Snoop Dogg Now Officially Owns Death Row Records

Death Row Records is once again a “Doggy Dogg World.”Rap legend Snoop Dogg has gone back to his roots, acquiring Death Row Records, the iconic hip-hip label that launched his career. The music mogul purchased the publisher, famous for classic albums like Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and 2Pac’s All Eyez on Me in an undisclosed deal with current owner MNRK Music Group. 

The 50-year-old rapper, whose given name is Calvin Broadus Jr, acquired the company from private equity controlled MNRK Music Group.“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 Dogg said, according to a release.

“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. This is an extremely meaningful moment for me.”

It wasn’t clear how much Snoop paid for the label, which filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and was sold six years later as founder Suge Knight battled legal and financial troubles. The former CEO is now serving a 28-year prison sentence for running over and killing a man in 2015. 

Founded in 1991 by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C., and Dick Griffey, Death Row was one of the most infamous record labels of the 1990s. A string of hit releases from its high-profile roster of talent saw sales explode as gangster rap officially took hold of the industry, but it didn’t come without controversy. A wave of bizarre allegations against Suge Knight put the reputation of Death Row records under scrutiny and ultimately saw the co-founder behind bars.

In its mid-90s heyday, Death Row grossed an estimated $100 million per year and was arguably the most powerful label in hip-hop, propelling the careers of Snoop, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, Nate Dogg, and Tha Dogg Pound. Snoop was featured heavily on Dre’s 1992 breakout album “The Chronic,” which sold some 6 million albums on Death Row, and cemented West Coast gangsta rap in the musical mainstream.

With smash hits like “Gin and Juice,” and “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?” Snoop’s 1993 solo record “Doggystyle” moved more than 11 million copies worldwide, and was the fastest-selling debut album in history at the time, according to the LA Times. A 1996 follow-up, “Tha Doggfather,” also went platinum for the label.

Last year, Death Row made Snoop Dogg its executive creative and strategic consultant, prompting the Long Beach, California native to tell Barstool Sports he had his mind and his money set on owning it.

“I think all of Death Row should be in my hands,” Snoop said in November. “I should be running that s–t. Just like I’m [in] a position at Def Jam, Death Row means more to me because I helped create that.”

Snoop’s announcement came ahead of a banner week for the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper. His new album “BODR” (which stands for Bacc on Death Row) was set to be released Sunday, the same day he was scheduled to perform at a hometown Super Bowl alongside Dre and other hip-hop luminaries.