Nate Dogg: Thank Him Now

Nate Dogg, G-Funk purveyor and certified West Coast hip-hop legend has passed away. Every new age hip-hop artist with a tendency to seal their songs with a singer on its hook, or even sing those choruses themselves, needs to pay homage.

Contrary to popular belief, singing and harmonizing have always been part of hip-hop music. Seminal old-school groups like the Cold Crush Brothers and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five regularly mixed in crooning with their rapping.

But by the late 80s and early 90s, busting out sweet vocals on the mic had largely fallen out of favor. Enter Dr. Dre and his landmark album The Chronic, which featured vocals from Nate Dogg (see: “Deez Nuts”) in its cast of musical characters. Read more...