Jeez. What a history. Bet it didn’t happen like this at Rough Trade. Legend has it that Death Row was founded and funded largely due to money given to Dr Dre bodyguard and friend, Suge Knight by convicted drug dealer Michael “Harry-O“ Harris who was serving a prison sentence at the time. It was also reported that Knight posted bail for the then-incarcerated Tupac Shakur in exchange for his signing with Death Row. Add to this the controversy that surrounded the label for its shameless endorsement of gang culture and ultra-violence and you have something of a Clockwork Orange meets Cooking Vinyl story.
Not that any of this should take anything away from the incredible roster of talent it nurtured. Founded in 1991 with the support and distribution of Interscope Records, Death Row was home to the likes of Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound (Kurupt and Daz Dillinger), RBX, The Lady of Rage, Michel’le, Danny Boy, DJ Quik, J-Flexx, Mark Morrison, MC Hammer, Tha Realest, Crooked I, O.F.T.B., Eastwood, and Gina Longo. In fact it pretty much defined hip-hop and rap as the puff packin’, booty bombin’ pistol packin’ dysfunctional enclave we know today. And though hip-hop purists tend to balk at it’s very name and the British Grime Scene may have resigned half the usual suspects to the archive, Death Row stands up as the genre’s most successful independent label. And here is why; a 31-track double CD collector’s edition tossin’up a seminal selection of tracks from the label’s history; Ain’t No Fun (If The Homies Can’t Have None), Regulate, All About U, Fuck Wit Dr Dre, I Ain’t Mad Atcha, All About U, Some Bomb Ass Pussy, Thug Passion, Natural Born Killaz, Lil’ Ghetto Boy, Dysfunktional Family, Snoop’s Upside Ya Head, Still Tha Row, Made Niggaz, Stranded On Death Row.
Warren G & Nate Dogg , Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre & Ice Cube, 2Pac & The Outlawz, Eastwood & Crooked – they’re all in there.
A right rogue’s gallery, yes, but variously beautiful.
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