Death Row Records

American record label

Record label

Death Row Records

Founded| 1991; 34 years ago (1991) (original)
February 9, 2022; 3 years ago (2022-02-09) (revival)
Founder|

* The D.O.C.
* Suge Knight
* Dr. Dre
* Dick Griffey[1][2]
* Micheal "Harry-O" Harris[3]

Status| Active
Distributor(s)|

* Interscope (1992–1997)
* Priority (1992–2003)
* Koch (2003–2007)
* AMPED Distribution (physical, 2021–2022)
* gamma. (2023–present)[4][5][6]
* Create (digital)[7]

Genre|

* Hip-hop
* R&B

Country of origin| United States
Location| Beverly Hills, California
Official website| deathrowrecords.com

Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, Dick Griffey, and Harry-O.[8] The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. Dre (The Chronic), Snoop Dogg (Doggystyle, Tha Doggfather) and 2Pac (All Eyez on Me, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory) during the 1990s. At its peak, Death Row made over US $100 million annually.[9]

By the late 1990s, the label began to decline after the death of its star artist, 2Pac, imprisonment of Suge Knight, and the departures of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. It was embroiled in controversies, lawsuits, and violence by its artists and associates, despite enjoying financial success.

Death Row Records filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and was auctioned to WIDEawake Entertainment for $18 million on January 15, 2009.[10] The owner of WIDEawake went bankrupt in 2012; the label was sold to Entertainment One, and it then became a division of Hasbro until April 2021, when eOne Music was sold to the Blackstone Group.[11] Snoop Dogg bought Death Row from MNRK Music Group in February 2022, intending to revive the label.[12][13]

## History

[edit]

### 1987–1992: Origins and the first generation

[edit]

Main article: Ruthless Records

In 1987, N.W.A's Dr. Dre signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records. As head of production at the label, Dr. Dre produced a large number of Ruthless projects, many of them successful; feeling the pressures of having to produce so many acts and feeling he was underpaid, Dr. Dre became frustrated with Ruthless.[14] After the departure of Ice Cube in 1989 over financial disagreements with Jerry Heller,[15] Suge Knight and the D.O.C. went over the books with a lawyer. Convinced that Jerry Heller and Eazy-E were dishonest, they approached Dr. Dre about forming a label with them, away from Heller and Eazy-E.[16] Allegedly using strong-arm tactics, Suge Knight was able to procure contracts from Eazy-E for the D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Jewell, and Michel'le.[17]

Dr. Dre and Suge Knight along with partners the D.O.C. and Dick Griffey began the process of starting a record label and music partnership in anticipation of Dr. Dre's departure from Ruthless. Although the name of their new music venture was originally called Future Shock, both the D.O.C and Suge Knight's business associate Michael "Harry-O" Harris have claimed to have suggested changing the name of the new label to 'Def Row' [18] (a play on Def Jam),[19] but rights to the name were already owned by the Unknown DJ, who also happened to be one of Dre's former music associates in the 1980s. Unknown stated in an interview that he created the name "Def Row" for a potential deal to start another record label under Morgan Creek.[20] However he later sold the naming rights to Dr. Dre and his partners in July 1991 and by 1992 the name changed to its eventual title of Death Row Records.[21] Knight approached Michael "Harry-O" Harris, a businessman imprisoned on drug and attempted murder charges. Through David Kenner, an attorney handling Harris's appeal, Harry-O set up Godfather Entertainment, a parent company for the newly christened Death Row.[22]

Knight approached Vanilla Ice (Robert Van Winkle), using management connections with Mario "Chocolate" Johnson, claiming Johnson had produced and co-written the song "Ice Ice Baby", and had not received royalties for it.[23] After consulting with Alex Roberts, Knight and two bodyguards arrived at The Palm in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, where Van Winkle was eating. After shoving Van Winkle's bodyguards aside, Knight sat down in front of Van Winkle, staring at him before asking "How you doin'?"[23] Similar incidents were repeated on several occasions, including alleged attempts to lure Vanilla Ice into a van filled with Bloods and Crips, before Knight showed up at Vanilla Ice's hotel suite on the 15th floor of the Bel Age Hotel, accompanied by Johnson and a member of the Los Angeles Raiders. According to Vanilla Ice, Knight took him out on the balcony by himself, and implied he would throw Vanilla Ice off unless he signed the rights to the song over to Knight; Van Winkle's money helped fund Death Row.[23] Death Row was initially located at the intersection of Westwood Blvd and Wilshire Blvd, later to be relocated to the intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and San Vicente Blvd.[24]

### 1992–1995: The Chronic, Doggystyle, and other releases

[edit]

With the help of Kenner, Knight began signing young, inner-city California-based artists and arranged for Death Row Records to contribute to the soundtrack for the 1992 film, Deep Cover. The single, "Deep Cover", established Dr. Dre as a solo artist and a young Snoop Doggy Dogg as his protégé. Work soon began on The Chronic, Dr. Dre's debut solo album, which heavily featured Snoop and the rest of the label's core roster.

In 1992, Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records negotiated a $10-million deal with Dr. Dre and Marion "Suge" Knight to finance and distribute Death Row. The meeting and negotiations were initiated by McClain, who met Dre when he was recording his The Chronic. Original plans had called for the album to be released through Sony, but Sony passed on The Chronic due to Death Row's controversial nature and Dr. Dre's contractual status. After hearing the album, Iovine agreed to release it, although doing so required a complicated distribution agreement with Priority Records, Dre's label as a member of N.W.A. The Chronic was released in December 1992.[25][26]The album, which was released on December 15 and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top 200, went on to sell 5.7 million records worldwide,[27] popularizing the distinctive style of G-Funk.[28] The Death Row roster consisted of Dre, Snoop, Daz, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, The Lady of Rage, The D.O.C., Jewell, RBX, Soopafly and many more.

After Snoop Dogg found solo success through his features on The Chronic, Dre began producing Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle throughout 1993. Snoop's debut was released on November 23, 1993 due to public demand and high pressure from retailers. Though unfinished,[29] it outperformed The Chronic at Quadruple Platinum,[30] and garnered similarly glowing reviews.[31] Soon after the release of the album, Snoop Dogg was charged with murder,[citation needed] fueling the debate that politicians C. Delores Tucker and vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle sparked [citation needed] by criticizing gangsta rap for being against American values, degrading to black women, and encouraging violence towards police officers. Throughout 1994, Death Row Records released the soundtracks Above the Rim and Murder Was the Case.

On November 22, 1994, at the offices of The Brotherhood Crusade in Los Angeles, Suge Knight and several artists from Death Row such as Tha Dogg Pound as well as DJ Quik distributed nearly 2,000 turkeys to the public.[32] Death Row also donated turkeys the following year as well.[33]

On March 13, 1995, Death Row Records hosted a private party at the El Rey Theatre, where Kelly Jamerson, a Rolling 60's Crip,[34] was severely beaten by several Bloods, who were allegedly from Suge Knight's inner circle.[35] As a result of his injuries, Jamerson died the next day at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

### 1995–1996: Signing 2Pac, Bad Boy Records feud, Dr. Dre's departure

[edit]

After an August visit to see 2Pac at Clinton Correctional Facility in northern New York state, Suge traveled southward to New York City to join Death Row's entourage to the 2nd Annual Source Awards ceremony.[36] Already reputed for strongarm tactics on the Los Angeles rap scene, after giving a brief comment of support for Shakur,[37] Suge used his brief stage time mainly to disparage Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, CEO of Bad Boy Records, the label then leading New York rap scene. Knight criticized Combs for his habit of ad-libbing on his artists' music as well as making numerous cameo appearances in his artists' music videos.[38][39] Suge then invited artists seeking the spotlight for themselves to join Death Row.[38][39] Eventually, Puff recalled that to preempt severe retaliation from his Bad Boy crew, he had promptly confronted Suge, whose reply—that he had meant Jermaine Dupri, of So So Def Recordings, in Atlanta—was politic enough to deescalate the conflict.[40]

Still, among the fans, the previously diffuse rivalry between America's two mainstream rap scenes had instantly flared already.[38][37][39] And while in New York, Suge visited Uptown Records, where Puff, under its founder Andre Harrell, had started in the music business through an internship.[41] Apparently without paying Uptown, Suge obtained the releases of Puff's prime Uptown recruits Jodeci, its producer DeVante Swing, and Mary J. Blige, all then signing with Suge's management company.[41]

On September 24, 1995, at Jermaine Dupri's birthday party at the Platinum House nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia, Bad Boy's entourage entered a heated dispute with Suge and Suge's friend Jai Hassan-Jamal "Big Jake" Robles, a Campanella Park Piru Bloods gang member and Death Row bodyguard.[38][42] According to eyewitnesses, including a Fulton County sheriff working there as a nightclub bouncer, Puff had heatedly disputed with Suge inside the club.[38] Several minutes later, outside the club, Puff's childhood friend and own bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones was involved in a heated altercation with others that ultimately led to Robles being fatally shot while entering a Limousine.[38][43][44]

The attorneys of Puff and Jones both denied any involvement by their clients, while Puff's lawyer added that Puff had not even been with his bodyguard that night.[45] Over 20 years later, the case remains officially unresolved, and Jones himself was fatally shot in Atlanta in November 2003 during an altercation with the Black Mafia Family.[46] Yet immediately and persistently, Suge blamed Puff, cementing the enmity between the two bosses, whose two record labels dominated the rap genre's two mainstream centers.[38][47]

In October 1995, Knight visited 2Pac in prison again and posted $1.4 million bond. 2Pac began work on his Death Row album, kicking off his tenure by insulting the Notorious B.I.G., Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Puff Daddy (the founder of Bad Boy Records), whom he accused of setting him up to be robbed and shot at Quad Studios on November 30, 1994, as well as Mobb Deep, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Jimmy Henchman, the Fugees and Nas. Tha Dogg Pound's debut album, Dogg Food, continued the label's streak of commercial successes; its members – rappers Kurupt and Daz Dillinger – then joined Snoop in ridiculing New York rappers with their single "New York, New York", featuring Snoop Dogg. The video, set in New York City, New York, was also heightened when the set was fired upon in a drive-by. After the shooting, Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound filmed scenes kicking down a building in New York. The single provoked a response called '"L.A., L.A." by East Coast rappers Capone-N-Noreaga, Tragedy Khadafi, and Mobb Deep.

Another report was that Sam Sneed was beaten in one of the label's meetings by a group of Death Row affiliates, led by Suge Knight and 2Pac. According to Daz Dillinger, the reason this happened was that Sam Sneed had too many East Coast rappers in his "Lady Heroin" music video.[48] Disillusioned with the direction of Death Row, artists RBX and the D.O.C. chose to leave, after which Suge Knight exercised tighter control over the rest of the roster.[22] Dogg Food was not produced by Dr. Dre but was mixed by Dr. Dre, a further testament to Dre's dwindling involvement with Death Row. Dr. Dre also grew tired of Knight's violence within the label, although he contributed toward two tracks on 2Pac's All Eyez on Me. The rest of the tracks on the album, however, were mostly produced by Daz Dillinger and Johnny J, despite Dr. Dre being nominally titled as Executive Producer. 2Pac's behavior reportedly became erratic as he continued his verbal wars with the Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, Puff Daddy, Mobb Deep, and Prodigy, including many violent confrontations with many of those rappers at some points. On March 22, 1996, due to the infighting, Dr. Dre officially left Death Row Records to found Aftermath, which provoked 2Pac to turn against Dr. Dre.

Suge Knight's relationship with MC Hammer dates back to 1988. With the success of Hammer's 1994 album, The Funky Headhunter, Hammer signed with Death Row in 1995, along with his close friend, Tupac.[49] The label did not release the album of M.C. Hammer's music (titled Too Tight), although he did release versions of some tracks on his next album.[50][51] However, Hammer did record tracks with Shakur and others, most notably the song "Too Late Playa" (along with Big Daddy Kane and Danny Boy).[52] After the death of Tupac in 1996, MC Hammer left the label.[53][54]

### 1996–2001: Tupac Shakur's murder, Suge Knight's incarceration, and decline

[edit]

Main article: Murder of Tupac Shakur

Formerly a united front of artists, Death Row's roster fractured into separate camps. Daz, now head producer, worked on Snoop Dogg's second album Tha Doggfather, which featured Bad Azz and Techniec of the LBC Crew, Warren G and Nate Dogg of his group 213 and Tha Dogg Pound. 2Pac shut himself into the studio with Hurt-M-Badd and Big "D", crafting The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory \- unlike All Eyez on Me, it was devoid of high-profile Death Row guest appearances, instead showcasing The Outlawz and Bad Azz, and had a much darker tone. Suge Knight was now barely reachable by his staff, and employees were assaulted as punishment for not following orders.[29]

In New York City for the MTV Video Music Awards, 2Pac was interviewed on Death Row East, an East Coast subsidiary branch of Death Row.[55] It was also during this time that Alex Roberts and David Kenner had been seen at Suge Knight's Vegas Club 662, in discussion about the possibility of having Roberts' New York underworld connections help pave the way for Death Row East. The record label was supposed to be run by Eric B. and Big D with Craig Mack being the first artist signed to the label. On September 7, 1996, Suge Knight and 2Pac were caught on surveillance camera at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas attacking gang member Orlando Anderson, who was a member of the South Side Compton Crips street gang. Later that night, 2Pac was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in the front seat of Suge Knight's BMW 750iL waiting at a red traffic light at crossroads; en route to Knight's Las Vegas Club 662;[56][57] despite living six days in critical condition, 2Pac died on September 13, 1996. He was 25 years old.

2Pac's "The Don Killuminati: 7 Day Theory" was released in November 1996, just one week before Snoop Dogg's "Tha Doggfather", which both achieved Multi-Platinum sales. The following months, Death Row released Death Row Greatest Hits, Christmas on Death Row, Gridlock'd, and Gang Related. Nate Dogg's album, G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 was supposed to be released on January 14, 1997, but got shelved due to issues at Death Row Records, despite getting released independently as a double disc the following year.

On February 28, Suge Knight was convicted of probation violation and sentenced to nine years in prison,[58] causing Interscope to drop their distribution deal with the label.[59]

Suge Knight's control over the label diminished, as Nate Dogg was able to leave, followed by Snoop Dogg and Kurupt. The Lady of Rage left after the release of her solo album Necessary Roughness to pursue an acting career, so did Michel'le with Hung Jury. Daz Dillinger departed in 1999 after the release of his debut album Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back, but produced for Big C-Style, and he later formed D.P.G. Recordz. During Knight's incarceration, Death Row released Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 and Too Gangsta for Radio, which both received negative reviews. Both albums had the label's new signees, Tha Realest and YGD Tha Top Dogg, who were criticized for imitating the styles, looks, and vocals of 2Pac and Snoop Dogg. Also, Dead Man Walkin', a Snoop Dogg compilation of unreleased recordings, was released without his authorization.

### 2001–2005: Knight's release, return to prison, second generation

[edit]

Maintaining artistic control from behind bars, Suge Knight launched smear campaigns against his former artists, most notably Snoop Dogg, death threats were exchanged, and Snoop Dogg responded by publicly dissing Suge Knight, leaving the label, and later releasing a diss track named "Pimp Slapp'd", critically acclaimed by music magazine Complex.[60][61][62][63] The label supported itself with releases pulled from vaults—most successfully various posthumous 2Pac albums, along with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg re-releases. He signed new talent, including Crooked I, who had been lighting up the Californian underground with his rhyming ability, particularly the Wake Up Show with Sway & King Tech.

On August 6, 2001, Suge Knight was released from prison.[64][65] Despite bad blood, Kurupt would again sign with Suge Knight in exchange for the position of Vice President, which sparked a feud between himself and Daz Dillinger and Snoop Dogg. He began work on Against tha Grain; his verbal feud with his former partners continued from 2002 to 2005.[66] The same year, Knight decided to enter the UK market with Death Row Records operating as an independent record label in conjunction with the Ritz Music Group,[67] a company known for its success with Irish country music artists such as Daniel O'Donnell[68] The joint-venture signed British R&B singer Mark Morrison[69] to a five-year deal with Death Row Records UK, with a single called "Thank God It's Friday" and an album called Innocent Man scheduled for a 2002 release. However, the single did not chart in the UK and the album ended up being released by footballer Kevin Campbell's record label 2 Wikid, before being re-issued in 2006 by Mona Records.

Left Eye, member of the R&B girl group TLC signed with Death Row after finishing her solo deal with Arista who released her first album Supernova in 2001. At this time, Death Row changed into Tha Row Records. Lopes joined to record a second solo album under the pseudonym N.I.N.A. (New Identity Not Applicable), while also working on TLC's new album 3D. N.I.N.A. was canceled after her death in April 2002. The album was leaked online in 2011.

After promoting his new talent from prison, directing a campaign against his former artists and exacerbating the conflict between Daz Dillinger, Snoop Dogg and Kurupt,[70] Suge had still yet to release any albums by his new artists. After Kurupt's second departure, Against tha Grain was released; soon after, citing dissatisfaction with serving five years on the label and seeing no release,[71] Rapper Crooked I left Death Row, eventually filing a gag order on Knight to prevent him from interfering with him finding a new deal.[72] Petey Pablo, who had signed in 2005 and started the never-released album Same Eyez on Me,[73] left along with rapper Tha Realest[74] in 2006.

### 2006–2022: Bankruptcy, closure, WIDEawake, Hasbro

[edit]

On April 4, 2006, both Death Row Records and Suge Knight simultaneously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following the appointment of a Receiver to acquire and auction off assets of both Death Row Records and Suge Knight in the civil case filed by Lydia Harris. Among those listed as unsecured creditors to Death Row include the Harrises ($107 million), the Internal Revenue Service ($6.9 million), Koch Records ($3.4 million), Interscope Records ($2.5 million) and a number of artists previously signed to the label. Suge Knight eventually lost control of Death Row Records and his personal assets when Chapter 11 Trustees took over both cases.

On January 15, 2009, Death Row Records was successfully auctioned for $18 million to Ontario-based WIDEawake Entertainment Group that was founded in 2008 by Lara Lavi, with financing from New Solutions Financial Corporation.[75] On January 25, 2009, a public auction was held for everything found in Death Row's office after it filed for bankruptcy. Of note was the Death Row electric chair which went for US$2,500.[76] Lavi was removed from WIDEawake and Robert Thompson-So of New Solutions took over day-to-day operations. Lavi then sued her former company WIDEawake, along with New Solutions and Thompson-So in New York County Court on November 19, 2009.[77]

WIDEawake issued previously unreleased material from such artists as Kurupt, Danny Boy, Crooked I, Sam Sneed, LBC Crew, Jewell and O.F.T.B. Dr. Dre's, The Chronic Re-Lit was released on September 1, 2009 and contained The Chronic remastered with seven unreleased songs featuring Snoop Dogg, CPO, Kurupt, Jewell, and a bonus DVD containing a Dr. Dre interview, a Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg mini movie, and television commercials for the original The Chronic.[78] The album also contained a scene from an unfinished feature film entitled, SAIGON, CA, which was to launch WIDEawake's film studio.[79][80] Death Row The Lost Sessions Vol 1 by Snoop Dogg was released October 13, 2009 and contained 15 previously unreleased tracks, including some produced by Dr. Dre.[81] Death Row: The Ultimate Collection was released on November 24 and was a special box set containing three audio CDs (one greatest hits disc and two discs of unreleased content), one DVD of music videos including the unreleased Dr. Dre music video "Puffin' On Blunts".[82]

On December 5, 2012, Jonathan Hay, a former Death Row publicist reported through HipHopDX that New Solutions Financial Corporation, the Canadian company that owned WIDEawake Death Row, had gone bankrupt and sold both the label and catalog to a publicly held company in a deal that would be closed on December 10.[83] In 2013, Entertainment One purchased the rights to the Death Row catalog. New Solutions Financial Corporation was eventually exposed as an alleged Ponzi scheme.[84]

On August 23, 2019, American toy company Hasbro announced a $4 billion purchase of eOne, making them the owners of Death Row Records.[85] In April 2021, Hasbro and Entertainment One announced it would sell-off eOne Music to The Blackstone Group, which its acquisition was completed in June 2021.[86][87]

### 2022–present: Revival through Snoop Dogg and third generation

[edit]

On February 9, 2022, ahead of the release of his next album and his appearance in the Super Bowl LVI halftime show, Snoop Dogg announced that he would acquire the rights to the Death Row Records trademarks from MNRK Music Group (the renamed eOne Music). The sale did not immediately include rights to the label's catalog, but it was reported that he was nearing a deal to acquire the catalogs of himself and other Death Row artists from MNRK. On February 11, 2022, Snoop Dogg released his third studio album on Death Row Records, marking a 26-year lapse from the label after Tha Doggfather album.[88][89][90]

Snoop Dogg's purchase of Death Row Records did not include the rights to Tupac or Dr. Dre's albums originally which those rights have been reverted back to Interscope Records. On March 4, 2022, in an interview with Tidal, Snoop Dogg stated he acquired the rights to all the albums previously released on Death Row Records, including his debut studio album Doggystyle and Dr. Dre's The Chronic. Despite the interview, Dr. Dre's lawyer, Howard King, denied the "false reports" two days later, stating that Dre still retained total control of The Chronic, which came back to streaming services on February 1, 2023.[91][92][93] On April 18, 2022, it was announced that Death Row Records would have its own streaming service, which pays higher royalties to its artists than main music streaming services.[94]

In December 2022, Snoop Dogg sold a stake of Death Row's catalogue to former Apple Music's Global Creative Director Larry Jackson's music label Gamma.[95] During the onset of 2023, Jane Handcocks's World of Women and October London's The Rebirth of Marvin were released. On February 12, 2023, Snoop Dogg announced that Death Row's catalogue would return to TikTok via association with music distribution company SoundOn.[96] Death Row's catalogue returned to all music streaming services on March 9, 2023.[97]

## Gang violence

[edit]

Death Row Records has been referred to as "the most controversial record label in history", due to Suge Knight's practice of hiring gang members and the gang-related violence which plagued the record label.[98] Knight, who was a member of the Mob Piru Bloods, hired gang members from his set, as well as other sets, including the Fruit Town Piru and Lueders Park Piru.[99] There have been several murders committed by gang members affiliated with Death Row Records. Furthermore, many of the Bloods who worked for the record label would eventually be murdered.

### Murder of William "Rat" Ratcliffe

[edit]

In 1995, an aspiring rapper and member of the Bounty Hunter Bloods named William "Rat" Ratcliffe was pressuring Suge Knight to sign him to Death Row Records. After Ratcliffe confronted Knight with 10 other Bounty Hunter Bloods, Knight ordered Wardell "Poochie" Fouse, who was a fellow Mob Piru member, to kill Ratcliffe.[100]

### Murder of the Notorious B.I.G.

[edit]

Main article: Murder of the Notorious B.I.G.

After the murder of Tupac Shakur, Knight was incarcerated due to probation violations. Knight held Sean Combs, the CEO of Bad Boy Records, responsible for the death of Shakur and sought revenge.[100] Through his then-girlfriend Theresa Swann, the incarcerated Knight contacted Wardell Fouse and hired him to kill The Notorious B.I.G.[101] Swann was given $25,000, of which $13,000 would go to Fouse.[100]

During the initial investigation into Wallace's murder, Fouse was not a suspect, as detective Russell Poole's prime suspects were the LAPD officer David Mack and Mack's friend Amir Muhammed (Harry Billups).[102] After Poole resigned from the department in 1999, the case stalled. After the case was reopened in 2006, the lead detective, Greg Kading, concluded that Wardell Fouse was the shooter.[100] As Fouse was murdered in 2003, no charges were pressed against him.

### Feud between the Mob Piru and Fruit Town Piru

[edit]

By the early 2000s, a rivalry had developed between the Mob Piru Bloods and the Fruit Town Piru Bloods, resulting in the deaths of several Mob Pirus associated with Death Row Records, including (but not limited to):

* Alton "Buntry" McDonald, who was shot dead on April 3, 2002, allegedly by George Williams, who also went by the nicknames "G" or "Ponytail".[103]
* Henry "Hendog" Smith, who designed the logo for Death Row Records.[99] Smith was shot dead on October 16, 2002.[104] Smith was killed by a member of the Denver Lanes Bloods.[105]
* Wardell "Poochie" Fouse, who was shot dead on July 24, 2003.[106]

This feud started when George "G" Williams, who worked as a bodyguard for Suge Knight, was fired after he failed to return two Death Row Records cars which he borrowed.[107] After Williams was fired, he became a close associate of Rodrick Cardale "Lil Rod" Reed, a Fruit Town Piru member. The pair are alleged to be behind the murders of the Mob Piru Bloods from Death Row Records.[108]

## Roster

[edit]

### Current artists

[edit]

Act  | Years on
the label  | Releases
under the label

|
|

Snoop Dogg | 1991–1998[109]

2022–present

| 5
Merkules[110] | 2022–present  | –
Jane Handcock[111] | 2022–present  | 1
October London[112] | 2023–present  | 2
Julian Torres[113] | 2023–present  | –
D Smoke | 2023–present  | –
Tha Dogg Pound | 1992–1998, 2024–present  | 2
Tha Eastsidaz | 2024-present  | 1
Charlie Bereal  | 2024–present[114] | 1

### Former artists

[edit]

Act  | Years on
the label  | Releases
under the label

|
|

Dr. Dre | 1991–1996  | 1
The D.O.C. | 1991–1994  | –
Michel'le | 1991–1999
2002–2003  | 1
Jewell | 1991–1997  | 1
The Lady of Rage | 1991–1998  | 1
Paradise  | 1991–1993  | –
EMmage  | 1991–1993  | –
Nate Dogg | 1992–1998  | –
Kurupt | 1992–1998, 2002–2005  | 1
Daz Dillinger | 1992–1998  | 1
CPO | 1993–1996  | –
Sam Sneed | 1993–1996  | 1
O.F.T.B. | 1993–1998  | 1
Lil' Bow Wow | 1993-1994  | –
Soopafly | 1994–1999  | –
J-Flexx | 1994–1999  | –
Danny Boy | 1994–1999, 2002–2005  | 1
Young Soldierz | 1994–1998  | –
Bloody Mary  | 1994–1996  | –
Redrum 781 | 1994–1996  | –
K-Solo | 1995–1996  | –
2Pac | 1995–1996  | 5
MC Hammer | 1995–1996  | –
Prince Ital Joe | 1995–1998  | –
6 Feet Deep[115] | 1995–1998  | –
Gina Longo[116] | 1996–1998  | –
B.G.O.T.I.  | 1996–1997  | –
Outlawz[117] | 1997–1999  | –
Top Dogg[118] | 1997–2001  | –
Tha Realest | 1996–2001  | –
Chocolate Bandit  | 1997–1999  | –
Lil' C-Style | 1998–2001  | –
Swoop G  | 1998–2001  | –
Mac Shawn[119] | 1998–2001  | –
Doobie  | 1998–2001  | –
V.K.  | 1998–2000  | –
Keita Roc  | 1998–2004  | –
Above the Law | 1999–2002  | –
Crooked I | 1999–2004  | 1
SKG[120] | 2000–2004  | –
Eastwood  | 2001–2004  | –
Lisa Lopes | 2001–2002  | –

### Former producers

[edit]

Producer  | Years on
the label

|

Dr. Dre | 1991–1996
Chris "The Glove" Taylor | 1991–1996
Rhythm D[121] | 1991–1992
Daz Dillinger | 1992–1998
Kevin Lewis  | 1992–1999
Sam Sneed | 1993–1996
Sean "Barney Rubble" Thomas  | 1993–1997
Soopafly | 1994–1999
Hurt-M-Badd | 1995–1998
Darryl "Big D" Harper  | 1996–1999
Curtis "Kurt Kobane" Couthon  | 1996–2000
Reggie "Devell" Moore  | 1996–1999
Jim Gittum[122] | 1998–2002
Cold 187um | 1999–2002
Darren Vegas  | 2002-2004

## Discography

[edit]

### Studio albums

[edit]

Main article: Death Row Records discography

Artist  | Album  | Details

|
|

Dr. Dre | The Chronic |

* Released: December 15, 1992
* Chart positions: #3 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 3× Platinum[123]

Snoop Doggy Dogg | Doggystyle |

* Released: November 23, 1993
* Chart positions: #1 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 4× Platinum

Tha Dogg Pound | Dogg Food |

* Released: October 31, 1995
* Chart positions: #1 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 2× Platinum

2Pac | All Eyez on Me |

* Released: February 13, 1996
* Chart positions: #1 U.S.
* RIAA certification: Diamond (10× Platinum)

Makaveli | The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory |

* Released: November 5, 1996
* Chart positions: #1 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 4× Platinum

Snoop Doggy Dogg  | Tha Doggfather |

* Released: November 12, 1996
* Chart positions: #1 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 2× Platinum

The Lady of Rage | Necessary Roughness |

* Released: June 24, 1997
* Chart positions: #32 U.S.

Daz Dillinger | Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back |

* Released: March 31, 1998
* Chart positions: #8 U.S.

Michel'le | Hung Jury |

* Released: August 24, 1998
* Chart positions: –

2Pac  | Until the End of Time |

* Released: March 27, 2001
* Chart positions: #1 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 3× Platinum

2Pac  | Better Dayz |

* Released: November 26, 2002
* Chart positions: #5 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 2× Platinum

Kurupt | Against the Grain |

* Released: August 23, 2005
* Chart positions: #60 U.S.

Danny Boy | It's About Time |

* Released: April 20, 2010
* Chart positions: –

Crooked I | Hood Star |

* Released: June 15, 2010
* Chart positions: –

Sam Sneed | Street Scholars |

* Released: January 25, 2011
* Chart positions: –

LBC Crew | Haven't You Heard |

* Released: February 8, 2011
* Chart positions: –

O.F.T.B. | Damn Near Dead |

* Released: July 12, 2011
* Chart positions: –

Jewell | Black Diamond |

* Released: November 22, 2011
* Chart positions: –

Snoop Dogg  | BODR |

* Released: February 11, 2022
* Chart positions: #104 U.S.

Jane Handcock  | World of Women |

* Released: January 20, 2023
* Chart positions: –

October London | The Rebirth of Marvin |

* Released: February 10, 2023
* Chart positions: –

Tha Dogg Pound  | W.A.W.G. (We All We Got) |

* Released: May 31, 2024
* Chart positions: –

October London  | October Nights |

* Released: October 11, 2024
* Chart positions: –

Snoop Dogg  | Missionary |

* Released: December 13, 2024
* Chart positions: #20 U.S.

Charlie Bereal  | Walk With the Father |

* Released: January 24, 2025
* Chart positions: –

Snoop Dogg  | Iz It a Crime? |

* Released: May 15, 2025
* Chart positions: –

### Compilation albums

[edit]

Artist  | Album  | Details

|
|

Various Artists  | Above the Rim |

* Released: March 22, 1994
* Chart positions: #2 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 2× Platinum

Various Artists  | Murder Was the Case |

* Released: October 15, 1994
* Chart positions: #1 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 2× Platinum

Various Artists  | Death Row Greatest Hits |

* Released: November 26, 1996
* Chart positions: #36 U.S.
* RIAA certification: Platinum

Various Artists  | Christmas on Death Row |

* Released: December 3, 1996
* Chart positions: #155 U.S.

Various Artists  | Gridlock'd |

* Released: January 28, 1997
* Chart positions: #1 U.S.
* RIAA certification: Gold

Various Artists  | Gang Related |

* Released: October 7, 1997
* Chart positions: #2 U.S.
* RIAA certification: 2× Platinum

2Pac | Greatest Hits |

* Released: November 24, 1998
* Chart positions: #3 U.S.
* RIAA certification: Diamond

Various Artists  | Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 |

* Released: May 4, 1999
* Chart positions: #11 U.S.

Various Artists  | Too Gangsta for Radio |

* Released: September 26, 2000
* Chart positions: #171 U.S.

Snoop Doggy Dogg | Dead Man Walkin' |

* Released: October 31, 2000
* Chart positions: #24 U.S.

Tha Dogg Pound | 2002 |

* Released: July 31, 2001
* Chart positions: #36 U.S.

Snoop Doggy Dogg  | Death Row: Snoop Doggy Dogg at His Best |

* Released: October 23, 2001
* Chart positions: #28 U.S.

Various Artists  | Dysfunktional Family |

* Released: March 11, 2003
* Chart positions: #95 U.S.

2Pac  | Nu-Mixx Klazzics |

* Released: October 7, 2003
* Chart positions: #15 U.S.

Various Artists  | The Very Best of Death Row |

* Released: February 22, 2005
* Chart positions: #94 U.S.

Various Artists  | 15 Years on Death Row |

* Released: December 26, 2006
* Chart positions: –

2Pac  | Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2 |

* Released: August 14, 2007
* Chart positions: #45 U.S.

2Pac  | Best of 2Pac, Part 1: Thug |

* Released: December 4, 2007
* Chart positions: #65 U.S.

2Pac  | Best of 2Pac, Part 2: Life |

* Released: December 4, 2007
* Chart positions: #77 U.S.

Snoop Doggy Dogg  | Death Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1 |

* Released: October 13, 2009
* Chart positions: –

Tha Dogg Pound  | Doggy Bag |

* Released: July 3, 2012
* Chart positions: –

Tha Eastsidaz | Still Easty |

* Released: October 25, 2024
* Chart positions: –

Chocc  |  Journals to Johnny |

* Released: December 6, 2024
* Chart positions: –

Various Artists  | Death Row Revue |

* Released: January 3, 2025
* Chart positions: -

Various Artists  | Altar Call |

* Released: April 27, 2025
* Chart positions: -

## See also

[edit]

* Death Row Records artists

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Death Row Records Co-Founder Involved in Fatal Hit-And-Run". NPR. Associated Press. January 30, 2015. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020. "It was founded by Tracy "The D.O.C." Lynn Curry, Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, Knight and Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey."
2. ^ Westhoff, Ben (September 6, 2016). "Straight Outta Dallas: How Texas Artist D.O.C. Helped Jump-Start Death Row Records". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020. "He, Dre and Suge did, in fact, soon quietly launch a label called Futureshock, named for a Curtis Mayfield song. Their fourth partner in the venture was Dick Griffey, the cofounder of Soul Train Records and founder of Solar Records. The name wouldn't stick. "Futureshock Records?" Suge said. "That sounds like some bullshit. It's gonna be called Death Row... Dick Griffey, also an original Death Row founder, later testified that Suge Knight "secretly incorporated" Death Row and "transferred into it all of the assets" from their original partnership. In 1997 — with Suge behind bars — Griffey and D.O.C. successfully sued Death Row, alleging that they'd been cut out of the label's profits."
3. ^ Suebsaeng, Asawin (February 19, 2024). "Trump's Final Hours in Office Were Consumed With Fury at Snoop Dogg". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
4. ^ Dawn Chmielewski (March 8, 2023). "Apple backs new music startup". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
5. ^ Murray Stassen (March 10, 2023). "SNOOP DOGG RETURNS DEATH ROW CATALOG TO STREAMING SERVICES, LABEL TO SIGN NEW ARTISTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LARRY JACKSON'S GAMMA". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
6. ^ Shirley Halperin, Jem Aswad (March 8, 2023). "Former Apple Executive Larry Jackson Launches Gamma, New Music Company With Usher, Rick Ross on Roster". Variety. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
7. ^ "SNOOP DOGG, RELEASES LATEST ALBUM, B.O.D.R. (BACC ON DEATH ROW) OUT TODAY". snoopdogg.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
8. ^ "Snoop Dogg acquires Death Row Records". BBC News. February 10, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
9. ^ Ro, Ronin (1999). Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records. Broadway Books. ISBN 0385491352.
10. ^ "Warner to Acquire Death Row Records?". HipHopDX. February 6, 2008. Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
11. ^ "Hasbro No Longer Owns Death Row Records". CBR. April 28, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
12. ^ "Snoop Dogg Now Officially Owns Death Row Records". Complex Magazine. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
13. ^ "Snoop Dogg Acquires Death Row Records". Pitchfork. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
14. ^ Ruthless (Heller/Reavill, 2007) ISBN 1-4169-1794-2
15. ^ Ice Cube: Attitude (McIver, 2002) ISBN 1-86074-428-1
16. ^ "Interview with DOC". Archive.today. March 26, 2006. Archived from the original on March 26, 2006. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
17. ^ "Erotic D Interview- Part 1 (June 2008)". Dubcnn.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
18. ^ Corcoran, Michael (January 25, 1996). "Dead man rapping". Dallas Observer. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017. ""I'm the one who told Dre to change the name to Death Row," Curry says."
19. ^ Westhoff, Ben (November 19, 2012). "The Making of The Chronic". Laweekly.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017. "The name Death Row came from my partner, Unknown [DJ]. Initially it was supposed to be Def Row, as in Def Jam. D-E-F. And Dre bought the name Def Row and changed the name."
20. ^ West Coast Pioneers (2008). "Interview unknown dj west coast pioneers 11 2008 part two". Westcoastpioneers.com (Podcast). SoundCloud. Event occurs at 40:00. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
21. ^ Morris, Chris (January 20, 1996). "Death Row Is Target of Suit By Former Partner, Rapper". Billboard. New York: Billboard Music Group. p. 94\. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
22. ^ a b "Welcome to Death Row (Video 2001)". IMDb.com. September 25, 2001. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
23. ^ a b c Sullivan, Randall (2003). LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row's Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal. Grove Press. p. 56\. ISBN 0-8021-3971-X.
24. ^ Fischer, Blair R. (March 12, 1998). "To The Extreme and Back". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 9, 2006. Retrieved November 14, 2008.
25. ^ Westhoff, Ben (November 19, 2012). "The Making of the Chronic". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
26. ^ Phillips, Chuck (March 22, 1996). "Rapper Dr. Dre to part ways with Death Row, start new record label". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
27. ^ Recording Industry Association of America Archived October 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. RIAA. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
28. ^ Jon Pareles (November 14, 1999). Music; Still Tough, Still Authentic. Still Relevant?. The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
29. ^ a b Rollin' with Dre: The Unauthorized Account: An Insider's Tale of the Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of West Coast Hip Hop (Williams/Alexander, 2008) ISBN 0-345-49822-4
30. ^ Recording Industry Association of America Archived October 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. RIAA. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
31. ^ "Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
32. ^ "Good Works". Billboard. December 10, 1994. Archived from the original on April 26, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
33. ^ "1995-11-21 / Tupac & Death Row Records Members At The Brotherhood Crusade Headquarters". 2PacLegacy. May 22, 2016. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
34. ^ "Race & Policing - Live From Death Row | PBS - L.a.p.d. Blues | FRONTLINE". www.pbs.org. Archived from the original on September 22, 2011. Retrieved March 18, 2023. "In 1995 a Rolling 60s Crip, Kelly Jamerson, was stomped to death at a Death Row party"
35. ^ "Interview: Former L.A.P.D. Detective Says He Knows Who Killed The Notorious B.I.G." Complex. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2023. "A fight broke out between this Crip and some of the Bloods that were in Suge's circle."
36. ^ Westhoff, Ben (September 12, 2016). "How Tupac and Biggie went from friends to deadly rivals". Vice.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
37. ^ a b Simmons, Nadirah (August 3, 2016). "Today in 1995: The 2nd Annual Source Awards makes hip hop history". The Source. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
38. ^ a b c d e f g Parker, Derrick; Diehl, Matt (2007). Notorious C.O.P.: The Inside Story of the Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay Investigations from the NYPD's First "Hip-Hop Cop". New York: St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 113–116\. ISBN 9781429907781. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
39. ^ a b c Ramirez, Erika (December 4, 2014). "Throwback Thursday: Suge Knight Disses Diddy at 1995 Source Awards". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
40. ^ Barry, Peter A. (November 30, 2016). "Diddy claims he confronted Suge Knight after infamous 1995 Source Awards speech". XXL Magazine. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
41. ^ a b Sullivan 2003, noting Newsweek report Archived September 15, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
42. ^ Egbert, Bill (February 27, 2001). "Hip Hype & Rival Rap, by Bill Egbert". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on July 4, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
43. ^ Philips, Chuck (January 17, 2001). "Possible link of 'Puffy' Combs to fatal shooting being probed". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
44. ^ Noel, Peter (February 13, 2001). "Big bad Wolf". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
45. ^ Dansby, Andrew (January 18, 2001). "Report infuriates Puffy camp". RollingStone.com. Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
46. ^ Shalhoup, Mara (2010). BMF: The Rise and Fall of Big Meech and the Black Mafia Family. St. Martin's Press.
47. ^ During the 1995 Source Awards, the rap genre's bicoastal paradigm was still so entrenched that when rap duo Outkast, from Atlanta, won as best new group, the audience booed, setting up Outkast member Andre's momentous response, ultimately, "The South got something to say" [N Simmons, "Today in 1995: The 2nd Annual" Archived July 1, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, The Source, August 3, 2016].
48. ^ "Rap Research Archive". Rapresearcharchive.blogspot.com. January 3, 2011. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
49. ^ "MC Hammer Interview - part 1". daveyd.com. June 1997. Archived from the original on November 15, 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
50. ^ "MC Hammer". MTV. Archived from the original on April 26, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
51. ^ "MC Hammer". MTV. Archived from the original on April 26, 2010. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
52. ^ Burgess, Omar (March 18, 2009). "Death Row Records: The Pardon | Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
53. ^ "MC Hammer Interview - part 2". daveyd.com. June 1997. Archived from the original on June 14, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
54. ^ "What had happened was MC Hammer". Vibe.com. March 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010.
55. ^ C.H. "Nas and Jungle discuss Tupac run-in and Death Row East". REVOLT. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
56. ^ Philips, Chuck (September 6, 2002). "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
57. ^ Philips, Chuck (September 7, 2002). "How Vegas police probe floundered in Tupac Shakur case". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
58. ^ Abrahamson, Alan; Philips, Chuck (March 1, 1997). "Rap Mogul 'Suge' Knight Sent to Prison for 9 Years". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
59. ^ Interscope Music Group – Company History Archived February 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. In 1996, Alex Roberts was arrested at his home in Malibu and released on a $1,000,000 bond pending further investigation under a grand jury indictment involving organized crime ties including money laundering, extortion and racketeering charges. Fighting his case for 4 1/2 years out on bail he was finally taken into custody November 19, 2001 in Los Angeles, California Superior Court and sentenced to state and federal charges amounting to five years of prison time. His refusal to cooperate with federal authorities also lead to any reduced sentence including his deportation to Europe even though he had been raised in the USA since birth, holding dual citizenship. Fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
60. ^ Archive-Joe-DAngelo. "Suge Knight Hit With Legal Doggie Mama Drama". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
61. ^ "Snoop Talks Beef With Suge". HipHopDX. November 30, 2006. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
62. ^ "The 50 Best Hip-Hop Diss Songs". Complex. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
63. ^ Snoop Dogg – Pimp Slapp'd, archived from the original on June 3, 2021, retrieved May 28, 2021
64. ^ Christina Saraceno (August 8, 2001). "Suge Knight Leaves Prison". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
65. ^ Scott, Cathy. Las Vegas Sun, "The death of Tupac Shakur one year later" Archived October 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, September 6, 1997
66. ^ Caesar. "DPG - Dogg Pound Reunited". www.streethop.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2008.
67. ^ "Death Row Heads To U.K." Billboard. October 11, 2001. Archived from the original on November 25, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
68. ^ "Daniel O'Donnell | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
69. ^ "MARK MORRISON | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
70. ^ Suge Knight Interview Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Ukmusic.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
71. ^ Life After Death Row: Crooked-I, Russel Simmons, Master P, Loon, Bun-B, WC, Jay Cee: Movies & TV Archived February 15, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. Amazon.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
72. ^ Walker, Verbal. (February 21, 2005) Crooked I's Restraining Order | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales Archived February 21, 2005, at the Wayback Machine. HipHop DX. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
73. ^ Moss, Corey. (July 25, 2005) Petey Pablo Eyez Tupac, Teams With Timbaland, Lil Jon – Music, Celebrity, Artist News Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. MTV. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
74. ^ Daily News – : Tha Realest Leaves Tha Row, Preparing Debut Album Archived July 1, 2012, at archive.today. Allhiphop.com (March 31, 2005). Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
75. ^ Dixon, Guy (January 24, 2009). "A 48-year-old Toronto mother goes gangsta: How Death Row Records came to Canada". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
76. ^ "Electric chair is hot item at Death Row auction". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009.
77. ^ Brown, Karina (November 19, 2009). "Deathrow Records Struggles for Life". Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
78. ^ Dr. Dre's Chronic Get Expanded Re-Release Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. MTV.com. Retrieved on August 19, 2009
79. ^ "Dr. Dre's 'The Chronic' To Get Expanded Re-Release". MTV. Archived from the original on July 29, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
80. ^ "Discogs Dr. Dre – The Chronic Re-Lit & From The Vault". Discogs. September 2009.
81. ^ Snoop Dogg – Death Row: The Lost Sessions Volume 1 | Read Hip Hop Reviews, Rap Reviews & Hip Hop Album Reviews Archived April 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. HipHop DX (October 13, 2009). Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
82. ^ Death Row Records To Release Box Set Including Work From Tupac, Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre Archived November 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Keepittrill.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
83. ^ "WIDEawake Death Row Records Reportedly Being Sold In Wake Of Parent Company's Bankruptcy". HipHopDX. December 5, 2012. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
84. ^ "Who Owns Death Row Records? You'll Recognize the Name". May 2, 2022.
85. ^ "Death Row Records Is Now Owned by the Hasbro Toy Company". complex.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
86. ^ Ingham, Tim (April 26, 2021). "BLACKSTONE IS BUYING EONE MUSIC FROM HASBRO IN $385M CASH DEAL". Music Business Worldwide. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
87. ^ Vlessing, Etan (June 29, 2021). "Hasbro Closes eOne Music Business Sale for $385M". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
88. ^ Tapp, Tom (February 9, 2022). "Snoop Dogg Buys Death Row Records Brand Just Days Before Super Bowl Halftime Showcase". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
89. ^ "Snoop Dogg Acquires Death Row Records". Pitchfork. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
90. ^ Aswad, Jem (February 9, 2022). "Snoop Dogg Acquires Death Row Records". Variety. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
91. ^ "Snoop Dogg's Death Row Deal Won't Include 2Pac or Dr. Dre". Billboard. February 23, 2022.
92. ^ Wilson, Elliott (March 4, 2022). "Snoop Dogg: Boss Moves". Tidal. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
93. ^ Kreps, Daniel (March 6, 2022). "Dr. Dre Stills Owns 'The Chronic' Despite 'False Reports' of Death Row Ownership". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
94. ^ Caraan, Sophie (April 18, 2022). "Snoop Dogg To Launch Death Row Records App With Streaming Platform". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
95. ^ Hannah Karp (March 8, 2023). "Apple Veteran Larry Jackson Launches Gamma, Bringing 'Unprecedented' Private Equity to Frontline Music Business". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
96. ^ Angela Sanders (February 17, 2023). "Snoop Dogg brings Death Row catalog back to TikTok". Revolt TV. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
97. ^ Marc Schneider (March 10, 2023). "Snoop Dogg Returns Death Row Catalog to Streaming Services". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
98. ^ R, Ronin (2007). Have gun, will travel : the spectacular rise and violent fall of Death Row Records. London: Quartet. ISBN 978-0-7043-8102-5. OCLC 53123117.
99. ^ a b Philips, Chuck (August 1, 2003). "As Associates Fall, Is 'Suge' Next?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
100. ^ a b c d Kading, Greg (2011). Murder rap : the untold story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur murder investigations (1st ed.). United States: One-Time Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9839554-8-1. OCLC 759515876.
101. ^ Martin, Adam (October 3, 2011). "Ex-Detective Says the LAPD Knows Who Killed Tupac and Biggie". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
102. ^ Sullivan, Randall (2003). LAbyrinth : a detective investigates the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the implication of Death Row Records' Suge Knight, and the origins of the Los Angeles Police scandal (1st ed.). New York: Grove Press. ISBN 0-8021-3971-X. OCLC 51618088.
103. ^ "Tupac Pal Shot To Death". www.cbsnews.com. April 5, 2020. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
104. ^ "Henry Lee Smith, 33 - The Homicide Report". homicide.latimes.com. October 16, 2002. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
105. ^ Phillips, Chuck (September 15, 2003). "Knight Associate to Go on Trial". LA Times. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
106. ^ "Wardell Fouse, 43 - The Homicide Report". homicide.latimes.com. July 24, 2003. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
107. ^ Pugmire, Lance (July 29, 2005). "Knight ex-bodyguard convicted in PCP case". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
108. ^ Brennan, Tim; Ladd, Robert (2017). Once upon a time in Compton : From gangsta rap to gang wars ... The murders of Tupac & Biggie ... This is the story of two men at the center of it all. Houston, Texas. ISBN 978-1-9841-6386-8. OCLC 1128129589.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
109. ^ Yates, Shanique. "Snoop Dogg recalls feeling broken prior to exit from Death Row Records". REVOLT. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
110. ^ CertifiedBootleg (April 4, 2022). "Snoop Dogg Signs Canadian Rapper Merkules In His New Death Row Label 'This Is Only Beginning'". Certified BOOTLEG. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
111. ^ Powell, Jon (February 2, 2023). "Jane Handcock's 'World of Women' project makes its way to streaming platforms". REVOLT. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
112. ^ BET (May 10, 2023). "#OnTheVerge: Snoop Dogg's Not-So-Secret Weapon Is October London". BET. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
113. ^ "Julian Torres y Mariachi Cenzontle signs to Snoop Dogg's Death Row - GRUNGECAKE™". May 14, 2023. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
114. ^ Marwah, Srishti (July 26, 2024). "Who is Charlie Bereal? Snoop Dogg introduces new artist to his label Death Row Records". sportskeeda. Archived from the original on March 12, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2025.
115. ^ "I Found Out Michel'le Was Sleeping w/ Suge Knight Behind Dr. Dre Back After 2Pac Beat Up Sam Sneed!". The Art Of Dialogue. March 4, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
116. ^ "Singer Says She Had Legitimate Deal At Death Row Records". Las Vegas Sun. November 12, 1996. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
117. ^ "Outlawz". Who?Mag. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
118. ^ Jake Paine (September 5, 2011). "YGD Top Dogg Recalls Controversies While At Death Row Records, New Album". Archived from the original on October 1, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
119. ^ Jake Paine (November 23, 2010). "MAC SHAWN RECALLS TENURE WITH E-40, DEATH ROW RECORDS, AND SOLO DEBUT". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
120. ^ "SKG (July 2005)". Dubcnn. July 2005. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
121. ^ "Rhythm D Talks Producing With Dr. Dre, Being On Death Row Records & Ruthless Records, And Relationship With Eazy E And Suge Knight". REVOLT. July 23, 2023. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
122. ^ Stanley O. Williford (October 2017). "Jimmy Rodgers: CCC's man of music". Ever Increasing Faith Ministries. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
123. ^ "Dr. Dre: The Chronic". RIAA. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2018.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records, Ronin Ro, Doubleday, 1998, 384 pages, ISBN 0-385-49134-4
* Labyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implications of Death Row Records' Suge by Randall Sullivan, Atlantic Monthly Press, April 2, 2002, 384 pages, ISBN 0-87113-838-7
* The Killing of Tupac Shakur, by Cathy Scott, Huntington Press, 2002 (2nd ed), 235 pages, ISBN 0-929712-20-X
* Welcome to Death Row, Director: S. Leigh Savidge & Jeff Scheftel, (Video) 2001

## External links

[edit]

* YouTube channel

* v
* t
* e

Rampart scandal

Notable accused officers|

* Nino Durden
* Kevin Gaines
* Brian Liddy
* David Mack
* Rafael Pérez

Victims|

* Frank Lyga
* Javier Ovando
* The Notorious B.I.G.

Coverup and investigation|

* Brian S. Bentley
* Bernard Parks
* Russell Poole

Gang involvement|

* 18th Street gang
* Bloods
* Death Row Records
* Suge Knight

Other|

* Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums
* Los Angeles Police Department
* LAPD Rampart Division

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States
* France
* BnF data

Other|

* MusicBrainz label
* 2
* 3
* Yale LUX

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template