Nate Dogg

Name: Nathaniel Dawayne Hale
Age: 33
Father: Daniel Lee Hale
Mother: Ruth Holmes
Brothers: Daniel, Samuel and Manuel Hale
Sisters: Latonya and Pamela Hale
Sons: Niajel and Nate Junior Hale
Daughter: Whitney Hale

Timeline:

Born in the late 1970s as Nathaniel Dawayne Hale. Son of Ruth Holmes and Daniel Lee Hale.

Born in Long Beach, California and moved with his parents to Clarksdale, Mississipi early in his childhood.

Nate's mother got him to sing in the New Hope Trinity Baptist Church gospel choir every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, where his father was the pastor.

Moved back to Cali at the end of ninth grade and hooked up with his cousin Calvin Broadus (Snoop Dogg) and his friend Warren Griffin III (Warren G).

Went to Jordan High in Long Beach California with Warren G & Snoop Dogg.

Dropped out of school at 16, got kicked out of his house and joined the Marines.

Served in the Marines for 3 years before being dishonorably discharged.

Came back to Long Beach and hooked up with Snoop and Warren again to make a musical group called "Three The Hard Way". The name was derived from a blaxploitation film. Their name got changed to 213, after the Long Beach area code at the time. The code later got changed.

After constantly trying to get Dr. Dre (Warren G's step-brother and the co-founder of Death Row Records) to hear them out, 213 finally got a break when he heard one of their demo tapes at a party.

After making his first professional appearance on Dr. Dre's multi-platinum "The Chronic", Nate was signed by Death Row in 1993.

When he got signed to Death Row, he began working on a solo album, which constantly kept getting pushed back.

In 1994, Nate teamed up with Warren G for the smash hit "Regulate". That song garnered a Grammy nomination for the two of them in the "Best Song By A Duo Or Group" category. It also reached #2 on the Billboard charts.

Death Row told Nate that his first album would not be out until at least 1995, so Warren G took "Regulate" and put it on his debut album since Nate's album wasn't going to be out anytime soon.

In mid-1996, Nate Dogg went on trial for two accounts of armed robbery. Nate was accused of robbing a Taco Bell. The trial was 3 weeks long and the jury acquitted Nate on the first charge and couldn't reach a decision on the second, the case was later dropped. It was determined that it was just a case of mistaken identity and that Nate had nothing to do with the robberies.

Nate completed his first album "G-Funk Classics Vol.1" in 1996 and the first single, "Never Leave Me Alone", reached #40 on the Billboard charts.
As the Death Row empire began crumbiling they finally managed to release "G-Funk Classics Vol.1" but the album lasted only 3 weeks on the market before being pulled.

Nate left Death Row in 1997 and formed his own label, The Dogg Foundation in 1998 with a distribution deal from Celestial Breakaway Entertainment.

Originally, Nate was going to make a brand new album, but he also wanted to release G-Funk Classics Vol. 1. However, Death Row would not give up G-Funk Classics Vol. 1. In early 1998, Nate finally got the rights to the album and finished up his new album. He decided to put together both albums into a double album and he titled it G-Funk Classics Vol.1 & 2. The first single off of the new album was "Nobody Does It Better" which featured Nate's old buddy Warren G. This single hit stores on June 23, 1998. The album sold about 110,000 copies.

Nate's label, Dogg Foundation Records, came to an end after his buisness partner passed away in late 1999.

He finally decided to give mainstream success another shot and signed with Elektra Records in 2001. His album "Music & Me" was released on December 4, 2001 and sold 500,000 copies, making it the first gold album by Nate Dogg.

A year after Music & Me was released, Elektra gave the world a new Nate Dogg tracklist which was set to be released in Feburary 2003. The album was never released with failure from Elektra to notify the fans about the future release date of the album.

With still no word from Elektra, Nate Dogg has hooked up with his old friends Warren G & Snoop Dogg to once again form 213 and create a reunion album which is set to be released in 2004.

Other Facts

The first part of his name (Nate) is short for Nathaniel. He added the "Dogg" to it after he caught his cousin doggystyling his girl one day.

Music that he listened to while growing up: The Whispers, Heatwave, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, The Fat Boys, Run DMC and Whodini.

Says that his favorite hook was for "Oh No" with Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch.

Has a song with his sister, Pamela Hale, on his G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 entitled "Where Are You Going", This is Pamela's only known singing appearence.

Biography:

Some say the highly sought after Nate Dogg was born with the Midas touch. Born in Long Beach CA, but groomed in the legendary flood plains of Clarksdale, Mississippi, you can also bet he was schooled on the importance of another kind of power, eminating from the church where his father preached. Choir skilles may not necessarily be a prerequisite for shaping and redifining The West Coast rap sound (Nate's role in West Coast Hip hop lore has been duly logged and categorised), but those memories served him well as he prepared his much-anticipated solo journey for Elektra. A quick read of the lyrics of the new album's pivotal title track "Music and me" reveals a more reflective Nate Dogg paying homage to the deep, rich roots of his past:

/Without my music, where would i be, you taught me how to cry and still remain a G.../

Make no mistake about it, Nate Dogg is still the embodiment of G-funk flash and finesse, from the top of his emblematic bowler to the soles of his silver-tipped gator shoes. "I'm not saying i invented the shit, " he purrs, "but when you think of it, there's no mistaking that I've always held my own. " The new album, if nothing else, is a testament to the influence Nate Dogg now wields. Armed with a signature voice and as always - impeccable timing, he now steps into the arena waiting on him, with the charasmatic superstar ready, willing, and able to cast his own giant shadow throughout the R&B and Hip hop universe.

The disc is jam packed with a host of superstar guests who are eager to pay him back for countless cameo contributions on an amazing array of hits. Backed by a diverse production team on the new one, and exhibitng multi-regional influences that showcase Nate Dogg's indestructable voice, Music and Me, features the production talents of Dr.Dre, Jermaine Dupri, Bink, Mike City, Megahertz, Damizza and many more.

Nate Also collaborates with a slew of top-notch hip hop stars, including Ludacris, Dr.Dre, Snoop Dogg, and labelmates Lil Mo and Fabulous, among others. "I didn't want guest shots just to have them, " says Nate Dogg. " I wanted to call on some people that could contribute what i needed, but at the same time, you hear this album and you know I'm my own artist with my own vision. " Songs like "Keep It G.A.N.G.S.T.A" (featuring Lil' Mo and Xzibit), "Your Wife" (featuring Dr.Dre), "Ditty Dum Ditty Doo" (featuring Snoop Dogg and Tha Eastsidaz), and "Another Short Story," confirm Nate's growing stature as a songwriter. But as someone who has always lent his own hooks to new school rappers, the challenge was to fill his own album with just as many contagious songs. "Going in the studio, my goal was to make fifteen singles and that's what I did," he says proudly. "The album is a reflection of what's been going on in my life, and i dont ever run out of material when it comes to that."

The unflappable performer has indeed sparked many inspired 'moments' along the way. Nate Dogg - aka Nathaniel Hale - moved early from Long Beach to Mississippi where the rambunctious Nate would be surrounded by religion. But a return to Long Beach when he was a teenager would soon find Nate in the company of another potential superstar, Snoop Dogg. He hooked up with Snoop and Dr.Dre's half-brother, Warren G, to form the group 213. They became a staple at the local block parties and clubs. Meanwhile Dr.Dre would go on to change the face of music forever with the contraversial group NWA.

Dr.Dre and his label home, Death Row Records, kept their eye on 213. But it was Nate Dogg's debut on Dre's first solo release, The Chronic, that it turned the rap world's attention to Nate Dogg. His appearance on Warren G's breakthrough hit, "Regulate," furthered his growing rep. But Nate was still eager to shine on his own. After Death Row Records failed to ignite Nate's solo career, he left the infamous label and went on to release the acclaimed G-Funk Classics Vol.1 & 2 on Breakaway Records. Though now considered a cult classic, its lack of major lebel support would mean that mainstream success would still elude the dedicated vocalist.

Soon, Nate began to build a solid rep doing guest shots for other artists. His legend began to grow, with underground and aboveground record industry movers and shakers taking note that his presence on record often meant the difference between a brick and a hit. Over the last couple of years, his resume has included collaborations on songs such as Ludacris' "Area Codes," Dr.Dre's "Next Episode," Snoop Dogg's "Lay Low," and Fabolous' "Cant Deny It," among others. "It never bothered me that i got known for appearing on other songs, because it was always my goal to let people know what I could do as my own artist," says Nate Dogg. "I've been building for this moment all my life. Anyone who knew me knows I've always been ready."

A recent fact-check shows that Nate Dogg's collaborations with the hip hop elite have totaled close to 60 million records sold over the past decade. From the Delta, to Death Row, and now to the front row of the hip hop and R&B landscape, Nate dogg has always been able to seamlessly link the often desperate worlds of urban music. His first single, the mesmerizing "I Got Love," just might be the ultimate ode to a career that seems to be finally getting its due. "I've matured a bit, grown a lot," says Nate Dogg philosophically. "In the end, everything happens for a reason. I'm just happy to be in the position where i can sit back, relax, and produce my music. "