Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He gained recognition for providing soulful choruses and other guest vocals on several notable hip-hop songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the honorific title "King of Hooks".
Hale began his career in 1990 as a member of 213, a hip-hop trio formed with his cousin Snoop Dogg and friend Warren G. Hale frequently collaborated with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Xzibit in the 1990s; his distinctive tone became sought after for hooks. In the 2000s, he began working with other artists including Eminem, 50 Cent, Fabolous, Mos Def, and Ludacris. Hale performed on 18 songs that charted on the Billboard Hot 100, 16 as a featured artist and 2 as a primary artist. These included "21 Questions" (2003) by 50 Cent, which reached number 1, "Regulate" (1994), which reached number 2, and "Shake That" (2006), which reached number 6. "Regulate" was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards.
Hale released three studio albums, as well as several singles as a solo artist. Hale suffered extensively from alcoholism. On March 15, 2011, after suffering two strokes, Hale died at the age of 41 of congestive heart failure.
