Death Row Chronicles — a new documentary airing on BET — is a visual history detailing the infamous record label’s run in the 90s. But, it appears the series will present a positive spin on Suge Knight’s questionable actions over the many decades he’s been bossed up in the music industry.
In a six-part, three night event, the documentary steers away from the usual big bad bully of the industry narrative. Instead, it paints Knight as the people’s champion and the protector, always looking out for the little guy.
In Tuesday’s (February 20) premiere of the mini-series, viewers will learn about Knight’s solid family beginnings as well as his thirst for being a part of Los Angeles’ gang culture. Hip Hop buffs will also get some insight on the two albums that helped put Death Row on the map, Dr. Dre’s The Chronic or Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle.
The story is told through a montage of interviews and commentary from journalists and various people who were around when Death Row was at its height. Reenactments of legendary Death Row stories are told as the commentators debunk various myths surrounding Knight, including Vanilla Ice’s story of how Knight shook him down over publishing for “Ice Ice Baby.”
Knight, Kurupt, Michel’le and Danny Boy are just a few figures featured in the documentary giving their take of what happened back then as well as never-before-seen archival footage.
Death Row Chronicles airs tonight on BET at 10 p.m. Eastern. Check out a preview below.
This jimmy Iovine is a snake some where along the way big Suge stepped on the wrong toes and lost it all
a snake? maybe, maybe not.. seems like a level headed, humble guy tho.
You need to do a little research my friend
Jimmy iovine had little to do with Death Rows downfall. Suge having no business sense was eventually going to catch up with him. He found out after Dre left you couldn’t just bully your way to the top, and once PAC was gone it was a rap. Suge brought this on himself, Jimmy tried his best to help Suge but some people aren’t helpable.
Plus, Suge didn’t know how to read contracts.
The whole and short of it was that Suge had gang members hanging around, and Interscope was on the other end of the hall the whole time they were at their height if anybody thought that it was so appalling. They just retrospectively did because it was cool to shit on Suge after the label fell. When he was on top, it’s like anything else, everybody wanted to be in on it, and the only people who had problems with the gang bangers hanging around were the people who tried to walk up in there talking crazy like their studio image was going to protect them. Mary J. Blige used to be up there. Jodeci used to be up there. Aaron Hall used to be up there. Rock and roll stars used to be up there. It was a whose who of the industry because Suge did have an ear for talent before he let the bullshit get in his way.
Cool. Do they mention David Kenner the jevvish lawyer involved heavily in the creation of Death Row Records? Or is that not “kosher”?
Cut it out with this “jevv” shit bruh. You need some pussy.
seriously, every damn “news” story on this site, this kid brings this up, even if its nothing to do with the story
You people complaining never have a problem blaming whitey, but when someone points out the real perpetrators you cry like bishes.
smh… of course BET would put this trash out.. A positive spin?? word? we just gonna tune out all the negativity that was Death Row and paint it at something it really wasn’t? All of Death Row’s issue stemmed from one person…..that’s all I’m saying
Tell me how much more negative was it compared to the rest of the industry? Some of us have worked in or know people who have worked around this shit at its height, and he was doing nothing that other labels weren’t doing in some form or fashion. People are sure Baby had one of his label stars merked. Roulette Records from the 60s and 70s had mobsters running the shit. Puffy has dope boy ties. Clive Davis used to fuck men in the ass to get on. We can go all day with this shit.
The whole industry is a cesspool, which is why I’m so glad they can’t make money anymore like they used to. Stop believing the hype because somebody told you Suge was the Devil. Dude had some good and some bad. The industry fucked him over because what is Universal now was supposed to be run by him before Pac got killed, and then they squashed him and blackballed him. All I know is that he used to make sure his label put out heat if you’ve heard a lot of the outtakes from his label that he made sure didn’t see the light of day, and that’s more than I can say for a lot of these labels who put whatever garbage out their stars produced.
Believing hype?? Fool everyone knew what Suge was about.. I’m not gonna glorify a gangbanging piece of trash that preyed on his own people and talent.. He wasn’t pulling that gang crap with Jimmy or any of his other white bosses. That label eventually fell to pieces once Dre left.. no surprised that Dre thrived and Death Row crumbled. And yes THE ENTERTAINMENT industry as whole has issues, but I’m not gonna glorify this piece of crap, not at all. He was blackballed for a reason, no one gets that treatment without cause.
“He wasn’t pulling that gang crap with Jimmy or any of his other white bosses” Exactly! Other Death Row docu even showed pics of Suge playing football with Jimmy and a lotta other white executives in some rich guys backyard. So Suge was just a fat house negro.
Yes, they talked about the lawyer David Kenner
Did they lie that he is a white man, when he is indeed a descendant of the khazars?
Just like politics with the Democrats and Republicans its just one bird with two wings.
Do they talk about the 2000s when they signed a gang of new guys like Crooked I, Tha Realest, and Petey Pablo (nobody knows that after his second album he went to Death Row and got shelved) and weren’t able to get any of them released? They did manage to produce the soundtrack to an Eddie Griffin standup special (but who makes a soundtrack to a stand up routine?) and Kurupt’s Against the Grain album in this time frame, but it was pretty clear the label had lost all credibility at that point. I always thought Crooked I was dope af and wanted him to release the albums he did on Death Row, but even when they switched from Interscope to Koch for their distribution they couldn’t manage to get anything out.
When they show episode 1-4? Im watching 5 and 6 right now.