Nate Dogg, a rapper whose resume includes some of the best hooks of all time, died on Tuesday after having struggled for years with his health. He was 41 years old.
Born Nathaniel Hale in Long Beach in August of 1969, Nate Dogg dropped out of high school when he was 16 and joined the Marines. In 1991, he formed the group 213 with Snoop Dogg and Warren G, and when their demo was liked by Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg was asked to come and help him record his upcoming album, The Chronic. Nate Dogg went on to become part of the West Coast G-Funk sound that was developed by Death Row Records in the 90 and later lended his talents to various other artists’ albums, including those of Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and Eminem. Nate Dogg had been nominated for four Grammys: the first was for the Warren G production of Regulate, the second was in 2001 for the hook in Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s song, The Next Episode, the third came in 2002 for singing in Ludacris’ Area Codes, and the final nomination came in 2007 when he was involved in Eminem’s Shake That.
Long Beach Press Telegram first announced the rapper’s passing, and did not include a cause of death. But it’s widely known that Hale suffered from serious health problems over the years. He had two strokes in his lifetime, one of which left him partially paralyzed. A variety of celebrities and musicians have tweeted their saddness over his death, including Daz, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and Dave Chappelle.
Source: MTV
