Snoop Dogg becomes official owner of Death Row Records

Snoop Dogg has become the official owner of Death Row Records, the imprint that gave the hip hop icon his first break. 

At the time of writing, no specific details have been released about how much was paid for the deal, or the terms, although the agreement with previous owner MNRK Music Group is thought to include the entire back catalogue.

The news comes just days before Snoop is due to drop his long-awaited new LP, ‘B.O.D.R.’, an acronym for “Bacc on Death Row”, which features an appearance by Nas on the title track. 

“I am thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to acquire the iconic and culturally significant Death Row Records brand, which has immense untapped future value,” Snoop said. “It feels good to have ownership of the label I was part of at the beginning of my career and as one of the founding members… I’m looking forward to building the next chapter of Death Row Records.”

Founded in the 1992 by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, the D.O.C., and Dick Griffey, the label’s roots lie in the short-lived Future Shock Records, launched earlier the same year. Since inception, Death Row has hosted artists including 2Pac, Kurupt, MC Hammer, Mark Morrison, Nate Dogg, and Michel’le. 

Dre’s debut album, ‘The Chronic’, was arguably the first major hit released by the label, followed just under 12 months later by Snoop’s inaugural long form, ‘Doggystyle’, which went on to become the fastest selling hip hop album of all time. 

Last year, Snoop announced that he was filing a trademark for “Snoop Dogg” in preparation for the launch if a new hot dog brand. Earlier in 2021, Death Row was linked to the $600million sale of parent company Entertainment One (eOne).