It appears all those joint branding efforts with Martha Stewart have really paid off. Snoop Dogg announced today that he has bought the Death Row Records brand from MNRK Music Group, which is managed by investment group Blackstone. Death Row was the label that paid Snoop in his early years, when it was primarily run by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight. “I am thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to acquire the iconic and culturally significant Death Row Records brand,” Snoop Dogg said in a statement. “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.”
Death Row was famous for exploding the west coast sound onto the airwaves in the 90’s, as well as being at the center of the east coast/west coast rap rivalry that dominated media at the time. Tupac’s move to Death Row played a large part in his feud with the Notorious B.I.G. Dre left Death Row in 1996 to form Aftermath, and Snoop left the label in 1998, not long after Knight’s incarceration in 1997. He moved to No Limit Records while still collaborating on Dre’s Aftermath work. Snoop has also moved into television, hosting several shows including Joker’s Wild and Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner.
