Snoop Dogg’s acquisition of Death Row Records has been filled with highs and lows since the beginning of 2022. Before he hit the stage for the Super Bowl, he announced that he became the new owner of the label. Part of his decision was to modernize the label and brand for the digital era. You’d assume that meant that would make it more easily accessible. However, he began to plot out its debut in the Metaverse. Unfortunately, those plans have been stagnant for a while, though it’s still a possibility in the future.
After Snoop Dogg acquired Death Row, fans noticed that the albums released under the label went missing DSPs. This was no coincidence as Snoop later explained that he was unhappy with how streaming services paid out artists. “First thing I did was snatch all the music off those platforms traditionally known to people, because those platforms don’t pay,” he said on Drink Champs. “And those platforms get millions of millions of streams, and nobody gets paid other than the record labels.”
Snoop Dogg Confirms Death Row’s Return
The catalog of Death Row Records is officially back on streaming services this week. Snoop confirmed the news following an announcement that he partnered with ex-Apple Executive Larry Jackson’s new company gamma. The partnership comes as no surprise as gamma helped reintroduce the Death Row catalog to TikTok last month. However, their partnership with Snoop will undoubtedly expand beyond social media and streaming services as gamma describes itself as a “one-stop-shop media company that creates, distributes, and markets content, from music to podcasts to films, offering resources and guidance to artists who want to build their brands and expand beyond music,” per Billboard.
Now, fans can enjoy some of their favorite records from Death Row including Snoop’s Doggystyle (sans “Gz Up, Hoes Down” and other skits), Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Tupac’s All Eyez On Me, and more. Additionally, the partnership with gamma will also include two future releases from Snoop Dogg (presumably Missionary with Dr. Dre and another project). Thankfully, Snoop delivered the series of iconic projects and soundtracks that will undoubtedly be perfect for 4/20 next month.