In his latest business venture, Snoop Dogg announced Wednesday that he will be acquiring the brand of his former label, Death Row Records – which is controlled by a private equity firm called Blackstone. The rapper was one of the first artists to work at the label, which was a product of well-known artists Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The D.O.C. and Dick Griffey.

Following the release of Dre’s The Chronic in 1992, Death Row released Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, in 1993. Throughout its prime, the label released classics like Tupac’s All Eyez On Me, before going bankrupt after Suge Knight‘s imprisonment and Tupac’s death in 1996. Snoop and Dr. Dre had moved passed the label by 2006, and Death Row was auctioned from the highest bidder – eventually coming to Blackstone in 2021.

“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. “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.”

A Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, David Kestnbaum, also spoke out about Snoop’s acquisition of Death Row Records.

“We at Blackstone are strong supporters of the artist and creator community in our entertainment investments,” he said. “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.”

While Snoop has collaborated with Dr. Dre in recent years, with their December song “ETA,” and their upcoming performance at the Super Bowl, it is still unclear if Snoop’s new ownership of Death Row will result in more music and collaborations.

Photo Credit: Marv Watson