In a full-circle moment, rap legend, actor, entrepreneur and television show host Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus has acquired Death Row Records, the iconic label that launched his storied career. Founded in 1992 by Dr. Dre, The D.O.C. Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey, Death Row is one of the industry’s most storied hip-hop labels that signed Snoop Doggy Dog, Tupac Shakur, Nate Dogg and tha Dogg Pound, Lady of Rage and the Outlawz. After Dr. Dre’s highly publicized exit in 1992 and Suge Knights rise and fall, Death Row records went into bankruptcy in 2006 and was acquired at auction in 2009 for $18 million by WIDEawake Entertainment. The company had been sold multiple times and was purchased by MNRK Music Group, a firm that is controlled by private equity funds managed by Blackstone, in 2019. Broadus purchased Death Row from MNRK Music Group Wednesday.
Chris Gardner of The Hollywood Reporter reports the Hip-Hop legend is happy to purchase the label that gave Broadus his start in the industry. Gardner writes:
“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,” explained Snoop, who went on to sign with No Limit Records, Interscope, Capitol, Geffen, Priority Records and Def Jam. “I would like to personally thank the teams at Blackstone, MNRK and especially David Kestnbaum, who worked collaboratively with me over several months to make this exciting homecoming a reality.”
The Hip-Hop mogul has a line of wines, partnership with Happy Socks, is an equity stake holder in car care company Sanctiond, has his own band of cannabis Leafs by Snoop, vapes, candles among a myriad of other products.
Broadus is also releasing a new album, B.O.D.R., an acronym that stands for “Back on Death Row,” in partnership with Gala Games, the blockchain gaming platform. The booked and busy entertainer will perform alongside Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar as part of the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show from SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13. He will also co-host The Puppy Bowl with bestie and co-host Martha Stewart again this year for Discovery+.
Read more about Snoop Dogg’s acquisition of Death Row at The Hollywood Reporter.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire.
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