the rise of the West Coast G-Funk sound pioneered by Death Row Records in the early 1990s. Though overshadowed by such peers as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Warren G, Nate was a critical participant in a number of major left-coast gangsta hits, including G's "Regulate" and Dre's iconic solo debut, 1992's The Chronic.
Hale was born in Long Beach on August 19, 1969, and dropped out of high school at 16 to join the Marines, where he served for three years. He formed the rap group 213 — a reference to the local area code — in 1991 with then unknown pals Snoop Dogg and Warren G. The group's demo eventually made its way to Dre, who liked Nate's sound and recruited him to participate on The Chronic.
Nate was a four-time Grammy nominee, earning his first nod in 1995 for the legendary Warren G collaboration "Regulate," followed by another in 2001 for providing a hook to the Dre and Snoop tune "The Next Episode." He earned his third notice in 2002 for singing on Ludacris' "Area Codes" and another in 2007 for his work on Eminem's "Shake That."
Hale may not have had the fanatical following or controversial death of Biggie or Tupac, but his voice and style left an indelible imprint on West Coast rap that fans won't forget. Scroll down to watch him in the 1994 hit "Regulate."
Read more at MTV News.
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