Editing Death Row Records (section)

===1987–1992: Origins and the first generation===
{{main|Ruthless Records}}
In 1987, [[N.W.A]]'s Dr. Dre signed to [[Eazy-E]]'s [[Ruthless Records]]. As head of production at the label, Dr. Dre produced a large number of Ruthless projects, many of them successful; feeling the pressures of having to produce so many acts and feeling he was underpaid, Dr. Dre became frustrated with Ruthless.<ref>''Ruthless'' (Heller/Reavill, 2007) {{ISBN|1-4169-1794-2}}</ref> After the departure of [[Ice Cube]] in 1989 over financial disagreements with [[Jerry Heller]],<ref>''Ice Cube: Attitude'' (McIver, 2002) {{ISBN|1-86074-428-1}}</ref> [[Suge Knight]] and [[the D.O.C.]] went over the books with a lawyer. Convinced that Jerry Heller and Eazy-E were dishonest, they approached Dr. Dre about forming a label with them, away from Heller and Eazy-E.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.murderdog.com/archives/doc/doc.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20060326170801/http://www.murderdog.com/archives/doc/doc.html|url-status=dead|title=Interview with DOC|date=March 26, 2006|archive-date=March 26, 2006|website=Archive.today|access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref> Allegedly using strong-arm tactics, Suge Knight was able to procure contracts from Eazy-E for the D.O.C., Dr. Dre, [[Jewell (singer)|Jewell]], and [[Michel'le]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dubcnn.com/interviews/eroticd-part1/ |title=Erotic D Interview- Part 1 (June 2008) |website=Dubcnn.com |access-date=August 7, 2013 |archive-date=August 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810115712/http://www.dubcnn.com/interviews/eroticd-part1/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Dr. Dre and Suge Knight along with partners the D.O.C. and [[Dick Griffey]] began the process of starting a record label and music partnership in anticipation of Dr. Dre's departure from Ruthless. Although the name of their new music venture was originally called '''Future Shock''', both the D.O.C and Suge Knight's business associate [[Michael Harris (music executive)|Michael "Harry-O" Harris]] have claimed to have suggested changing the name of the new label to ''''Def Row'''' <ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/music/dead-man-rapping-6398155 |title=Dead man rapping |last=Corcoran |first=Michael |date=January 25, 1996 |newspaper=[[Dallas Observer]] |access-date=October 26, 2017 |quote="I'm the one who told Dre to change the name to Death Row," Curry says. |archive-date=October 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027125923/http://www.dallasobserver.com/music/dead-man-rapping-6398155 |url-status=live }}</ref> (a play on [[Def Jam]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-making-of-the-chronic-2407719 |title=The Making of ''The Chronic'' |last=Westhoff |first=Ben |date=November 19, 2012 |website=Laweekly.com |access-date=October 26, 2017 |quote=The name Death Row came from my partner, Unknown [DJ]. Initially it was supposed to be Def Row, as in Def Jam. D-E-F. And Dre bought the name Def Row and changed the name. |archive-date=October 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016071441/http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-making-of-the-chronic-2407719 |url-status=live }}</ref> but rights to the name were already owned by [[the Unknown DJ]], who also happened to be one of Dre's former music associates in the 1980s. Unknown stated in an interview that he created the name "Def Row" for a potential deal to start another record label under [[Morgan Creek Entertainment Group|Morgan Creek]].<ref>{{cite podcast| url=https://soundcloud.com/wcp-i/interview-unknown-dj-west-1| title=Interview unknown dj west coast pioneers 11 2008 part two| website=Westcoastpioneers.com| publisher=SoundCloud| host=West Coast Pioneers| date=2008| time=40:00| access-date=November 15, 2017| archive-date=March 9, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309233337/https://soundcloud.com/wcp-i/interview-unknown-dj-west-1| url-status=live}}</ref> However he later sold the naming rights to Dr. Dre and his partners in July 1991 and by 1992 the name changed to its eventual title of '''Death Row Records'''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Morris |first=Chris |date=January 20, 1996 |title=Death Row Is Target of Suit By Former Partner, Rapper |page=94 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3g4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA94 |magazine=Billboard |location=New York |publisher=Billboard Music Group |access-date=October 26, 2017 |archive-date=April 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426183826/https://books.google.com/books?id=3g4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA94 |url-status=live }}</ref> Knight approached Michael "Harry-O" Harris, a businessman imprisoned on drug and attempted murder charges. Through David Kenner, an attorney handling Harris's appeal, Harry-O set up '''Godfather Entertainment''', a parent company for the newly christened Death Row.<ref name="imdb.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275066/|title=Welcome to Death Row (Video 2001)|date=September 25, 2001|website=IMDb.com|access-date=September 22, 2018|archive-date=June 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616200805/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275066/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Knight approached [[Vanilla Ice]] (Robert Van Winkle), using management connections with Mario "Chocolate" Johnson, claiming Johnson had produced and co-written the song "[[Ice Ice Baby]]", and had not received royalties for it.<ref name="Sullivan">{{cite book|last1=Sullivan|first1=Randall|title=LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row's Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal|year=2003|publisher=Grove Press|isbn=0-8021-3971-X|page=56}}</ref> After consulting with Alex Roberts, Knight and two bodyguards arrived at [[The Palm (restaurant)|The Palm]] in West [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California]], where Van Winkle was eating. After shoving Van Winkle's bodyguards aside, Knight sat down in front of Van Winkle, staring at him before asking "How you doin'?"<ref name="Sullivan" /> Similar incidents were repeated on several occasions, including alleged attempts to lure Vanilla Ice into a van filled with [[Bloods]] and [[Crips]], before Knight showed up at Vanilla Ice's hotel suite on the 15th floor of the Bel Age Hotel, accompanied by Johnson and a member of the [[Los Angeles Raiders]]. According to Vanilla Ice, Knight took him out on the balcony by himself, and implied he would throw Vanilla Ice off unless he signed the rights to the song over to Knight; Van Winkle's money helped fund Death Row.<ref name="Sullivan" /> Death Row was initially located at the intersection of Westwood Blvd and Wilshire Blvd, later to be relocated to the intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and San Vicente Blvd.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/vanillaice/articles/story/5921192/to_the_extreme_and_back|title=''To The Extreme and Back''|access-date=November 14, 2008|last=Fischer|first=Blair R.|date=March 12, 1998|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509133342/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/vanillaice/articles/story/5921192/to_the_extreme_and_back|archive-date=May 9, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>