…Researched and contributed by Judah Olanisebee for TDPel Media.
Suge Knight Skeptical of Snoop Dogg and Harry-O’s Death Row Purchase
Suge Knight, the co-founder of Death Row Records, claims to have no hard feelings towards his ex-protégé, Snoop Dogg, for purchasing the record label.
However, he has expressed doubts about the legality of the transaction.
In an interview with TMZ Hip Hop from the CA State Penitentiary, where he’s serving a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, Knight suggests that the label was only forfeited due to a lawyer’s absence from court, resulting in a 2013 default judgment to MNRK Music Group.
Sham Bankruptcy Proceeding
Knight considers the whole bankruptcy proceeding, which negatively impacted most of Death Row’s artists, a sham, and a violation of the law.
He also floated a theory that his ex-business partner, Michael “Harry-O” Harris, committed bankruptcy fraud to get the company out from under him.
However, there is no evidence of Harry-O’s involvement in Snoop’s 2022 purchase of Death Row from MNRK, at least publicly.
All Truths Will Be Revealed
Knight stated that he personally doesn’t feel like it’s really Death Row without his name attached to it, but he acknowledges that his ex-protégé owns the record label now.
He also revealed that his upcoming TV series on BLK Prime will reveal all truths from his perspective.
In addition, he shared his favorite releases from the label, with the “Murder Was the Case” soundtrack ranking high on his list.
Creative Control Compromised
Knight also shared how he lost creative control of the soundtrack to the 1994 film “Natural Born Killers,” despite being approached by the studio to contribute a song.
To counter this, he framed a non-existent movie around Snoop, and recruited the likes of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and DJ Quik for the soundtrack.
The story highlights the level of creativity and ingenuity that Death Row Records was known for during its heyday.