He was the soul of G-Funk.
Nate Dogg, also known as the “Ghetto Preacher,” was the R&B balance to hardcore hip-hop. The words were often filthy, but the crooning was so emotive that it didn’t matter. His melodies were so infectious that having him on a chorus meant a good chance at having a hit. Like so many others, the first time most people heard his unique voice and delivery was on Dr. Dre’s classic, The Chronic. After that, he was tapped by the greats to lend street soul to tracks and became one of the greatest hook masters in hip-hop history.
Like Kurupt, Daz Dillinger, The Lady of Rage and others, his solo career became a victim of bad timing. His debut album, the double-disc G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 & 2, which is quite good, was slated to be released in 1996, the same year as 2Pac and Snoop, but was delayed due to legal problems and was held until 1998, after the Death Row dynasty had crumbled.
He died in 2011, at the young age of 41, but his soul lives on through his incomparable pipes. Here are just some of his best guest spots.
“Deeez Nuuuts” – Dr. Dre f/Snoop Doggy Dogg, Warren G, Daz & Nate Dogg off The Chronic [1992]
“Ain’t No Fun” – Snoop Doggy Dogg f/Kurupt, Warren G & Nate Dogg off Doggystyle [1993]
“O.G.” [Original] – Snoop Doggy Dogg f/Nate Dogg [c. 1994]
“St. Ides in the LBC” – Snoop Doggy Dogg f/Nate Dogg [1994]
“How Long Will They Mourn Me?” – 2Pac & Thug Life f/Nate Dogg off Thug Life: Volume 1 [1994]
“Regulate” – Warren G f/Nate Dogg off Above the Rim OST [1994]
“Big Pimpin'” – Tha Dogg Pound f/Big Pimpin’ Delemond, Snoop Doggy Dogg & Nate Dogg off Above the Rim OST [1994]
“Let’s Play House” – Tha Dogg Pound f/Nate Dogg off Dogg Food [1995]
“A Dogg’z Day Afernoon” – Tha Dogg Pound f/Nate Dogg off Dogg Food [1995]
“All About U” – 2Pac f/Dru Down, Yaki Kadafi, Hussein Fatal, Snoop Dogg Dogg & Nate Dogg off All Eyez on Me [1996]
“Skandalouz” – 2Pac f/Nate Dogg off All Eyez on Me [1996]
“Teardrops and Closed Caskets” [Original] – 2Pac f/Outlawz & Nate Dogg [c. 1996]
“Just Doggin'” – Tha Dogg Pound f/Nate Dogg off Sunset Park OST [1996]
“Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto” – Snoop Doggy Dogg f/Daz Dillinger, Bad Azz, Tray Deee & Nate Dogg off Christmas on Death Row [1996]
“O.G.” – Daz Dillinger f/Snoop Doggy Dogg & Nate Dogg off Revenge, Retaliation and Get Back [1998]
“Teardrops and Closed Caskets” – 2Pac f/Outlawz & Nate Dogg off Still I Rise [1999]
“Ghetto Millionaire” – C-Murder f/Snoop Dogg, Kurupt & Nate Dogg off Bossalinie [1999]
“Neva Gonna Give It Up” – Kurupt f/Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Soopafly, Tray Deee & Nate Dogg off Tha Streetz iz a Mutha [1999]
“Girls All Pause” – Kurupt f/Roscoe & Nate Dogg off Tha Streetz iz a Mutha [1999]
“Game Don’t Wait” [Remix] – Warren G f/Xzibit, Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg [1999]
“The Next Episode” – Dr. Dre f/Snoop Dogg, Kurupt & Nate Dogg off 2001 [1999]
“Xxplosive” – Dr. Dre f/Kurupt, Hittman, Six-Two & Nate Dogg off 2001 [1999]
“Bitch Please” – Snoop Dogg f/Xzibit & Nate Dogg off No Limit Top Dogg [1999]
“Bitch Please II” – Eminem f/Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Xzibit & Nate Dogg off The Marshall Mathers LP [2000]
“Oh No” – Mos Def f/Pharaohe Monch & Nate Dogg off Lyricist Lounge 2 [2000]
“Nah Nah…” – E-40 f/Nate Dogg off Loyalty and Betrayal [2000]
“Behind the Walls” – Kurupt f/Nate Dogg off Oz OST [2001]
“Lay Low” – Snoop Dogg f/Tha Eastsidaz, Butch Cassidy, Master P & Nate Dogg off Tha Last Meal [2001]
“Can’t Deny It” – Fabolous f/Nate Dogg off Ghetto Fabolous [2001]
“Area Codes” – Ludacris f/Nate Dogg off Rush Hour 2 OST [2001]
“Where I Wanna Be” – Shade Sheist f/Kurupt & Nate Dogg off Informal Introduction [2002]
“Multiply” – Xzibit f/Nate Dogg off Man vs. Machine [2002]
“My Name” – Xzibit f/Eminem & Nate Dogg off Man vs. Machine [2002]
“Till I Collapse” – Eminem f/Nate Dogg off The Eminem Show [2002]
“The Streets” [Re-Twist] – WC f/Snoop Dogg & Nate Dogg off Ghetto Heisman [2002]
“Gangsta Nation” – Westside Connection f/Nate Dogg off Terrorist Threats [2003]
“The Set Up” – Obie Trice f/Nate Dogg off Cheers [2003]
“The Set Up” [Remix] – Obie Trice f/Redman, Jadakiss, Lloyd Banks & Nate Dogg [2003]
“21 Questions” – 50 Cent f/Nate Dogg off Get Rich or Die Tryin’ [2003]
“Never Enough” – Eminem f/50 Cent & Nate Dogg off Encore [2004]
“Thugs Get Lonely Too” – 2Pac f/Nate Dogg off Loyal to the Game [2004]
“Warrior Part 2” – Lloyd Banks f/50 Cent, Eminem & Nate Dogg off The Hunger for More [2004]
“Dump” – Mobb Deep f/Nate Dogg off Amerikaz Nightmare [2004]
“Where I’m From” [Original] – The Game f/Dr. Dre & Nate Dogg [2005]
“Where I’m From” – The Game f/Nate Dogg off The Documentary [2005]
“Have a Party” – Mobb Deep f/50 Cent & Nate Dogg off Get Rich or Die Tryin’ OST [2005]
“Shake That” – Eminem f/Nate Dogg off Curtain Call: The Hits [2005]
“Real Soon” – Snoop Dogg f/Tha Dogg Pound & Nate Dogg off Bigg Snoop Dogg Presents…Welcome to tha Chuuch: Da Album [2005]
“Crazy” – Snoop Dogg f/Nate Dogg off Tha Blue Carpet Treatment [2006]
“Boss’ Life” [Single Version] – Snoop Dogg f/Nate Dogg off Tha Blue Carpet Treatment [2006]
“My House” – Warren G f/Nate Dogg off Regulate…G Funk Era, Pt. II [2015]
“Dead Wrong” – Warren G f/Nate Dogg off Regulate…G Funk Era, Pt. II [2015]
There will never be another Nate Dogg. He could never be faded.
All entries in the Classic Non-Album Cuts series:
The LOX | Wu-Tang Clan | Eminem | The Notorious B.I.G. | Ice Cube | André 3000 | 2Pac | Dr. Dre | Nas | Jay-Z | Kendrick Lamar | Tha Dogg Pound | Scarface | Canibus | Nate Dogg | Black Thought
Christopher Pierznik’s eight books are available in paperback and Kindle. His work has appeared on XXL, Cuepoint, Business Insider, The Cauldron, Medium, Fatherly, Hip Hop Golden Age, and many more. Subscribe to his monthly reading review newsletter or follow him on Facebook or Twitter.
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