When Nathaniel “Nate Dogg” Hale passed last month, hip-hop lost one of its most distinctive voices—one that West Coast rap and the hook as we know it today owe a massive debt of gratitude. He was a fixture, credited on more than forty charting singles stretching back to 1992, including certified jams like Warren G’s “Regulate,” Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive” and “The Next Episode,” Ludacris’ “Area Codes,” and 50 Cent’s “21 Questions”—and odds are, none of them would have been the hits they were without his signature croon. To pay tribute, a posse of Seattle hip-hop artists (whose ranks have gone officially unannounced at press time) is assembling for a noteworthy cover show that’ll send half its profits to the official memorial trust. And as a singer with the uncanny ability to make G-Funk’s graphically violent and sexualized lyrics beautiful, you know Nate Dogg would want nothing more than for everyone to mount up in his honor. With DJ Swervewon, hosted by Spaceman and Neema. NICK FELDMAN

Wed., April 20, 10 p.m., 2011