Last night, we lost another Hip-Hop icon, Long Beach rapper/crooner and who most of us consider, the King of Hooks, Nate Dogg. Info is scarce, however it’s reported that he suffered a massive stroke. He, along with his rugged yet smooth signature baritone will be sorely missed, while his legacy and music will continue to live on.

Born and raised in Long Beach, California, Nate Dogg first began singing in Long Beach’s New Hope Baptist Church in Long Beach and Life Line Baptist Church in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where his father was a pastor. In 1991, he formed a rap trio 213 with friends and fellow LBC residents Warren G and Snoop Dogg. Their demo found its way to Dr. Dre, who then enlisted all three members on his seminal debut The Chronic. Nate eventually signed with west coast powerhouse Death Row Records.

As a solo artist, Nate released three albums, including 1998’s G-Funk Classics, Vols. 1 & 2, 2001’s Music & Me and his self-titled 2003 release. He also reunited with Snoop Dogg and Warren G as 213 for 2004’s The Hard Way. Nate established himself as a staple of west coast Hip Hop in his plethora of guest features, singing on classics like Warren G’s “Regulate,” Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun” and Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive.” He also lent his vocals to a number of charting-topping hits from a wide variety of Hip Hop’s elite, including 2Pac, Eminem, Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, Ludacris, 50 Cent and many more.

Reacting to the sad news of this morning, Big Syke of Thug Life acknowledged the loss on Twitter, after over nine months without a tweet. Syke, 2Pac, Mopreme Shakur and Mackadoshis featured Nate on their 1994 single, “How Long Will They Mourn Me?” Take a second and listen to Regulators (below), and just think.

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