Talk about boss moves! Snoop Dogg is now the official owner of the legendary Death Row Records, the label that he was signed to and started his iconic career on.
Snoop originally joined Death Row back in 1993 and dropped his debut album, ‘Doggystyle‘ and became an instant success. Doggystyle debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 806,858 copies in its first week alone in the United States, and set a record as the fastest-selling hip-hop album ever at the time.
Now over 20 years later, Snoop will also be releasing his upcoming album, ‘B.O.D.R.’ under the label he now owns and operates on Feb. 11.
Hip Hop Legend and Entrepreneur Snoop Dogg today announced he has acquired the Death Row Records brand from MNRK Music Group, which is controlled by private equity funds managed by leading global investment firm Blackstone (“Blackstone”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal comes on the heels of Snoop Dogg’s latest album, B.O.D.R being released on February 11, 2022.
Death Row Records has been home to a number of the most historic names in Hip Hop and was Snoop Dogg’s debut label.
Snoop Dogg, now Owner of Death Row Records, said: “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. 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.”
David Kestnbaum, a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, said: “We at Blackstone are strong supporters of the artist and creator community in our entertainment investments. We are excited to put the Death Row Records brand back in the hands of a legend like Snoop Dogg. We wish him success in the years ahead as the brand moves forward under his leadership and vision.”
Chris Taylor, MNRK Music Group’s, President & CEO said: “Snoop is clearly the executive to take Death Row into its next 30 years. MNRK has been honored to oversee this legendary brand over the last decade and enjoyed introducing it to millions of new fans in 2021 through our award-winning 30th anniversary marketing campaign.”
via Business Wire
The label was originally founded by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C., and Dick Griffey in 1991 and became the home of Snoop, Dre, Tupac, Nate Dogg, Danny Boy, Kurupt, Warren G, and more.
Major congrats to Snoop! His new album drops Friday!
