Bad Azz: (On first meeting Nate Dogg) I met that nigga so long ago, I think I met Nate in front of Big C-Style’s house. I was greatly expecting to meet him at that time, cause I had been hearing a lot about 213 after Snoop did “Deep Cover” when I used to hang around at Big Styles house. Nate Dogg actually came over there one day, and we didn’t really share a lot of words, I was kind of trippin’ off his whole demeanor and everything, cause I was kind of new to these cats. They were a little older than me and I was trying to get on with the music after me and Big C-Style kinda got tight.
My fonder memories are of when I started going to the studio with them like a year or so later. We had kind of a distant relationship until the more mature years when I got a little older and started politicking with him. We had some good moments on tour, I remember a couple of times when I was chilling with Snoop and Nate had lived around the corner from Snoop, we used to go over to his house all the time.
I remember he had a fuckin’ jacuzzi in his living room! He had a big nice house, but he was like a bachelor, so he got this like 5 or 6 bedroom house with a fuckin’ jacuzzi right in the room when you walk into the dining area! I was laughing when we went in and saw that! A jacuzzi in the living room!
But as far as inspirations, he was to me like Snoop Dogg or Warren G or 2Pac or anybody that was older than me that perceived what I was doing. Nate was probably 5 years older than me, and he’d watch and give advice and help me become me without having to make so many mistakes. It was blessing to be around these guys and to lose him at this time after he had his strokes his devastatingﾅ
I saw him after he had the first stroke, I never got to see him after he had the second one. I just talked to some of the boys, I always asked Half Dead about him cause that’s his first cousin and he would talk to Nate’s mom a lot. I would always ask him about him and he’d give me updates on his condition, but it always seemed kind of stable, like he was still doing the same way. So to hear that he passed and knowing that he had been going through it the last couple of years really hurt me.
(On the “Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto” video) That was one of my favorite songs that I did with Nate involved and if you really notice, there is not one song with just Bad Azz and Nate Dogg. Everytime we got down, it was a family affair, and that song was dope for me. But for the majority of my career, I always wished for a straight Bad Azz and Nate Dogg jam, but it was one thing that never crossed paths like that to make it happen. But that song was very special to me.
(On Nate Dogg’s legacy) I’m very very pleased as a friend and a part of the Dogg Pound with how everybody is supporting him. I saw him on the frontpage of Yahoo.com and a lot of people that come from our cloth don’t get these kind of props when they pass. They were talking about it on the news, in all the newspaper, they shortened the memorial services because they didn’t expect to see so many people down there.
It’s just a good look and it makes me proud that people pay enough attention to us and our music that in an event like this, people show this kind of respect and love. His music is on all the stations, and when me and Roscoe performed last week the club was playing all Nate Dogg songs. It’s a good thing that when a person does have to leave, that we can celebrate them and make them feel appreciated.
Watch:
Snoop Dogg, Daz, Nate Dogg, Bad Azz & Tray Deee – Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto (Video)
