Over the past few years, Death Row Records has had some curious owners (to put it mildly). Now, the label is coming home (sort of). Snoop Dogg has agreed to a deal with MNRK Music Group, which is owned by private equity fund Blackstone, to become the new owner of the label where he got his start.
The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but a person familiar with the situation tells SPIN that it is expected to include the label’s catalog. The only thing that’s been officially confirmed so far is that Snoop is the owner of the Death Row Records brand.
The timing couldn’t be better for Snoop. His new album, B.O.D.R. is out this Friday, and he’s performing at the Super Bowl this Sunday with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and more.
“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,” Snoop said in a release. “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.”
Famously, Snoop first appeared on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic in 1992. He’d go on to release 1993’s Doggystyle and Tha Doggfather in 1996 on Death Row. He’d leave in 1998 to join Master P’s No Limit label. However, Snoop remains one of the most recognizable faces from the label’s peak era.
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