Hip Hop legend Snoop Dogg has acquired the Death Row Records brand from MNRK Music Group.
Formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s, Death Row Records has been home to a number of the most iconic names in Hip Hop including Dr. Dre and 2Pac, and was Snoop Dogg’s debut label. The label was founded by Dr. Dre, The D.O.C., Suge Knight and Dick Griffey.
“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 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.
View this post on Instagram
According to a press release, Snoop Dogg has acquired the Death Row brand from MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music), which is controlled by private equity funds managed by leading global investment firm Blackstone. Although terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, Hasbro toy company purchased MNRK Music Group in 2019 for $4 billion and inadvertently became the new owners of Death Row. In April 2021, Hasbro announced it had sold MNRK Music Group to Blackstone for $385 million in cash. Needless to say, the legendary Hip Hop entity likely wasn’t cheap.