[Int’l Music] NATE DOGG: 8 months on

By John Glynn

Nate Dogg, the California hip-hop singer whose real name was Nathaniel D. Hale, died at the age of 41 on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. His death was a real tragedy, resulting from complications due to multiple strokes. Hale was left paralyzed on one side of his body following a huge stroke in December 2007. He was struck by a second stroke in September 2008. His amazing voice appeared on several illustrious rap tracks, he was renowned for being a “hook singer”, performing a song’s chorus in his distinct tenor voice. Nate collaborated with formidable hip-hop stars including Eminem, Dr Dre, 50 Cent and Warren G. With his expressive phraseology, he mesmerized listeners, creating an allegiance of diehard fans. Nate’s style blended R&B with rap, making his sound far more commercial.

Nate’s musical journey started at an early age. His mother got him to sing in the New Hope Trinity Baptist Church gospel choir every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, where his father was the pastor. At the tender age of 16 he dropped out of high school in Long Beach, California. Nate decided to sign up for the US Marine Corps, where he served for three years before being dishonorably discharged. Music was always his real passion. Nate returned to Long Beach, discovering that the west coast rap scene was starting to accelerate in the nearby suburb of Compton. In 1991, he embraced this passion, forming a rap trio with Snoop Dogg and Warren G. The trio adopted the title 213, named after a local telephone area code. 213 recorded a demo that featured all three members rapping, with Nate also showcasing his ability to sing. Warren G played the demo for Andre Young, a Compton-based rapper and producer known as Dr Dre (Warren G’s step brother). The Doc was impressed; Nate and Snoop Dogg were then signed to Death Row Records. Dr Dre then requested their vocals for his debut solo album, The Chronic. This was Nate’s real break; he sang the hook line on the tracks Lil’ Ghetto Boy and Deeez Nuuuts. He appears two-thirds of the way into Deez Nuuuts, revealing a radiant, minor key singing style that he continued to maintain and perfect.

 

Tupac Shakur collaborated with Nate and Warren for the debut album of his first group Thug Life. How Long Will They Mourn Me? is now a poignant work of art, two deceased artists who will be mourned for far longer than their worldly years.

Released in 1994 on the Def Jam label, Regulate is Nate Dogg’s most celebrated piece of work. The now legendary track was a real breakthrough for both Warren G and Nate Dogg, and is one of the most illuminating and intelligent tracks of all time.

Quintessentially, it is a meticulous portrayal of West Coast gang life. The track samples singer Michael McDonald’s hit I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near). Regulate depicts quite a story: Warren G, while looking for some “skirts” (female attention), is mugged in Long Beach, California. Nate Dogg arrives, guns blazing, managing to save the day,. The two go off in pursuit of the opposite sex. One of the most unforgettable pieces is; “Sixteen in the clip and one in the hole/Nate Dogg is about to make some bodies turn cold, now they droppin and yellin, it’s a tad bit late/Nate Dogg and Warren G had to regulate.” Undoubtedly, it’s one of the most delightful tracks I’ve ever heard, and one of the best ever released. The two rappers interchange so stylishly, providing us with some of the cleverest lines in the history of hip-hop. The song garnered a Grammy nomination for the two men in the “Best Song By A Duo Or Group” category.

 

Nate lived a troubled life. In 1996, he went on trial for two accounts of armed robbery. Nate was accused of robbing a Taco Bell. The trial was three weeks long, with the charges eventually being dropped. It was determined as just a case of mistaken identity and that Nate had absolutely no part in the robbery. On April 12, 2002, Hale was stopped by the authorities, outside of Kingman, Arizona. He was detained and charged with firearms-related and drug-related offenses.  Two pistols and four ounces of cannabis were discovered on his tour bus. In 2006, he was charged with misconduct, aggravated trespassing, telephone harassment, physical attack and infringement of a restraining order.

Even though his instantly decipherable, laid-back sound blessed numerous songs by other artists, Nate also released a number of solo albums, including 1998’s double-CD G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 & 2 (featuring guest appearances from Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg and Warren G), 2001’s Music & Me and 2003’s self-titled effort, which showed that Nate, for possibly the first time in a decade, was inspirationally deficient. He was Grammy-nominated four times, most recently in 2007 for his contributions to the Eminem track, Shake That.

A recent check shows that Nate Dogg’s collaborations with the hip hop elite have resulted in almost 70 million records sales over the past two decades. From the early days of Death Row, to the forefront of the hip hop and R&B scene, Nate has always been able to effortlessly link the often frantic worlds of urban music. Make no mistake about it; Nate Dogg was the embodiment of G-funk flare and elegance, from the top of his chic bowler to the soles of his silver-tipped gator shoes. The man was a genius, he charmed and disarmed with his singular baritone.

RIP