Nathaniel "Nate Dogg" Hale (August 19, 1969 - March 15, 2011)

The 15th of March, 2011 will be written down in history as a date that the urban hip-hop industry lost one of its gifted hip-hop singers. Nate Dogg is most popularly known for singing hooks on some of the biggest rap songs. His deep, smooth vocals and gritty persona captured the attention of not only the charts but also millions of people.

Nate Dogg was part member of the group 213, which also included Snoop Dogg and Warren G, but he gained worldwide recognition for singing the hook on one of the biggest hip hop songs in rap history, Warren G's Regulate. He went on to achieve commercial success by featuring on chart-topping songs like Ludacris' Area Codes and 50 cent's 21 Questions. He is best known for singing on the songs of west coast hip hop artists like Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre, Xzibit and a number of others. Although he gained notoriety through his collaborations with rap stars, he was able to establish his own career by releasing three solo albums. G-Funk Classics Vol 1 & 2 (1998), Music & Me (2001) and Nate Dogg (2008).

Very few artists have been able to find that perfect connection between hiphop and r&b music, Nate Dogg is one of those artists. With a tough look and a gangster image, he surprised us with a deep melodic voice that go along smoothly with the hardest hip-hop instrumental. He was the true definition of a Gangster and a Gentleman and in some cases was refered to as an updated version of Luther Vandross.

In between 2007 and 2008, he suffered two strokes, one of them affecting half of his body. The last time that I heard about him, he was recovering from his second stroke (a situation that many never bounce back from). A lot of people kept him in their prayers and hoped that he would return to the music scene with that amazing voice of his, but like many things the unexpected happened. We have lost a legend and one of the best hip-hop voices in the music industry.

I wish his family and friends well and hope that all of them including fans are provided with the strength to accept his departure from earth. RIP Nathaniel "Nate Dogg" Hale.