Snoop Dogg Acquires Death Row Records

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Days before he performs during halftime of Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium, rapper Snoop Dogg expanded his business empire today with the acquisition of Death Row Records, the label on which he rose to fame.

Snoop Dogg purchased the label from MNRK Music Group, which is controlled by the Blackstone investment firm. Terms of the deal were not released.

"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," he continued, "I'm looking forward to building the next chapter of Death Row Records,'' he said.

David Kestnbaum, a senior managing director for Blackstone, said in a statement, "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.''

Founded in part by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight, Death Row Records was created in 1992 and was home to some of the biggest names in West Coast hip- hop, including Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, The D.O.C. and Nate Dogg.

The label went through a variety of ownership changes following 2006 bankruptcy proceedings. The Blackstone Group acquired the label in April 2021.

A report from Variety also detailed that the move should come with some additional acquisitions by Snoop Dogg, including some of the label's music rights and musicians - both his own and other artists under the label, though this has yet to be officially confirmed.

The deal is set to officially conclude in coming weeks, at which time more details will be available.

In concurrence with the announcement of the acquisition, Snoop Dogg is also set to release a new album on Friday titled "B.O.D.R" or "Back on Death Row."

Snoop Dogg will be performing the halftime show with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar.

(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)