Editing Nate Dogg (section)

==Early life==
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale was born on August 19, 1969, in [[Long Beach, California]].<ref name=latimes>{{Cite news|first1=Gerrick D.|last1=Kennedy|first2=Valerie J.|last2=Nelson|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-mar-17-la-me-nate-dogg-20110317-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321002812/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/17/local/la-me-nate-dogg-20110317|url-status=live|archive-date=March 21, 2011|title=Nate Dogg dies at 41; West Coast rapper created the blend of singing-rapping known as G-funk|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|location=Los Angeles, California |date=March 17, 2011 |access-date=June 21, 2018| language=en-US |issn=0458-3035}}</ref><ref name="nyt-obit">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/arts/music/nate-dogg-hip-hop-collaborator-dies-at-41.html |title=Nate Dogg, Hip-Hop Collaborator, Dies at 41 |first=Jon |last=Caramanica |date=2011-03-17 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=2022-08-25}}</ref><ref name="hiphopdx 2011-03-16"/><ref name="Press-Telegram 2011-03-15">{{cite news |last=Mellen |first=Greg |date=2011-03-15 |title=Rapper Nathaniel Hale — Nate Dogg — dies at 41 
|url=https://www.presstelegram.com/2011/03/15/rapper-nathaniel-hale-nate-dogg-dies-at-41/ |work=Long Beach Press-Telegram |location=[[Long Beach, California]] |access-date=2022-08-25}}</ref>{{efn|Some sources say he was born in [[Clarksdale, Mississippi]], eventually moving to Long Beach in his teens.<ref name="City of Clarksdale">{{Cite web |title=Dogg |url=https://www.cityofclarksdale.org/artists/nate-dogg/ |access-date=2022-08-20 |website=City of Clarksdale |language=en-US}}</ref>}} Hale met [[Warren G]] at [[Long Beach Polytechnic High School]].{{cn|date=January 2023}} As a youth, he sang at the New Hope Baptist Church in Long Beach, where his father was a pastor.<ref name="hiphopdx 2011-03-16">Sean Ryon, [https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.14420/title.breaking-nate-dogg-passes-away-at-41-years-old# BREAKING: NATE DOGG PASSES AWAY AT 41 YEARS OLD], hiphopdx.com, US, March 16, 2011</ref> He also sang at Life Line Baptist Church in [[Clarksdale, Mississippi]].

At age 17, Hale dropped out of high school, left home, and 30 days later enlisted in the [[United States Marine Corps|US Marines]].<ref name="marine">{{cite web |url=http://www.usmc.net/famous_us_marines/ |title=Joining the Ranks of Famous Marines |publisher=USMC.net |access-date=December 26, 2009 }}</ref> He was stationed at [[Camp Schwab]] in [[Okinawa Prefecture]], Japan, in the Matériel Readiness Battalion of the [[3rd Marine Logistics Group#3rd Force Service Support Group (3rd FSSG)|3rd Force Service Support Group]], which supplied ammunition to most of the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]]. After three years as an ammunition specialist, he was [[military discharge|discharged]] in 1989. Hale would recall that he joined the military because he "wanted to see if he was a man".<ref name="Arnold 2012">{{cite web|first=Paul|last=Arnold|url=https://hiphopdx.com/editorials/id.1899/title.souljas-story-10-hip-hop-artists-who-served-their-country|title=Soulja's Story: 10 Hip Hop Artists Who Served Their Country|website=hiphopdx.com|location=Portland, Oregon|date=May 28, 2012|access-date=May 3, 2018}}</ref>