Death Row Records

Death Row Records became one of the defining labels in 1990s West Coast hip-hop through a run of multi-platinum releases that included Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle and Tha Doggfather, and 2Pac’s All Eyez on Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. At its commercial peak, the Los Angeles label made more than US$100 million annually.

The label was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight and Dick Griffey. Its early identity was closely tied to the hard-edged, high-profile sound of West Coast rap, with Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and 2Pac at the center of its best-known period. Kurupt was also among the artists associated with the label’s history. Death Row’s success came alongside major controversy: it faced lawsuits and allegations of links to organized crime and extreme violence involving artists and associates.

By the end of the decade, the label was in decline following 2Pac’s death, Suge Knight’s imprisonment, and the departures of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Death Row filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and was auctioned to WIDEawake Entertainment for $18 million in January 2009. After WIDEawake’s owner went bankrupt in 2012, the label was sold to Entertainment One. It later became part of Hasbro, before eOne Music was sold to the Blackstone Group in 2021 and rebranded as MNRK Music Group.

Snoop Dogg acquired Death Row from MNRK Music Group in February 2022 with plans to revive it. The renewed label’s roster has included October London, Jane Handcock, Charlie Bereal and Bryan Monopoly, connecting its historic name to newer R&B and hip-hop releases.