Snoop Dogg says he wants to own Death Row Records
The veteran rapper has revealed why he wants control of the legendary record label
Snoop Dogg is set to release his 19th studio album, The Algorithm, this Friday, November 12, and ahead of the hotly anticipated project, the hip hop veteran has revealed what’s next on his bucket list: Owning Death Row Records.
Speaking to hosts Wallo and Gillie da Kid during his appearance on Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Snoop revealed that he wants control of the legendary record label.
“I think all of Death Row should be in my hands,” Snoop said. “I should be running that shit. Just like I’m [in] a position at Def Jam, Death Row means more to me because I helped create that. I think they should give me that and let me run that shit with the merchandise out, with the music all over the world. [Add] some new West Coast acts.”
Suge Knight signed Snoop Doog to Death Row from 1992-1998, and together with Dr. Dre and the late-great Tupac Shakur, the rapper helped Death Row become the iconic West Coast label that it remains today.
If Snoop had control of Death Row, he would sign West Coast acts Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla $ign, and YG.
“It’s just a lot of heat over there and it’s not being handled right,” he told Wallo and Gillie. “But a little birdie told me it may fly my way and if it do, you’ll get everything that I told you … If I can get Def Jam poppin’, what could I do with Death Row? Just imagine that.”
Hasbro purchased Entertainment One Multimedia Company (eOne) for $4 billion, theGrio previously reported. One of the media company’s many holdings includes their music labels, and eOne purchased Death Row Records for $280 million back in 2013.
Now that eOne has been acquired by Hasbro Toys, Death Row Records is part of their expansive portfolio.
One is responsible for popular children’s brands including Peppa Pig while eOne’s music division has been home to several artists you likely know and love including Erica Campbell, Michelle Williams, and many more.
Entertainment One scooped up Death Row Records’ extensive music catalog after the company declared bankruptcy back in 2006. Death Row Records was originally founded by Dre and Suge Knight in 1991. While the famed producer has gone on to flourish in other successful business ventures, namely his “Beats By Dre,” product line, Knight, now 54, is currently serving a 28-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter.
Meanwhile, in the latest episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, Snoop Dogg shared his memories of Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. and explained how he wrote rhymes for Dr. Dre.
“Well, when I was writing his sh*t, I was thinking about how dope he sounded on N.W.A’s last album,” he said. “And the D.O.C. was the secret behind the sauce. And then the D.O.C. became my mentor.… I was writing in Dre’s voice, so whenever I was writing for him, I would say it in my voice.”
He also explained why he doesn’t want a biopic of his life, but rather a TV series.
“You got to look at Snoop Dogg as — and don’t laugh when I say this — the Black Forrest Gump,” Snoop Dogg said. “Every iconic moment that ever happened in the past 30 years he was directly in it or around it.… A lot of times these networks or these companies feel like ‘We just want to get straight to the action.’ They want Death Row, when it was exciting, and it was violence. Nah, f–k all that. I want to tell the story about my mom and daddy meeting each other and falling in love. How about that? Before it gets to me. And in that way, it’s a real setup for when you finally see Snoop Dogg on screen. You understand his struggle, his love, his pain, and his admiration for people.”
Most recently, Snoop Dogg took to Instagram to mourn the death of his mother, Beverly Tate after she passed away at the age of 70, theGRIO reported. In a recent interview with The Breakfast Club, Snoop opened up about learning of her death.
“Man, I wanted to [cancel everything],” he told the hosts. “When I got the news, I had a show that night. And I just went to my room, I cried a little bit, and I was like, ‘Damn, what would my mama want me to do?’ She would want me to get in front of these people and give them a show.”
Snoop continued, “And I went out there and gave it to them. And the last song I played was “Stand By Me” and it’s a particular part of the song saying, ‘I won’t cry, I won’t cry.’ And I took my glasses off and I didn’t cry. In my heart, I wanted to but I just was like I can’t. And they [the audience] were giving it back to me. I just felt my mama telling me, ‘You better not stop.’”
This article contains additional reporting from theGRIO’s Brenda Alexander
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