The singer - best known for his 1994 hit 'Regulate' featuring Warren G -died unexpectedly on Tuesday (15.03.11) and Eminem has joined the long list of people to pay tribute to him.
Eminem, who recorded two tracks with Nate, 'Till I Collapse' in 2002 and 'Shake That' in 2005, told the E! Online: ''Nate's voice in music will never be replaced.
"He helped create the blueprint for West Coast hip-hop, and I was one of the lucky people who had the privilege to work with him and the honour to have him as a friend.
"Nate will be sorely missed. My condolences and prayers go out to his family and loved ones."
Snoop Dogg - who had known the singer since they went to school together - and Ludacris were among the first to pay respects to the star, while 50 Cent also tweeted a tribute.
50 - who featured Nate on his single '21 Questions' - said: "GOD BLESS HIM R.I.P he meant a lot to west coast hip-hop. I've always been a fan of it."
Nate worked extensively with rappers throughout his career including Snoop, Ludacris and Tupac Shakur. He appeared on more than 40 singles which made it into the US Billboard top 40 during his career and also released three albums of his own.
