Nate Dogg

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. Hale became best known for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1994 and 2007, earning the nickname "King of Hooks".

Hale began his career in the early 1990s as a member of 213, a trio formed in 1990 with cousin Snoop Dogg and friend Warren G. In 1994, he co-wrote and sang as the featured performer on Warren G's hit single "Regulate", which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and served as a breakout success for both artists. Nate Dogg would soon become a fixture in the West Coast hip-hop genre, regularly working with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Xzibit in the 1990s; his deep vocals became sought after for hooks, and he would expand to work with a larger variety of artists in the 2000s, such as Eminem, 50 Cent, Fabolous, Mos Def and Ludacris. As a featured artist, Nate charted 16 times on the Billboard Hot 100, and in 2003 reached number one via 50 Cent's "21 Questions". Nate Dogg also was notably featured on Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode" and Eminem's "'Till I Collapse". In addition to his guest work, Nate Dogg released three studio albums, as well as a string of moderately successful singles of his own in the 1990s.

In December 2007, Nate had a stroke, weakening his body's left side, while his cognition and voice remained intact. Several months later, he had another stroke. In 2011, he died of heart failure at age 41.