Nathaniel Hale started out in 1990 with cousin Snoop Dogg and Warren G as 213, and became hip-hop's defining hook man — pioneering the blend of soul singing and rap production that came to be called "gangsta singing." He landed on 18 Billboard Hot 100 charting songs as a feature, from "Regulate" to "21 Questions," making his voice one of the most sampled and sought-after in the genre for two decades straight. Died March 15, 2011, at 41, following two strokes.
