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

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' (UK), March 16, 2011. Hale began his career in 1990 as a member of 213, a hip-hop trio formed with his cousin

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

and friend

Warren G Warren Griffin III (born November 10, 1970) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and DJ who helped popularize West Coast hip hop during the 1990s.Steve Huey"Warren G: Biography" ''AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited May 8, 2020. ...

. Hale guest appeared on the latter's 1994 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 diff ...

", which peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the

37th Annual Grammy Awards The 37th Annual Grammy Awards were presented on March 1, 1995, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Bruce Springsteen was the night's biggest winner with 4 awards, including Song ...

.John Bush
"Nate Dogg: Biography"
'' AllMusic.com'', Netaktion LLC, visited April 24, 2020. Hale would soon become a fixture in the

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

genre, frequently collaborating with

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

, Snoop Dogg, 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, radio personality, and record executive. He began his musical career in 1992, ...

in the 1990s; his deep vocals became sought after for

hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...

s, and he began working with other artists throughout the 2000s, such as

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...

Fabolous John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally as Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's WQHT, Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed ...

Mos Def Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...

, and

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, spoken as "ludicrous" in American English), is an American rapper and songwriter. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age ...

. As a featured artist, Hale performed on 16 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart entries, which includes his appearance on the number one-single "

21 Questions "21 Questions" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent featuring fellow American rapper Nate Dogg. Released in March 2003 through Interscope Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, Eminem's Shady Records, and 50 Cent's own G-Unit Records as th ...

" by

. Hale also guest appeared on the singles " The Next Episode" by

, as well as " 'Till I Collapse" and "

Shake That "Shake That" (also known as "Shake That Ass") is a song by American rapper Eminem featuring fellow American rapper Nate Dogg. It's the second and final single taken from the former's first compilation album, ''Curtain Call: The Hits'' (2005), as ...

" by Eminem. Hale released three studio albums, as well as a string of moderately successful singles as a primary artist in the 1990s.

Early life

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

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

. Hale met

Long Beach Polytechnic High School Long Beach Polytechnic High School, founded in 1895 as Long Beach High School, is a four-year public high school located at 1600 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, California, United States. The school serves portions of Long Beach, including Bixby ...

. As a youth, he sang at the New Hope Baptist Church in Long Beach, where his father was a pastor.Sean Ryon
BREAKING: NATE DOGG PASSES AWAY AT 41 YEARS OLD
hiphopdx.com, US, March 16, 2011 He also sang at Life Line Baptist Church in

Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale is a city in and the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi, Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. It is located along the Sunflower River. Clarksdale is named after John Clark, a settler who founded the city in the mid-19t ...

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

US Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...

. He was stationed at Camp Schwab in

Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...

, Japan, in the Matériel 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 the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

. After three years as an ammunition specialist, he was

discharged Discharge may refer to: * The act of firing a gun * Termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from service Flow * Discharge (hydrology), the a ...

in 1989. Hale would recall that he joined the military because he "wanted to see if he was a man".

Musical career

213

In 1990, Nate Dogg,

, and Warren G 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

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 American rapper and producer Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records along with Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records. The recording ses ...

'', in 1992. Nate's trademark singing, complementing the new

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture, values, and experiences of urban gangs and street hustlers, frequently discussing unpleasant realities of the world in general th ...

sound

G-funk G-funk, short for gangsta funk, (or funk rap) is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre is heavily influenced by the synthesizer-heavy 1970s funk sound of Parliament-Funkadelic (aka P-F ...

, 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. D ...

, in 1993. Nate Dogg also featured on Snoop Dogg's debut solo album, ''

Doggystyle ''Doggystyle'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop Doggy Dogg's appearances on Dr. Dre's ...

'', in 1993, his singing prominent on the track " Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)". In 1994, Nate Dogg co-wrote his duet with Warren G, the single "

". That same year, Nate also featured on "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" from Thug Life's album ''

Thug Life, Volume I ''Thug Life, Volume I'' is the only studio album by the American hip-hop group Thug Life. The album was released on September 26, 1994, by Interscope Records and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. The group, started by Am ...

''. In July 1998, amid his departure from Death Row, 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 Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, ...

chart. He also had an eponymous album that saw unauthorized release in 2003. Nate Dogg was often sought to sing on other artists' tracks, usually to sing the

. 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 Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

's "All Bout U", Dr. Dre's " The Next Episode",

Westside Connection Westside Connection was an American hip-hop Supergroup (music), supergroup formed by Ice Cube, Mack 10, and WC (rapper), WC. The group's debut album, ''Bow Down'', reached the number two position on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 in 1996 ...

's "

Gangsta Nation "Gangsta Nation" is a song by American West Coast hip hop/gangsta rap supergroup Westside Connection featuring Nate Dogg. It was released on October 14, 2003 via Priority Records as the only single from the group's second studio album ''Terrorist ...

's " Oh No",

' " Can't Deny It",

' "

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, reach ...

Kurupt Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he formed Tha Dogg Pound in 1992 along with Daz Dillinger; the rap duo has releas ...

's "Behind the Walls",

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album '' Back to Black'' (2006), as well as two for Record ...

's " Ooh Wee",

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

's " I Like That",

's " 'Till I Collapse", "Never Enough", and "

", and

Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American Hip-hop, hip hop duo formed in Queens, New York (state), New York in 1990. Consisting of rappers/songwriters/record producers Prodigy (rapper), Prodigy and Havoc (musician), Havoc, they are considered to be among the pr ...

'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 an American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album '' Stone Cold Rhymin found international acclaim. Young h ...

, he was among the final three.

Artistry

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

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

, and his vocal range between

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

and

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from 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 vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

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

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and cited

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

, and

Maurice White Maurice White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American musician, best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter and chief producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, also serving as the band's co-lead singer with Philip Bailey. ...

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...

as some of his biggest musical influences. He is considered to be the inventor of "gangsta singing", a singing style that consisted in the blend of R&B and 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. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...

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 Corp. is an American multinational 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 ...

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 LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

. 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 Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offence (law), offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incar ...

. 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. The population was 32,693 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Hi ...

, was found with two pistols and four ounces of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

, 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 often involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and perso ...

. On March 20, 2008, pleading guilty to trespassing and battery, he lost gun-ownership rights for ten 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 or contact 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 monitorin ...

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

.''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. 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 he was expected to fully recover. 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 Long Beach of complications of multiple strokes;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. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' website, Wenner Media LLC, March 16, 2011. another, or contributing, suspected cause of death was

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF typically pr ...

. 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 and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

. 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 2025, the album has not been released and no further announcements have been made.

Discography

Studio albums *'' G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2'' (1998) *'' Music & Me'' (2001) *''Nate Dogg'' (2003) Collaborative albums *'' The Hard Way'' (2004)

Filmography

* '' One on One'' (2002) * ''

Doggy Fizzle Televizzle ''Doggy Fizzle Televizzle'' is 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 t ...

'' (2002–2003) * ''

Head of State A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "

he head of state He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

'' (2003) * ''

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

'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

Nate Dogg was nominated for four

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

Notes

References

External links

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