Nate Dogg Nate Dogg Album
Gaetan Horton
The West Coast's influence and reign of dominance within the rap game has largely been credited to figures like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, and other figures who staked their claim as legends during the '90s.
However, without the vocal contributions of rap singer Nate Dogg to those artists' projects, the sound of West Coast rap would be drastically different from what we know it as today. Born August 19, 1969, Nate Dogg got his start in music with the formation of 213, a rap group featuring childhood friends and future stars Snoop Dogg and Warren G, who parlayed Warren G's relationship with step-brother Dr. Dre into solo careers for each. Following appearances on The Chronic and Doggystyle, Nate Dogg's popularity spiked in 1994, as he was featured on multiple hit records, setting the stage for the eventual release of his solo album, G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 & 2, in 1998.
Reconnecting with Dr. Dre and Snoop during the latter half of the '90s, Nate appeared on high-profile releases like 2001 and Tha Last Meal before returning with his sophomore effort, Music & Me, which was well-received by critics and fans alike. The turn of a new decade also saw Nate expand his own artistry, stepping outside of his California comfort zone and collaborating with rap artists from all corners of the country, further cementing himself as the greatest hookman of all-time. Unfortunately, Nate Dogg would pass away at age 41 due to complications of multiple strokes, ending one of the most unique, yet historic runs in rap history prematurely. However, his voice continues to live on due to the breadth of classic material recorded and released prior to his death, introducing him to new generations of fans with each passing year.
With 10 years having passed since Nate Dogg's untimely passing, Okayplayer took a deep dive into the legendary crooner's discography and ranked his 15 greatest moments on wax to celebrate his illustrious career and cultural contributions.
Nate Dogg rides shotgun alongside East Coaster Jadakiss on The Raspy One's single "Time's Up," from his sophomore release, Kiss of Death. Sauntering over keys, courtesy of producer Scott Storch, Nate is short on words for those in opposition of his reign, levying threats of bodily harm with various forms of weaponry on this 2004 release.
Nate Dogg ventured into uncharted territory with his appearance alongside Eminem on The Eminem Show deep cut 'Till I Collapse, a rollicking selection on which Nate provides words of motivation and perseverance in the face of obstacles, danger, or doubt. While never officially released as a single, "'Till I Collapse" is one of the more popular and recognizable songs on The Eminem Show; the song is the first non-single to surpass 1 billion streams on Spotify.
This isn't technically a feature but the song is too good to leave off a Nate Dogg list. Following his departure from Death Row Records, Nate Dogg regrouped and bounced back in a big way, signing with Elektra Records and releasing his sophomore album,Music & Me, in 2001. Peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,Music & Me featured appearances from many of the hottest stars in the game at the time, but its lead-single, "I Got Love," was a rare showcase of Nate's talents and ability to flourish as a main attraction and soloist.
For his first bicoastal anthem of the new millennium, Nate Dogg took things underground. He hooked up with indie stalwarts Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch for "Oh No," a single from the Rawkus Records compilation Lyricist Lounge 2. Alluding to the rough and rugged lifestyle of hustlers in the streets and within the music industry, Nate turns in a strong performance, adding enough of a melodic twist to the proceedings to help elevate "Oh No" into a modest hit and a statement record for all parties involved.
His contribution to Dr. Dre's 1999 hit "The Next Episode" may have been minimal in comparison to other guest spots throughout his career, however, it remains irreplaceable and is the glue that ties all of its moving parts together. From galvanizing his crew with his velvety vocals, to the climatic pause before urging listeners to "smoke weed everyday," Nate sprinkles his special sauce all over the track, stamping it as a certified West Coast classic with his presence alone.
A prideful Cali representative, Nate Dogg gave listeners a sense of his geographical pimping with his feature on Ludacris' 2001 single, "Area Codes," from the Atlanta rapper's Word of Mouf album. Produced by Jazze Pha, the track captures Nate crooning about his harem of women across the globe, coining one of the more popular phrases in the urban lexicon of that time that still lives on today.
The usually upbeat Nate Dogg channels the grief that accompanies death on "How Long Will They Mourn Me," his first collaborative effort with 2Pac. Released in 1994 as part of Pac's Thug Life: Volume 1 group album, "How Long Will They Mourn Me" is anchored by a somber and sobering hook by Nate, who contemplates the shelf-life for memories of loved ones lost.
Despite not officially being credited in the liner notes, Nate Dogg's foray in the rap game began with his work on The Chronic cut "Lil Ghetto Boy," on which he channels the spirit of Donny Hathaway while lamenting the trials and tribulations that come with being a young Black man living in the ghetto. Speaking to the sign of the times in the inner-city, this bit of social commentary and the realism surrounding the lyrics makes this appearance one of Nate's most lauded to date.
Having spent the first decade of his career putting on for the West Coast, Nate Dogg began making his rounds on the eastern seaboard, collaborating with some of the illest pens in the game, such as then-newcomer Fabolous. Costarring on Fab's debut single from Ghetto Fabolous, "Can't Deny It," Nate pairs up with his Brooklyn counterpart seamlessly, taking a page out of late collaborator 2Pac's All Eyez on Me cut, "Ambitionz Az a Ridah." Built around his work on the hook and the bridge, "Can't Deny It" would become a hit, put Fabolous on the map, and add to Nate's lengthy catalog of classic hits.
In 2000, Nate Dogg linked with Snoop Dogg for Tha Last Meal single, "Lay Low." Produced by Dr. Dre, with guest spots from Tha Eastsidaz, Master P, and Butch Cassidy, "Lay Low" finds Nate Dogg warning perpetrators, halfway crooks, and other forces working against his team to make themselves sparse in their presence, for the sake of their own health and well-being.
Having appeared on the first installment of The Chronic, it was appropriate that Nate Dogg play a big part in its follow-up, 2001. He turns in a show-stealing performance on "Xxplosive," one of the more acclaimed salvos on the long player. Extending shout-outs to his bevy of supporters and laying his mack down, Nate's saccharine vocals are an essential wrinkle in the fabric that makes this jam so timeless and further evidence of his excellence.
With his legacy as the greatest hook-man in rap history intact at the time of its release, "21 Questions," 50 Cent's monstrous Get Rich or Die Tryin' single on which he appears on, became his most commercially successful record to date. Topping various Billboard charts, Nate's first song to achieve that feat, "21 Questions" made Nate's voice virtually inescapable for the duration of 2003 and remains one of the signature moments of his career.
Preezy Brown is a New York City-based reporter and writer, filling the empty spaces within street and urban culture. A product of the School of Hard Knocks, Magna Cum Laude. The Crooklyn Dodger. Got Blunt?
Rap musician and singer Nate Dogg (born Nathaniel Dawayne Hale) has performed on dozens of hit rap and R&B records, but he began his singing career in the gospel choir of New Hope Trinity Baptist Church in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where he sang and practiced three days a week. He continued to sing at the church, where his father, Daniel Lee Hale, was the pastor, until he moved back to Long Beach, California, at the end of his freshman year in high school. After returning to California, Nate became close friends with his cousin Calvin Broadus (rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg) and with Warren Griffin (rapper Warren G), when all were attending Jordan High School in Long Beach. Nate Dogg soon grew tired of his studies and left school at the age of 16. He joined the U. S. Marines, where he served for three years before returning home.
Upon his return, Nate Dogg rekindled his interest in music by forming a rap group with Snoop Doggy Dogg (now known as Snoop Dogg) and Warren G. The group, named Three The Hard Way after the 1974 Gordon Parks blaxploitation film, began to record songs and shop their demo tape to area producers. Soon after changing their name to 213 (after the Long Beach telephone area code), the group's tape reached the hands of rap super-producer Dr. Dre (Warren G's stepbrother), who began to work with Nate and Snoop Doggy Dogg for the classic 1992 album The Chronic. Nate added his soulful vocals to the hardcore gangsta lyrics of "Deez Nuts," an album cut featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg, Warren G, and Daz. Word of Nate Dogg's vocal talents quickly spread, and he appeared soon after with Mr. Grim on "Indo Smoke" and with Snoop Dogg on "It Ain't No Fun." In 1993 he signed with Dr. Dre and Suge Knight on their Death Row label and began working on his solo album.
Although the completion and release of his own album was frequently delayed, Nate Dogg continued to contribute his talents to the music of the West Coast's hottest rap artists. In 1994 he and Warren G released the Grammy-nominated hit "Regulate," which used a sample of Michael McDonald's single "I Keep Forgetting" to help recount a wild night of sex and violence in their native Long Beach. Over the next few years Nate Dogg would become rap music's most prominent singer, providing the choruses for numerous artists on the East and West Coasts, including Pharaoh Monch, 50 Cent, Mos Def, and Mac 10.
c80f0f1006