Who started Death Row?
The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey established the American record company Death Row Records in 1991. When the label released multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast musicians like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and 2Pac in the 1990s, it caused a stir.
Following the label’s biggest star Tupac Shakur, musicians like Snoop Doggy Dogg, Nate Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, The Lady of Rage, RBX, and Michel’le opted to sign on with the company. When Shakur was murdered in September 1996, Knight was accused of violating his parole the following year, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and many other artists departed the label, the label’s sales dropped. After declaring bankruptcy in 2006, the business was acquired by the MNRK Music Group (formally eOne Music).
In 2022, Snoop Dogg paid for the trademark and music rights to Death Row Records. The record label, which is currently operational as an NFT label, will be revived by him.