DORIAN GEIGER
Sports Editor

In the biggest death to rock the hip-hop world since the departures of 2Pac and Biggie Smalls, west coast rapper Nate Dogg (Nathaniel Dwayne Hale) succumbed to a lengthy battle with stroke-like symptoms on March 15.

Reports cited a deteriorating health condition as the cause of Hale’s death. The rap legend suffered a stroke in 2007, a catastrophe that rendered the left side of his body paralyzed. In 2008, Hale endured his second stroke and remained out of the spotlight leading up to his death. For many, Hale’s death was a shocking surprise ­— he was only 41 years old.

Though hip-hop has been injected with some much needed oomph by artists Kid Cudi, Wale, Hoodie Allen, Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco in recent years, the saying “hip-hop is dead” became all too prominent following Hale’s passing.

Hale has remained a staple of west coast hip-hop since cultivating the G-funk movement in the early ’90s. G-funk or gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip-hop which samples funk music with a lowered tempo, multi-layered melodic synthesizers and heavy bass.

Hale only collaborated with the best ”“ lyricists such as 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Cube, Xzibit, Ludacris and an abundance more.

Not technically a rapper by definition, Hale’s background is R&B driven, but his affiliation with various gangster rappers and his lyrical content make him an exception to the term. Hale concocted a variety of lyrically catchy and smoothly hypnotic hooks on singles such as Warren G’s “Regulate,” Eminem’s “Till I Collapse,” Xzbit, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s “Bitch Please (I and II),” Dre’s “The Next Episode” and 50 Cent’s “21 Questions.”

Hale’s death has triggered lamentations from across the hip-hop community. Comedian Dave Chappelle called for a moment of silence for a “hip-hop legend.”

Hale has appeared on upwards of 40 chart singles and at the height of his career it was mind boggling to comprehend the price tag attached to one of his 25-second choruses.

Few artists are even comparable to Hale; Akon has been trying to replicate a similar image — becoming the new age hook singer — but his appearances on the poppiest of singles with a variety of questionable artists will prevent him from ever reaching a level close to Hale’s.

Even Dr. Dre seems to have acknowledged this. Dre’s latest single, “Kush,” features cameos by Snoop Dogg (not surprisingly) and Akon. It was curious that the esteemed doctor used Akon’s vocals to accompany his re-entrance back onto hip-hop’s stage rather than Hale’s. Had Hale’s health been where it needed to be when Dre recorded his new track, Hale likely would have been alongside Dre and Snoop in the studio. Akon’s lacklustre job on “Kush” just makes Hale’s passing that much more tragic — no one can replicate him. Hale’s voice carries a mystique unmatched by anyone in the music industry right now, period.

It will remain a mystery if Hale’s well-publicized indulgence of marijuana contributed to his ailing health. In the wake of Hale’s passing, fans should consider adopting the mantra of smoking weed every other day. If nothing else, it can be ascertained that Hale transformed west coast hip-hop in an unparalleled way and that his unique sound will remain synonymous with the genre for years to come.