How did Nate Dogg die?
Nate Dogg wasn’t a rapper, but as part of a duo with Warren G, his silky vocals made him one of the best black singers operating in the hip-hop space. The late vocalist first broke out as part of the Long Beach trio 213 alongside Snoop Dogg and Warren G, and, before long, was part of the Death Row Records fold.
Today he is most known for his 1994 hit alongside Warren G, ‘Regulate’. However, few know that he was active well before this. Nate Dogg provided vocals for Dr Dre’s debut album, The Chronic, and sang melodies and hooks for Doggystyle on tracks such as ‘Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None).’
When looking back on the history of hip-hop, Nate Dogg can be recognised as the first male singer to make a name for himself by assisting rappers who wanted to make more melodic, chart-friendly songs with an R&B flavour. After Nate Dogg, figures like Mary J Blige and Mariah Carey would also do this. However, Nate Dogg was the only male operating in this space for a long time.
The vocalist even contributed to 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, singing the hook for ’21 Questions’. Still, he had an early demise that not many were expecting. As such, it came as a shock to many rap music fans.
Hip-hop began to become more melodic in the early ’90s, and G-funk was a massive part of that. From ‘Gin and Juice’ to ‘Regulate,’ the return to slow and less abrasive instrumentals welcomed singing. As such, it is unsurprising that figures such as Akon, Ashanti, and Nelly were entering a transformed hip-hop scene by the turn of the millennium.
As the hip-hop and R&B scenes became more intertwined, the space for artists such as Nate Dogg grew bigger and bigger, and he was in high demand as the OG hook-singer. Whether it was 50 Cent, Fabolous, E-40, Mos Def or Eminem, the singer was in collaboration mode.
Still, despite all of this good work, the West Coast singer was having many health problems behind the scenes. In 2007, the ‘Music & Me’ rhymer had a mild stroke, from which he recovered. However, he unfortunately had another, more serious one, only a year after he had just recovered from his first.
His 2008 stroke left him partly paralysed and breathing through a tracheotomy tube, unable to speak. Although he recovered from his second stroke, it put his music career on hold and severely weakened him. Life was no longer the same, and he was a debilitated man. As such, it is no shock that three years after this life-changing stroke, in 2011, he passed away.
The singer was only 41 when he passed in 2011, and for a long time, people didn’t know what led to his death. However, after a decent amount of time, his manager, Rod McGrew, revealed that Nate died as a result of his strokes.
Although he didn’t have a third stroke, it was reported that the first two strokes left Nate Dogg with illnesses that ultimately led to his fatal heart failure. He is survived by his parents and his six children, Debra, Whitney, Aundrane, Nathaniel Jr., Niajel and Milana. Furthermore, his music is still celebrated, to this day.