NATE DOGG RETROSPECTIVE

Hip hop lost a legend last week in the form of Nate Dogg, who passed away after complications from multiple strokes at only 41 years of age. Nate (real name Nathaniel Hale) was one of the most well known voices in the G-Funk golden era of hip hop, despite not actually being a rapper himself. With his laidback vocals and quietly sinister tone, Nate added both substance and calculated menace to some of rap’s biggest heavyweights.

He’s most well known for his lead in Warren G’s ‘Regulate’…

… but also appeared on a huge variety of tracks, predominantly singing hooks, like on Dr Dre’s classic ‘Xxplosive’…

… Ludacris’ hilarious ‘Area Codes’…

… while still contributing to more modern hits like 50 Cent’s ’21 Questions’.

Nate Dogg leaves behind a sprawling legacy of tunes that many new fans are only starting to discover for the first time. He represents an age of hip-hop where production values were second to none and to get a killer joint, you had to work with the best. Sydney’s premier DJ and record store owner Toni Toni Lee created a fantastic 90 Minutes of Nate Dogg mix only a week before the man’s death. Download it here, and it’s like Die Antwoord never happened.

By Jonno Seidler