Product Code Database
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 on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the nickname "King of Hooks".
Hale began his career in 1990 as a member of 213, a hip-hop trio formed with his cousin Snoop Dogg and friend Warren G. Hale guest appeared on the latter's 1994 single "Regulate", 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.John Bush, "Nate Dogg: Biography", AllMusic.com, Netaktion LLC, visited April 24, 2020.Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 9th edn. (New York: Crown Publishing, 2010), p 462. Hale would soon become a fixture in the West Coast hip-hop genre, frequently collaborating with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Xzibit in the 1990s; his deep vocals became sought after for hooks, and he began working with other artists throughout the 2000s, such as Eminem, 50 Cent, Fabolous, Mos Def, and Ludacris. As a featured artist, Hale performed on 16 Billboard Hot 100 chart entries, which includes his appearance on the number one-single "21 Questions" by 50 Cent. Hale also guest appeared on the singles "The Next Episode" by Dr. Dre, as well as "'Till I Collapse" and "Shake That" by Eminem. Hale released three studio albums, as well as a string of moderately successful singles as a primary artist in the 1990s.
At age 17, Hale dropped out of high school, left home, and 30 days later enlisted in the US Marines. He was stationed at Camp Schwab in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, in the Matériel Readiness Battalion of the 3rd Force Service Support Group, which supplied ammunition to most of the Pacific Ocean. 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".
In 1994, Nate Dogg co-wrote his duet with Warren G, the single "Regulate". That same year, Nate also featured on "How Long Will They Mourn Me?" from Thug Life's album Thug Life, Volume I. 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 follow-up, Music & Me, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart., AllMusic. Retrieved November 2, 2006 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 hook. As a featured artist, he charted 16 times on the Billboard Hot 100, and in 2003 reached No. 1 via 50 Cent's "21 Questions".
Otherwise, his successful collaborations are numerous, including Tupac Shakur's "All Bout U", Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode", Westside Connection's "Gangsta Nation", Mos Def's "Oh No", Fabolous' "Can't Deny It", Ludacris' "Area Codes", Kurupt's "Behind the Walls", Mark Ronson's "Ooh Wee", Houston's "I Like That", Eminem's "'Till I Collapse", "Never Enough", and "Shake That", and Mobb Deep's "Have a Party".
Further, in 2002, appearing on television, Nate Dogg was on a celebrity episode of Weakest Link, where, finally eliminated by Xzibit and Young MC, he was among the final three.
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 gangsta rap lyrics. The style was heavily influential to urban culture, with major R&B artists like R. Kelly and Chris Brown later using it.
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 Nolo contendere 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, 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. 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. 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.
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 website, Wenner Media LLC, March 16, 2011. another, or contributing, suspected cause of death was congestive heart failure. He was interred in Long Beach at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
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.
Collaborative albums
| Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | "Shake That" | 2007 | |
| Best Rap/Sung Collaboration | "Area Codes" | 2002 | |
| Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | "The Next Episode" | 2001 | |
| Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | "Regulate" | 1995 |
|
|
