Nate Dogg Dies at 41

11:41 PM PDT 3/15/2011 by THR staff

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A longtime friend and collaborator of Snoop Dogg's, he was best known for the 1994 hit "Regulate," featuring Warren G.

Rapper Nate Dogg, whose given name was Nathaniel D. Hale, died Tuesday, March 15, his family announced. He was 41. The cause of death is unknown at this time.

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A native of Long Beach, Calif., Nate Dogg came up alongside Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur, both close friends and frequent collaborators, and made his debut on Dr. Dre's seminal 1992 album The Chronic. As a producer and rapper, he took part in one of the biggest hip-hop singles of the 1990s, "Regulate" with Warren G (see video below). The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1994.

Hale had suffered from persistent health problems, including two strokes, one in 2007 and another in 2008.

Snoop Dogg tweeted minutes after news broke late Tuesday, writing, "We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb. One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986... I miss u cuzz I am so sad but so happy I got to grow up wit u and I will c u again n heaven cuz u know d slogan all doggs go to heaven..."