Nate Dogg Calls His Music 'The Truth' On 'Yo! MTV Raps'

Nate Dogg's death Tuesday is still sending ripples through the hip-hop community, especially for his former Dogg Pound peers.

Nate, whose real name is Nathaniel Hale, is believed to have died from complications due to his two strokes — one suffered in 2007 and another the following year. His impact on West Coast hip-hop could not be overstated, as Nate helped pioneer the G-Funk sound with his deep, soulful voice on Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle and his breakthrough collaboration with Warren G, "Regulate."

Nate was feature on a 1995 episode of "Yo! MTV Raps," when Fab Five Freddy paid a visit to Cali to speak with Tha Dogg Pound and their affiliates, also including Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Sam Sneed and Lady of Rage.

"You know Tha Dogg Pound got mad flavor, multiple flavors like Baskin-Robbins," Fab Five said. "And one of the interesting flavors in the Dogg is my man, Nate Dogg."

A reserved Nate stepped up to the microphone, detailing to Fab Five how he made a name for himself on Dre's and Snoop's projects. Nate cited Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson as his idols.

When Fab Five asked how he makes his smooth, soulful sound work so well with the rest of Tha Dogg Pound's rough and raw delivery, he acknowledged the differences, but said they shared the same message.

"It's something different, what we doing, but it's the truth [that] we are saying," Nate said. "If you can relate to it, it's always going to be the truth, and if it got that Dogg Pound flavor, it's always going to be a tad more."

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