Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, is the brains and the braun behind Death Row Records. In seven years he has taken a barely-known company and a fledgling rap industry to
the forefront of the musical world. Death Row revolutionized rap by ridding it of its old school flavor in 1992 with Dr. Dre's "The Chronic". Since then, it has carried the hip-hop planet on its shoulders with over
30 million copies sold and talented artist after talented artist. This is all the vision and work of Suge.
Born in Compton, Marion "Suge" Knight's main family was the Mob Piru Bloods (The 6-6-2 in his now-closed Las Vegas nightspot Club 662 spells m-o-b on a phone pad). After playing football
with UNLV and briefly with the NFL's LA Rams, the 6'3", 315 pounder turned to the entertainment business. Always a man thinking of how to make money, he teamed up with a post-N.W.A. Dr. Dre in 1992 to form
Future Shock Records (Quickly changed to Death Row Records, then The New and "Untouchable" Death Row Records after Snoop's acquital, and now The "Untouchable" Death Row Records.). He immediately changed the
lettering on the company logo and his buildings red to show devotion to his gang.
Today Suge resides in the California Men's Colony prison in San Luis Obispo due to a parole violation for ledgedly beatingup Anderson, the man thought of who killed 2Pac but now dead him self.
He has a maximum of six years left on his original nine-year sentence. While he has definitely been targeted excessively by authorities, it's his continual involvement in the gang-life that has kept him in a violent
and inefficient world which has in turn hurt the company. Recently he has become a suspect in the Murder of the Notorious BIG.
Hailing from Virginia, The Lady of Rage joined the Family nearly a decade ago when she met Dr. Dre in New York (he was still with N.W.A.). Long just another talented Row backup, she had been
promised a solo deal many years ago. She finally broke through in the spring of '97 with Necessary Roughness, which was a great album - and a lot better than I thought it would be. It has some of the best beats I
have ever heard come out of Death Row, frankly. Rage tries a different approach to female rapping - instead of oozing sexuality, she goes with the hard style that got her where she is, which should be commended.
Her future with the Row is really questionable, with some saying she isn't even with the label anymore. Until I hear hard facts to that end, this page will stay up.
Tha Dogg Pound is a group with several members. The two major members are Kurupt and Daz, along with Snoop and Nate Dogg. In 1995, on Halloween, they released there first LP (they had previously had singles on such soundtracks such as Murder Was the Case and Above the Rim). The Dogg Pound has many, many members, most of the are from Long Beach.
Long Beach CA native Daz and Philadelphia recruit Kurupt formed tha Dogg Pound in 1992- actually WERE formed into the Dogg Pound by Daz's older cousin Calivn Broadus, better known as Snoop Dogg. THey made their first appearance on Dr. Dre's classic "The Chronic", and it was clear from then that these two complimented each other's skills and techniques and that they would make one helluva hip hop tag team.
This was made true by their only release up to date, "Doog Food", an album which was slept on unbelievably by many (listen to Kurupt's first verse on "New York, New York" and tell me that one DOESN'T belong in the Source's hip hop quotable section!!!). This album displayed extremely tight rapping skillz by both, as well as by Snoop, Hershey "Malik" Loc,
and other guest rappers, and tight beats, thanks to Dre AND Daz, who has proved himself as talented behind the mixing board as in the sound booth behind the mic. Kurupt, in my personal opinion, is the most gifted MC on the West Coast, and one of the 3 most gifted anywhere (coming behind OutKast's Dre and Nas). Since their '95 bomb, they haven't released
a follow-up, but since then have stayed hella active with guest appearances and soundtrack cuts, and Daz's first album has just been released, entitled "Revenge, Retaliation and Get Back". But don't worry about the future of this Dogg duo: As Daz Dillinger (formerly known as Dat Nigga Daz) put it in an interview in the Source recently, "It's me and Kurupt fo' life..." . I wouldn't want it any other way.
Danny Boy is the little-known, true R&B artist in the Death Row Family. Originally from Chicago, he has always provided excellent backup since signing with the Row while still in high school.
Suge became his legal guardian when he moved out to California.
His self-titled first solo release has sadly been delayed for years. I can only hope that it will be released, as I think that he will help to diversify Death Row considerably. There have been
rumors that he might leave Def Row, but these have not been confirmed.
Michel'le is a heavenly R&B artist who has just released her first Death Row solo album this past August. Her musical career found its beginnings at Ruthless Records, where she released an
album in 1989 that went platinum (most folks don't know that). Michel'le had a lusty relationship with Dr. Dre in those tumultuous early nineties, had a child with him, and was brought on board with the young
Death Row Records as the company's most talented and prominent singer.
Promised a solo deal for many years, she has finally gotten the chance to show the world that she is more than a mere backup singer on Death Row's mighty rap tracks. Well, Michel'le certainly
did prove it, but not many so-called Row fans have purchased "Hung Jury," which is very sad. Just go out and buy it, because it's excellent.
The Outlawz are a group of extremely talented rappers who have been featured on many of Tupac's songs since his early days. Formerly dubbed the Outlaw Immortalz, they changed their name after
one of the members was shot and killed in New Jersey soon after Tupac's death (the tragic crimes are not related, as many theorize). The group is formed by several of Tupac's close compatriates, many from New Jersey
- or the "state of car thieves" as they say.
Their first album, titled "Retribution," under Death Row, which should definitely be the bomb. Stay tuned for it hitting store shelves sometime
this year. But they have openly stated for a long time that after their one-album contract is fulfilled, they'll probably leave Death Row, which I respect.
Soopafly - Should have a solo release titled "Like It or Not" in 1999. Soopafly was part of the short-lived group Tha Gang. But the other members, Bad Ass and Tray Dee, have gone on to other labels,
effectively disolving that union.
J-Flexx - An artist who has been with the Row for some time, yet not much is known about him. His solo release should be out within a couple years, and he'll do more songs soon to let the fans know
about him and his mic skills.
YGD (Tha Top Dogg) - A much talked-about rapper who signed with Death Row during the Snoop departure. Some people are critical of the fact that he sounds a lot like a young Snoop. But, hey, as long
as he sells units (he will) and as long as he's not a coward like Snoop (he's not), I don't care. His solo double album is done, and will be out within the year.
Jewell - Another great female R&B singer with vocal skills matching Michel'le's, this long-time Row artist isn't getting a solo deal anytime soon, unfortunately. But she will thankfully get more tracks on future compilations.
Tha Realest - This rapper will have a huge impact on Death Row's future, and he'll start by being all over the upcoming Inside Out compilation. Formerly dubbed Tenkamenin, he's supposed to get his own solo release soon.
6 Feet Deep - The name reflects the fact that all the members of this male R&B group are real tall (their names are 6-2, 6-6, 6-8, and 6-9). One of the members made some celebrity news when he married actress Vivica Fox in '98.
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