Death Row Records

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Death Row
Deathrowlogobig.jpg
Parent companyeOne Music
FoundedFebruary 25, 1992[1]
Founder
Defunct2008[4]
StatusDefunct
Distributor(s)Interscope (1992–1997)
Priority Records (1997–2003)
Koch Records
(2003–2008)
Genre
Country of originUnited States
LocationLos Angeles, California
Official websitehttps://www.deathrowofficial.com/

Death Row (formerly Future Shock[5] and Tha Row) was an American record label founded in 1992 by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C. and Dick Griffey.[1] 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 Dogg Pound (Dogg Food), and Tupac Shakur (All Eyez on Me) during the 1990s. At its peak, Death Row was making over US$100 million a year.[6]

By the late 1990s, the label began to decline after the death of its star artist, Tupac Shakur, imprisonment of co-founder Suge Knight, and the departures of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Although Death Row was enjoying financial success, it was embroiled in controversies, lawsuits, and violence by its artists and associates. Death Row Records filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and was auctioned to WIDEawake Entertainment for $18 million on January 15, 2009.[7][8] The owner of WIDEawake bankrupted in 2012 and the label was then sold to Entertainment One, then became a division of Hasbro until April 2021 when eOne Music was sold to The Blackstone Group.[9]

History[]

Main article: Ruthless Records

In the late-1980s, N.W.A's producer Dr. Dre, signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless. 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.[10] After the departure of Ice Cube in 1989 over financial disagreements with Jerry Heller,[11] Suge Knight and The D.O.C. went over the books with a lawyer. Convinced that Jerry Heller was dishonest, they approached Dr. Dre about forming a label with them, away from Heller.[12] Allegedly using strong-arm tactics, Suge Knight was able to procure contracts from Eazy-E for The D.O.C., Dr. Dre and Michel'le.[13]

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 Dre's departure from Ruthless. Although the name of their new music venture was originally called Future Shock, The D.O.C. claimed to have suggested changing the name of the new label to 'Def Row' [14] (a play on the Def Jam),[15] 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.[16] 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.[17] 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, a parent company for the newly christened Death Row.[18]

Knight approached Vanilla Ice (Robert Van Winkle), using management connections with Mario "Chocolate" Johnson, claiming Johnson had produced the song "Ice Ice Baby", and had not received royalties for it.[19] 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'?"[19] 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 fifteenth 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.[19] 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.[20]

The Chronic[]

Main article: The Chronic

With the help of Kenner, Knight began signing young, inner-city California-based artists and arranged for Death Row Records to handle the soundtrack for the 1992 film, Deep Cover. The single, "Deep Cover", established Dr. Dre as a solo artist and a young Snoop Dogg (then known as 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.

The album went on to sell 5.7 million records in the US,[21] establishing the West Coast in the hip-hop industry and popularizing the distinctive style of G-Funk.[22] The Death Row roster consisted of Dre, Snoop, Kurupt, Nate Dogg, Lady of Rage, The D.O.C., RBX, and many more. Later on, Death Row artist Lil 1/2 Dead's contract was later sold to Priority Records where he released his debut album The Dead Has Arisen.

Doggystyle[]

Main article: Doggystyle

After finding solo success, Dr. Dre began crafting Snoop Dogg's debut album Doggystyle; the process took two years. Snoop's debut was released in 1993 due to public demand and high pressure from retailers. Though unfinished,[23] it outperformed The Chronic at Quadruple Platinum,[24] and garnered similarly glowing reviews.[25] Soon after the release of the album, Snoop Dogg was charged with murder,[26] 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.

Death Row Thanksgiving[]

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 and DJ Quik (wasn't signed to the label) distributed nearly 2,000 turkeys to the public.[27] Death Row also donated turkeys the following year as well.[28]

Signing Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight's rise[]

By 1995, the label began to flood with Suge Knight's cronies—friends and gang members fresh out of jail, as well as off-duty LAPD officers later implicated in the Rampart scandal working as security. Emboldened, Knight began taking more control of the label and further sought the spotlight, while Dr. Dre receded into the background, shying away from the violent atmosphere and Suge Knight's newfound volatility. Tucker's pressure to conform extended to a joint proposal by herself and a Warner executive to set up a record label with Knight to put out content-controlled hip-hop music, which Knight billed as a breach of contract,[18] resulting in a switch in distribution from Time Warner to Interscope. At The Source Awards in 1995, the Death Row roster's performance garnered a poor reception from the mainly East Coast audience; Knight also made comments pertaining to Bad Boy CEO Puff Daddy, sparking friction between the two labels (and, soon after, the two entire coasts). Knight soon signed 2Pac while he was incarcerated on a sexual abuse conviction, after agreeing to post 2Pac's bail. At the same time, a rift between Michael and Lydia Harris and Suge and David Kenner began to grow, with the latter pair denying Harris' involvement in the company and refusing to take his phone calls.

Bad Boy Records feud and Dr. Dre's departure[]

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, 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.[29] 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.[18] Dogg Food was not produced by Dr. Dre but was mixed by Dr. Dre, a further testament to Dre's dwindling involvement with his own record label. 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. Shakur'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.

M.C. Hammer's involvement and departure[]

Suge Knight's relationship with MC Hammer dates back to 1988. With the success of Hammer's 1994 album, The Funky Headhunter (featuring Tha Dogg Pound), Hammer signed with Death Row in 1995, along with his close friend, 2Pac.[30] 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.[31][32] However, Hammer did record tracks with Shakur and others, most notably the song "Too Late Playa" (along with Big Daddy Kane and Danny Boy).[33] After the death of 2Pac in 1996, MC Hammer left Death Row Records.[34][35]

Tupac Shakur's murder and Suge Knight's incarceration[]

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 his 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. Suge Knight was now barely reachable by his staff, and employees were assaulted as punishment for not following orders.[23]

During a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, for a Mike Tyson boxing match, 2Pac was interviewed on the possibility of Death Row East, an East Coast branch of Death Row. 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. Though names from Big Daddy Kane and The Wu-Tang Clan to Eric B. and K-Solo were mentioned, the label would never be formed; 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 Southside Compton Cribs 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;[36][37] despite living six days in critical condition, 2Pac died September 13, 1996.

Shakur's "The Don Killuminati: 7 Day Theory" was released in November 1996, just one week before Snoop Dogg's "Tha Doggfather". Both albums achieved Platinum sales. On February 28, 1997, Suge Knight was convicted of parole violation and sentenced to nine years in prison,[38] causing Interscope to drop their distribution deal with the label.[39] Suge Knight's control over the label diminished, as Nate Dogg was able to leave, followed by Snoop Dogg and Kurupt. After the release of her solo album, The Lady of Rage left. Daz Dillinger departed in 1999 but produced for Big C-Style, he later formed Dogg Pound Records. Kurupt returned to the label in early 2002 upon Suge Knight's release from prison on August 6, 2001.[40][41]

Second generation exodus (Tha Row Records)[]

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.[42][43][44][45] The label supported itself with releases pulled from vaults—most successfully various posthumous 2Pac albums, along with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg re-releases and then-unreleased compilation records such as Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000. 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. Suge Knight also signed Left Eye.

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.[46] Left Eye 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 cancelled 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 and Kurupt,[47] 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,[48] Rapper Crooked I left Death Row, eventually filing a gag order on Knight to prevent him from interfering with him finding a new deal.[49] Petey Pablo, who had signed in 2005 and started the never-released album Same Eyez on Me,[50] left along with rapper Tha Realest[51] in 2006.

Bankruptcy[]

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 against Suge Knight. Among those listed as unsecured creditors to Death Row include the Harrises, 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.

From WIDEawake acquisition to E1[]

WIDEawake Entertainment Group was created in 2006 by Lara Lavi.

On January 15, 2009, Death Row Records was successfully auctioned to entertainment development company WIDEawake for US$18 million. WIDEawake Entertainment made a leveraged purchase of Deathrow Records in part thanks to financing provided by New Solutions Financial Corporation.[52] On January 25, 2009, an auction was held for everything found in Death Row's office after it filed for bankruptcy.

Both WIDEawake and New Solutions Financial were based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. New Solutions by the end of 2009 began to squeeze Lara Lavi out of WIDEawake Entertainment by restricting her ability to access funds they had lent her for Deathrow. By November 2009 Lara Levi was removed from WIDEawake entertainment and Robert Thomson of New Solution Financial had taken over day-to-day operations. Lavi then sued her former company, Ontario-based WIDEawake Entertainment Group, New Solutions Financial Corporation and New Solutions Managing Director Robert Thompson in New York County Court on November 19, 2009.[53] New Solutions Financial Corporation was eventually exposed as a Ponzi scheme.

Of note was the Death Row electric chair which went for US$2,500.[54]

Since the acquisition, the company has continued to release material from its vast archives of materials acquired in the sale. Noteworthy releases include previously unreleased material from such artists as Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Danny Boy, Crooked I, Sam Sneed, LBC Crew and O.F.T.B. Since the acquisition of the material, Death Row, under the management of WIDEawake, has made many positive steps towards improving the image of Death Row by making good on its promise to make royalty payments to many of the artists, producers, and songwriters with commercially released material under the label. On Record Store Day, April 18, 2012, the label issued a free Death Row "Record Store Day" CD sampler which included music from Petey Pablo and Danny Boy.

The Chronic Re-Lit was released on September 1, 2009. The album contained The Chronic re-mastered with seven bonus songs from the vault by Snoop Doggy Dogg, CPO, Kurupt, Jewell, plus a DVD containing music videos, a Dr. Dre interview, a Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg mini movie, and 1992 television commercials for the original The Chronic release.[55]

Snoop Doggy Dogg – Death Row The Lost Sessions Vol 1[56] was released October 13, 2009 and contains 15 previously unreleased tracks with four being produced by Dr. Dre.

Death Row The Ultimate Collection[57] 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 which includes the unreleased Dr. Dre music video "Puffin' On Blunts" and a limited edition Death Row T-shirt. The set boasts over 20 unreleased tracks by Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, The Lady of Rage, Lord Autopz and Petey Pablo. During this period, there was a distribution venture between Entertainment One, WIDEawake, and Death Row.

On December 10, 2012, New Solutions Financial Corp., the Canadian company that owned WIDEawake Death Row, had gone bankrupt and sold both the label and catalog to a publicly held company.[58] In 2013, Entertainment One purchased the rights to the Death Row catalog. The Group invested £175 million in content rights and television programmes in the year (2012: £135.8 million) and £4.2 million ($6 million) to purchase the music library assets of Death Row.[59] Death Row had a Pop-Up event in Los Angeles on April 10, 2019.[60]

On August 23, 2019, American toy company Hasbro announced a $4 billion purchase of eOne, making them the owners of Death Row Records.[61] In April 2021, Hasbro and Entertainment One announced it would sell-off eOne Music to The Blackstone Group.[62] The acquisition was completed in late June 2021, making eOne Music the sole owner of Death Row.[63]

Former artists[]

Act Years
signed 		Releases
under the label
Dr. Dre Founder, 1991-1996 1
Suge Knight Founder –
The D.O.C. Founder, 1991-1994 –
2nd II None 1994 –
2Pac 1995-96 2
Above the Law[64] 2000 –
CPO Boss Hogg 1992 –
Crooked I 1999 –
Danny Boy 1994 —
Daz Dillinger 1992-1999 1
Jewell 1992 –
J-Flexx 1994 –
Johnny J 1995 –
K-Solo 1995 –
Kurupt 1992–1996; 2002-2006 1
LBC Crew 1995 –
Lil' Bow Wow[65] 1993 –
The Lady of Rage 1992 1
Lisa Lopes 2002 –
MC Hammer 1995 -
Michel'le 1992–1999; 2002 1
Nate Dogg 1992-1998 –
O.F.T.B. 1994 —
Outlawz 1999 1
Petey Pablo 2005 –
Prince Ital Joe 1995 –
RBX 1992 –
Sam Sneed 1993 –
Snoop Doggy Dogg 1992-1997 2
Soopafly 1994 –
Spider Loc 2002 –
Tha Dogg Pound 1992-1997 1
Tha Realest 1996 –
Tray Deee 1994 –
YGD Tha Top Dogg[66] 1998 –
Young Soldierz 1994 –

Discography[]

Main article: Death Row Records discography
Year Album information
1992 Dr. Dre – The Chronic
1993 Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle
1994 Above the Rim
  • Released: March 22, 1994
  • Chart positions: No.2 Billboard
  • RIAA certification: 2x Platinum
  • Singles: "Regulate", "Anything", "Afro Puffs", "Part-Time Lover"
Murder Was The Case
  • Released: October 15, 1994
  • Chart positions: No.1 Billboard
  • RIAA certification: 2x Platinum
  • Singles: "Woman To Woman", "Natural Born Killaz", "U Better Recognize", "Murder Was The Case", "What Would You Do?"
1995 Tha Dogg Pound – Dogg Food
1996 2Pac – All Eyez On Me
Makaveli (2Pac) – The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Tha Doggfather
Death Row Greatest Hits
  • Released: November 26, 1996
  • Chart positions: No.36 Billboard
  • RIAA certification: Platinum
Christmas on Death Row
  • Released: December 3, 1996
  • Chart positions: No.155 Billboard
  • Singles: "Santa Clause Goes Straight to the Ghetto"
1997 Nate Dogg – G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1
Gridlock'd
  • Released: January 28, 1997
  • Chart positions: No.1 Billboard
  • RIAA certification: Platinum
  • Singles: "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Lady Heroin", "It's Over Now"
Lady of Rage – Necessary Roughness
  • Released: June 4, 1997
  • Chart positions: No.32 Billboard
  • Singles: "Sho Shot", "Get Wit' Da Wickedness"
Gang Related
  • Released: October 7, 1997
  • Chart positions: No.2 Billboard
  • RIAA certification: 2x platinum
  • Singles: "Made Niggaz"
1998 Daz Dillinger – Retaliation, Revenge and Get Back
  • Released: March 31, 1998
  • Chart positions: No.8 Billboard
  • RIAA certification: Gold
  • Singles: "In California", "It Might Sound Crazy"
Michel'le – Hung Jury
  • Released: August 24, 1998
  • Chart positions: No.56 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop
  • Singles: "Hang Tyme", "Can I Get A Witness?"
2Pac – Greatest Hits
  • Released: November 24, 1998
  • Chart positions: No.3 Billboard
  • RIAA certification: Diamond (10x Platinum)
  • Singles: "Changes", "Unconditional Love"
1999 Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000
  • Released: May 4, 1999
  • Chart positions: No.11 Billboard
  • RIAA certifications: Gold
  • Singles: "Who Do U Believe In?", "Like It or Not"
2Pac and Outlawz – Still I Rise
2000 Too Gangsta for Radio
  • Released: September 26, 2000
  • Chart positions: No.171 Billboard
  • Singles: "Thug Nature"
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Dead Man Walkin'
  • Released: October 31, 2000
  • Chart positions: No.24 Billboard
  • Singles: "Head Doctor"
2001 2Pac – Until the End of Time
Tha Dogg Pound – 2002
  • Released: July 31, 2001
  • Chart positions: No.36 Billboard
  • Singles: "Just Doggin'"
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Death Row's Snoop Doggy Dogg Greatest Hits
  • Released: October 23, 2001
  • Chart positions: No.28 Billboard
2002 2Pac – Better Dayz
2003 Dysfunktional Family
  • Released: March 11, 2003
  • Chart positions: No.95 Billboard
  • Singles: "Dysfunktional Family"
2Pac – Nu-Mixx Klazzics
  • Released: October 7, 2003
  • Chart positions: No.15 Billboard
2005 The Very Best of Death Row
  • Released: February 22, 2005
  • Chart positions: No.94 Billboard
Kurupt – Against the Grain
  • Released: August 23, 2005
  • Chart positions: No.60 Billboard
2006 15 Years on Death Row
  • Released: December 26, 2006
2007 2Pac – Nu-Mixx Klazzics Vol. 2
  • Released: August 14, 2007
  • Chart positions: No.45 Billboard
2Pac – Best of 2Pac, Part 1: Thug
  • Released: December 4, 2007
  • Chart positions: No.65 Billboard
2Pac – Best of 2Pac, Part 2: Life
  • Released: December 4, 2007
  • Chart positions: No.77 Billboard

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Ben Westhoff (November 21, 2012). "THE DEATH ROW RECORDS LAUNCH PARTY IN 1992 WAS OFF THE CHAIN". Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  2. ^ "Death Row Records Co-Founder Involved In Fatal Hit-And-Run". NPR. Associated Press. January 30, 2015. It was founded by Tracy "The D.O.C." Lynn Curry, Andre "Dr. Dre" Young, Knight and Richard Gilbert "Dick" Griffey.
  3. ^ Westhoff, Ben (September 6, 2016). "Straight Outta Dallas: How Texas Artist D.O.C. Helped Jump-Start Death Row Records". Dallas Observer. 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.
  4. ^ Sean Michaels (July 15, 2008). "Death Row Records sells up". The Guardian. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "The DOC: I Put Suge and Dre Together So We Could Build Death Row". YouTube. December 22, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  6. ^ Ro, Ronin (1999). Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records. Broadway Books. ISBN 0385491352.
  7. ^ "Tha Row Records - Company Profile". Referenceforbusiness.com. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  8. ^ "Warner To Acquire Death Row Records?". HipHopDX. February 6, 2008. Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  9. ^ News, CBR (April 28, 2021). "Hasbro No Longer Owns Death Row Records". CBR. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  10. ^ Ruthless (Heller/Reavill, 2007) ISBN 1-4169-1794-2
  11. ^ Ice Cube: Attitude (McIver, 2002) ISBN 1-86074-428-1
  12. ^ "Interview with DOC". Archive.today. March 26, 2006. Archived from the original on March 26, 2006. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  13. ^ "Erotic D Interview- Part 1 (June 2008)". Dubcnn.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  14. ^ Corcoran, Michael (January 25, 1996). "Dead man rapping". Dallas Observer. Retrieved October 26, 2017. "I'm the one who told Dre to change the name to Death Row," Curry says.
  15. ^ Westhoff, Ben (November 19, 2012). "The Making of The Chronic". Laweekly.com. 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.
  16. ^ West Coast Pioneers (2008). "Interview unknown dj west coast pioneers 11 2008 part two". Westcoastpioneers.com (Podcast). SoundCloud. Event occurs at 40:00. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  17. ^ Morris, Chris (January 20, 1996). "Death Row Is Target of Suit By Former Partner, Rapper". Billboard. New York: Billboard Music Group. p. 94. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Welcome to Death Row (Video 2001)". IMDb.com. September 25, 2001. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b c Sullivan, Randall (2003). LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of 2Pqc 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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Recording Industry Association of America Archived October 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. RIAA. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
  22. ^ Jon Pareles (November 14, 1999). Music; Still Tough, Still Authentic. Still Relevant?. The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2008.
  23. ^ Jump up to: 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
  24. ^ Recording Industry Association of America Archived October 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. RIAA. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
  25. ^ "Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  26. ^ Snoop Doggy Dogg Trial: 1995–96 – A Rising Rap Star, Murder Was The Charge, Jury Frees Snoop Dogg, Suggestions For Further Reading. Law.jrank.org. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
  27. ^ "Good Works". Billboard. December 10, 1994. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  28. ^ "1995-11-21 / Tupac & Death Row Records Members At The Brotherhood Crusade Headquarters". 2PacLegacy. May 22, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  29. ^ "Rap Research Archive". Rapresearcharchive.blogspot.com. January 3, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  30. ^ "MC Hammer Interview - part 1". daveyd.com. June 1997. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  31. ^ "MC Hammer". MTV.
  32. ^ "MC Hammer". MTV.
  33. ^ 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.
  34. ^ "MC Hammer Interview - part 2". daveyd.com. June 1997. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  35. ^ "What had happened was MC Hammer". Vibe.com. March 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010.
  36. ^ Philips, Chuck (September 6, 2002). "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  37. ^ Philips, Chuck (September 7, 2002). "How Vegas police probe floundered in Tupac Shakur case". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
  38. ^ Abrahamson, Alan; Philips, Chuck (March 1, 1997). "Rap Mogul 'Suge' Knight Sent to Prison for 9 Years". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  39. ^ Interscope Music Group – Company History. 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 19th, 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.
  40. ^ Christina Saraceno (August 8, 2001). "Suge Knight Leaves Prison". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  41. ^ Scott, Cathy. Las Vegas Sun, "The death of Tupac Shakur one year later", September 6, 1997
  42. ^ Archive-Joe-DAngelo. "Suge Knight Hit With Legal Doggie Mama Drama". MTV News. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  43. ^ https://hiphopdx.com, HipHopDX- (November 30, 2006). "Snoop Talks Beef With Suge". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  44. ^ "The 50 Best Hip-Hop Diss Songs". Complex. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  45. ^ Snoop Dogg – Pimp Slapp'd, retrieved May 28, 2021
  46. ^ [1] Archived June 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ Suge Knight Interview Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Ukmusic.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
  48. ^ Life After Death Row: Crooked-I, Russel Simmons, Master P, Loon, Bun-B, WC, Jay Cee: Movies & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
  49. ^ 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.
  50. ^ Moss, Corey. (July 25, 2005) Petey Pablo Eyez Tupac, Teams With Timbaland, Lil Jon – Music, Celebrity, Artist News. MTV. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
  51. ^ Daily News – : Tha Realest Leaves Tha Row, Preparing Debut Album. Allhiphop.com (March 31, 2005). Retrieved on July 11, 2011.
  52. ^ "A 48-year-old Toronto mother goes gangsta: How Death Row Records came to Canada" – via The Globe and Mail.
  53. ^ Brown, Karina (November 19, 2009). "Deathrow Records Struggles for Life".
  54. ^ "Electric chair is hot item at Death Row auction". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009.
  55. ^ Dr. Dre's Chronic Get Expanded Re-Release. MTV.com. Retrieved on August 19, 2009
  56. ^ 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.
  57. ^ 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.
  58. ^ "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.
  59. ^ "Results Announcement". Ft.com. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  60. ^ "Ewing Athletics Pay Homage To Death Row Records With 33 HI Collab". RESPECT. April 2, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  61. ^ "Death Row Records Is Now Owned by the Hasbro Toy Company". complex.com. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  62. ^ Music Business Worldwide. April 26, 2021 https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/blackstone-to-acquire-eone-music-from-hasbro-in-385m-cash-deal/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  63. ^ Hollywood Reporter. June 29, 2021 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hasbro-closes-eone-music-business-sale-for-385-million-1234975471/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  64. ^ Steve Huey. "Above the Law". AllMusic. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  65. ^ SourceStaff. "BOW WOW IS NOT DELUSIONAL AND WAS VERY MUCH AFFILIATED WITH DEATH ROW". The Source. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  66. ^ Jake Paine (September 5, 2011). "YGD Top Dogg Recalls Controversies While At Death Row Records, New Album". Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  67. ^ "Dr. Dre: The Chronic". RIAA. Retrieved September 22, 2018.

Further reading[]

  • 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[]

Retrieved from ""