by Ran Britt
August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011
Nate Dogg and Warren G
Nate Dogg and Snoop
Kurupt and Nate Dogg
Kurupt, Daz, Nate Dogg and Tupac Shakur
Havoc, Nate Dogg and Prodigy
 |
| Snoop at Nate Dogg's funeral |
The Chronic - 1992
Doggystyle - 1993
G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2 - 1998
Music & Me - 2001
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale was born on August 19, 1969 in Clarksdale, Mississippi to Daniel Lee Hale, a pastor, and Ruth Holmes. Nathaniel, the second of three children, made his first foray into singing as a child, in his father's church, Life Line Baptist, where his mother served as choir leader.
At 14-years-old, Nathaniel and his brother, Sam, and sister, Pamela, moved to Long Beach, California following his parents' divorce. However, the teenager, known by the nickname "Buddy" to family and friends, continued to hone his vocal talent at Long Beach's New Hope Baptist Church. In 1986, he met Calvin "Snoop Doggy Dogg" Broadus at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where the two were classmates. Three years later, the 17-year-old quit school and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served as a Munitions specialist for three years.
After forming the rap group 213 -- a reference to their area code -- with future rap stars Broadus and Warren "Warren G" Griffin, the trio recorded their first demo tape in the back of Long Beach's V.I.P. record store in 1991. Griffin played the demo for his step-brother, Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, who signed Broadus to his new label, Death Row Records. In June of 1992, all three recorded parts for the song "Deeez Nuuuts", which appears on Young's debut solo album, The Chronic. The Chronic was released to critical acclaim on December 15, 1992 and went on to sell more than 5.7 million copies.
The following year, both Hale and Griffin were featured on the Mista Grimm song "Indo Smoke", which appeared on the soundtrack album of the film Poetic Justice -- released on June 29, 1993. That same year, he signed with Death Row Records and re-teamed with his old friend Broadus on the songs "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" and "Doggy Dogg World". Later that year, Hale's star rose even higher when both tracks appeared on Broadus' debut album Doggystyle, which was released on November 23, 1993. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and went on to sell 11 million copies worldwide.
On March 22, 1994, Hale's signature song, "Regulate" -- a collaboration with his old friend Warren G -- was released on the soundtrack album to the film Above the Rim, starring Tupac Shakur. The song climbed to the #2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for a Grammy. That same year, Hale was featured on the song, "How Long Will They Mourn Me?", which appeared on the album Thug Life: Volume 1 -- the debut of Shakur's group Thug Life.
While riding a wave of phenomenal success, Hale began to garner as many legal problems as hit songs. On December 13, 1994, he entered a plea of not guilty to charges related to an October 26 armed robbery of a San Pedro, CA Taco Bell. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 11 in Long Beach Superior Court. Long Beach rapper Tracy "Tray Deee" Davis was also in court on an unrelated matter when Hale had his hearing.
In 1996, Hale reunited with Tupac Shakur on the song, "All About U", which appeared on the rapper's number one double-album All Eyez On Me -- which went on to sell 10 million copies.
On July 19, 1996, Hale was acquitted of the charges related to the 1991 robbery of a check cashing business by a jury in Long Beach Superior Court. A mistrial was declared in the Taco Bell robbery trial when the jury deadlocked 9-3.
On June 17, 2000, Hale was arrested in Lakewood, Ca for allegedly making threats against his girlfriend and holding her against her will. The following night, he was released from Los Angeles' Twin Towers jail after making $1 million bail. By 10 p.m. that evening, he was performing on stage with Dr. Dre. On July 14, he was charged with kidnapping and making a terrorist threat, stemming from his June arrest.
Later in the year, Hale appeared with Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch on the song, "Oh No".
The following year, Hale was featured on the debut single, "Can't Deny It", by rapper Fabolous, which was released on June 19, 2001. A month later, Ludacris' single, "Area Codes", featuring Hale, was released.
On August 21, 2001, Hale agreed to a plea deal in which he pleaded no contest to a charge of misdemeanor possession of an unmarked firearm in exchange for a sentence of three years summary probation and a $1,000 fine. The firearm in question had been seized by police after it was found in a planter at his home in Pomona at the time of his June arrest. Norwalk Superior Court judge Michael Cowell also ordered that the weapon be destroyed.
On April 12, 2002, police pulled Hale's tour bus over for speeding near Kingman, Arizona. Following a search of the vehicle, officers seized four ounces of marijuana and a stolen firearm. Though he was one of nine people on board, only Hale was arrested -- for drug and weapons possession. The following day, he posted $3,500 bond and was released. He later pleaded guilty to drug possession and was sentenced to one year of probation.
The next year, Hale appeared on the 50 Cent song, "21 Questions".
In 2005, Hale appeared on the Mobb Deep track, "Have A Party".
The following year, Hale broke into his ex-fiance's residence in Newport Beach, where she lived with her new boyfriend and his mother, in order to retrieve the 4-carat ring that he'd given her. He reportedly punched the boyfriend in the face before leaving the premises. Hale was subsequently charged with battery assault, misdemeanor aggravated trespass, violating a restraining order, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and telephone harassment. Both the ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend filed restraining orders as well.
On December 19, 2007, Hale suffered a stroke, after which his girlfriend, who was present at the time, called 911. Hale was admitted to the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he was treated until his December 26 release. The stroke, which was initially reported as a heart attack, paralyzed the left side of his body and compromised the singer's ability to walk and his sense of touch.
While still recovering from the stroke, Hale appeared in court again on March 25 of the following year. He entered a guilty plea to charges of aggravated trespass and battery stemming from the 2006 domestic complaint and was sentenced to three years probation, ordered to complete a treatment program for domestic abusers and was barred from owning a firearm for a period of 10 years.
That summer, Hale married his girlfriend, LaToya Calvin, but she filed for divorce 19 days later.
On July 17, 2008, Hale entered a guilty plea to two felony counts of making criminal threats, one felony count of stalking and one count of driving on a suspended license -- a misdemeanor. Hale's license was suspended following a DUI conviction. Hale's estranged wife accused him of chasing her car on the freeway and sending her two threatening e-mails. However, the felony charges were dropped on April 15, 2009. Prosecutors asserted that Hale's wife had failed to contact them.
In 2009, Hale suffered another stroke which paralyzed him from the neck down and required him to undergo a tracheotomy.
Hale succumbed to stroke complications on March 15, 2011. He was interred in Forest lawn Memorial Park in long Beach.
Warren G feat. Nate Dogg - Regulate
Snoop and Nate's St. Ides Commercial
Mos Def feat. Pharoahe Monch and Nate Dogg - Oh No
Fabolous feat. Nate Dogg - I Can't Deny It
Mobb Deep feat. 50 Cent and Nate Dogg
- Have A Party
Snoop Doggy Dogg, the Dogg Pound
and Nate Dogg - Big Pimpin'
(Live at the House of Blues)
Snoop Doggy Dogg feat. Kurupt,
Warren G and Nate Dogg
- Ain't No Fun
(If The Homies Can't Have None)
Originally Published: 1/30/12 at 7:12pm
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