Remembering Nate Dogg, 10 Years Later
The Song of the Day is:
Nate Dogg – “I Got Love”
From the album Music & Me (2001)
I got love for my homies who be rollin’ with me
(Play no game) Play no games ’cause ain’t nobody playin’ with me
(I got love) I got love for my n—— on my family tree
(I got love) Love for the ghetto, down for whatever
If you was down before, then you still gon’ be down with me (I got game)
Nathaniel Hale – R. Harrell
It was only a week ago that I wrote a side note about how excellent Donny Hathaway’s cover of “I Believe to My Soul” is, and claimed that I will one day feature that song. I still will, though not today. Instead I am playing a song that samples that Hathaway, Nate Dogg’s “I Got Love”. It was ten years ago yesterday that Nate died. Tragic as it was, it wasn’t a total surprise, Nate Dogg had suffered two strokes and other health crises in the years prior to his passing. Nate Dogg was something special to the rap world, a possessor of a deep and soulful intelligible voice that lended a certain amount of gravitas to his material. He was treated like a special ingredient that made songs even better. His signature song will always be his breakout song “Regulate“, the hit he shared with Warren G for the Above the Rim soundtrack. “Regulate” was an instant classic of the g-funk era that is still a favorite to a whole generation of music fans. Nate originally got his start in the group 213, named after the Long Beach area code, with Warren G and Snoop Dogg (um…no relation). The original run of 213 was from 1990-1992, but they were essentially split up because of Snoop Dogg’s sudden rise to fame as Dr. Dre’s foil on The Chronic. Nate and Warren G. (who is Dr. Dre’s stepbrother) also had verses on The Chronic and then had featured spots on Snoop’s massively successful Doggystyle album (“Ain’t No Fun” is casually considered the debut single of 213). 213 didn’t release an album until 2004, long after the trio had achieved fame on their own terms. “Regulate” shortly followed Doggystyle and soon Nate Dogg was enlisted for guest spots by most of the major rappers for the next decade or so. Hits he was featured on include Tupac Shakur’s “All About U”, Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode”, Shade Sheist’s “Where I Wanna Be”, Snoop Dogg’s “Lay Low”, Fabulous’s’ “Can’t Deny It”, Ludacris’s “Area Codes”, Ice Cube’s “Gangsta Nation”, 50 Cent’s “21 Questions”, and Eminem’s “Shake That”, among others. The diversity of rappers that he worked with is simply staggering. He did release three albums as a solo artist, though for all my time spent browsing in record stores, I’ve only ever seen physicals copies of one of them, his second album Music & Me. This was a very solid album that proved Nate Dogg could indeed take center stage without losing any appeal. “I Got Love” was the lead single, though hardly the only noteworthy track (“Concrete Jungle” and “Keep it G.A.N.G.S.T.A.” are also personal favorites). Nate Dogg did have his run-ins with the law before and after his health became a concern, but he remained beloved despite all his troubles. Nate Dogg might never get his proper due, but he was responsible for some of the greatest hooks in rap music and added something special to all of the song he guested on. Nathaniel “Nate Dogg” Hale was just 41 when he passed away.
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Hear Today, Grown Tomorrow 