Nate will be remembered most for doing hooks (and please, Lord, PLEASE don't let T-Pain record some auto-tune bullshit tribute songs), and his resume is staggering, but don't sleep on his solo career either. I remember when my homies Jon Erik and Nelson put me up on his second album Music & Me by playing Backdoor, and I was instantly hooked. Soon after that, the whole album was in HEAVY rotation on my old CD player. I'm actually listening to Backdoor as I type this. Its so timeless that it could come out right now and get play, even though it got slept on back in 01-02.
I also remember back in the 90's when my cousin Donte used to draw that cat in a suit from Nate's first album G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2. Good times, man. Who didn't like Nate Dogg? I mean, I know some of these young buck didn't know him because he had never recorded a record with Waka Flocka or Justin Bieber, but musically, you'd be hard pressed to find another artist from the 90's and beyond more approved of across the board than Nate D-O-double G.
And you know what? Nate passing away is probably for the best, and I'll give you 2 reasons why: 1) From all accounts, Nate has been really suffering since his second stroke, and who wants to leave life suffering every day? 2) The music industry is all but dead right now, Nate Dogg worked with so many artists from so many places that when radio stations start playing tribute records it should be a small jolt for Hip-Hop overall.
Welp in closing, that smooth voice will be missed, but I thank God he was able to share his gift with the world for as long as he did. Hopefully Dr. Dre won't use this as an excuse to delay Detox again, though it would be the first viable one he's ever had. That West Coast sound ain't the same without Nate, and Akon definitely isn't filling either of those shoes.
