R.I.P. NATE DOGG… DPGC DOGG POUND GANGSTA 4 LIFE

All Doggs go to heaven…at least I’d like to believe that.

After years of battling deteriorating health, rapper and LBC native Nate Dogg (whose real name was Nathaniel Hale) passed away at the age of 41.

No exact cause of death was immediately released when the family announced his death to the Long Beach Press Telegram, though the rapper suffered two massive strokes in recent years, one in 2007 which left him partially paralzyes and another in 2008.

Nate Dogg was a four-time Grammy nominee and a major participant in the West Coast Gangsta sound, contributing memorable and chart-topping hooks to hits spanning the past two decades, starting with his heavy featuring on Dr. Dre‘s The Chronic. He was on everyone’s albums…Snoop, Warren G, Ludacris, Mos Def, Eminem….everyone.

Frequent collaborator and longtime friend Snoop broke the news on his twitter… (back in 1991, then unknown pals Snoop, Nate and Warren G formed a rap group called 213)

Snoop tweeted…”We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb,” last night. “One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met.

…I remember growing up to Snoop, Nate, Warren G…and all the other Westcoast Gangster Rappers as a kid.  I still remember me ‘C-walking’ to the Regulators song when I was a ‘youngin.

Sad day for Hip Hop…your lyrics will live on…’Never leave me alone’