Snoop Dogg has acquired Death Row Records from the Blackstone-controlled company MNRK Music Group.
According to a press release via Business Wire, the rap legend will be leading the brand for the coming years as its new owner. Snoop originally joined Death Row in 1993 where he dropped his critically acclaimed debut album, Doggystyle.
Snoop Dogg emphasized how excited he is to have acquired such a significant brand to the culture like Death Row.
“I am thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to acquire the iconic and culturally significant Death Row Records brand, which has immense untapped future value,” the rap icon said. “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. 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. I’m looking forward to building the next chapter of Death Row Records.”
Founded by Dr Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C., and Dick Griffey in 1991, Death Row has been home to some of the greatest West Coast rappers in hip-hop history. Snoop is one of those legendary artists who got his start at the label, so it’s only fitting that he will now take the reins. A source close to Variety also told the publication that this transaction might usher at the beginning of the rapper and entrepreneur acquiring the music rights from the label as well.
Snoop previously discussed his desire to own Death Row Records in an interview with GQ. He explained being turned down to purchase it led to a role with Def Jam. “eOne Music [which owned Death Row Music until April 2021] didn’t want to give me action at it. So then I asked could I buy it? And they acted like they didn’t want to sell it. Then they sold it [to the Blackstone Group], and the man in me was hurt, but the businessman in me said, Okay, I got to find something else to do to take this energy of mine that I’m holding on to.”
Along with this new acquisition, Snoop Dogg will also be partnering with Gala Games to release B.O.D.R on blockchain as an exclusive stash box of NFTs ahead of its drop on streaming services. When talking about blockchain and music coming together, the rapper said he believes it to be the natural evolution of the industry.
“If anything is constant, it’s that the music industry will always be changing,” Snoop said. “Blockchain tech has the power to change everything again and tip the table in favour of the artists and the fans, and we’re going to be right at the front of the pack with this Gala Music deal.”
The Stash Box of Snoop’s music in NFT form will be available Wednesday on Gala Game’s music store at 7:20 p.m. EST.
Kanye shared his reaction to the news by posting a screenshot of Currensy’s tweet that reads, “Snoop acquiring Deathrow is black future month As Fuck.” Ye added the hashtag, “#BlackFutureMonth,” which has been a topic of discussion for the rapper.
