RIP Nate Dogg - The tradition of the "Rapper and the Crooner"...

An unfortunate loss in Hip Hop as Nate Dogg passes away today at 41. He and Warren G cooled down the aggro of Onyx, Public Enemy, and NWA to a slow burn that set the stage for Southern Hip Hop and today's cotton-mouthed crew of slow slow slow rappers. Warren G and Nate Dogg are part of a large tradition of the "Rapper and the Crooner" whose roots are found most notably in Reggae music. That vibe is also part of a larger family of duality as you also see in Hip Hop, R&B, and Pop song structures such as "The DJ and the Rapper" and "Female v. Male." As tribute, here are some choice cuts of the "Rapper & Crooner". RIP











and Hip Hop... even Odd Future gets a crooner in there...