Editing Death Row Records (section)

===1992–1995: ''The Chronic'', ''Doggystyle'', and other releases===
With the help of Kenner, Knight began signing young, [[inner-city]] [[California]]-based artists and arranged for Death Row Records to contribute to the [[Deep Cover#Soundtrack|soundtrack]] for the 1992 film, ''[[Deep Cover]]''. The single, "[[Deep Cover (song)|Deep Cover]]", established Dr. Dre as a solo artist and a young [[Snoop Doggy Dogg]] as his protégé. Work soon began on ''[[The Chronic]]'', Dr. Dre's debut solo album, which heavily featured Snoop and the rest of the label's core roster.

In 1992, [[Jimmy Iovine]]'s [[Interscope Records]] negotiated a $10-million deal with [[Dr. Dre]] and [[Marion "Suge" Knight]] to finance and distribute Death Row. The meeting and negotiations were initiated by McClain, who met Dre when he was recording his ''The Chronic.'' Original plans had called for the album to be released through Sony, but Sony passed on ''The Chronic'' due to Death Row's controversial nature and Dr. Dre's contractual status. After hearing the album, Iovine agreed to release it, although doing so required a complicated distribution agreement with [[Priority Records]], Dre's label as a member of [[N.W.A]]. ''The Chronic'' was released in December 1992.<ref name="Chronic oral history">{{cite news|last1=Westhoff|first1=Ben|title=The Making of the Chronic|url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-making-of-the-chronic-2407719|access-date=September 16, 2015|work=LA Weekly|date=November 19, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Dre splits Death Row LA Times">{{cite news|last1=Phillips|first1=Chuck|title=Rapper Dr. Dre to part ways with Death Row, start new record label|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/la-fi-dredeathrow22march2296-story.html|access-date=September 17, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 22, 1996}}</ref>The album, which was released on December 15 and peaked at number 3 on the [[Billboard Top 200]], went on to sell 5.7 million records worldwide,<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=The%20Chronic&artist=Dr.%20Dre&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2007&sort=Artist&perPage=25 Recording Industry Association of America] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017045232/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=The%20Chronic&artist=Dr.%20Dre&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2007&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |date=October 17, 2015 }}. RIAA. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.</ref> popularizing the distinctive style of [[G-Funk]].<ref name="NYTimes-Dr.Dre">Jon Pareles (November 14, 1999). [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E6DF103AF937A25752C1A96F958260 Music; Still Tough, Still Authentic. Still Relevant?]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved March 18, 2008.</ref> The Death Row roster consisted of Dre, Snoop, [[Daz Dillinger|Daz]], [[Kurupt]], [[Nate Dogg]], [[The Lady of Rage]], [[The D.O.C.]], [[Jewell (singer)|Jewell]], [[RBX]], [[Soopafly]] and many more.

After Snoop Dogg found solo success through his features on The Chronic, Dre began producing [[Snoop Dogg]]'s debut album ''[[Doggystyle]]'' throughout 1993. Snoop's debut was released on November 23, 1993 due to public demand and high pressure from retailers. Though unfinished,<ref name="Rollin' With Dre 2008">''Rollin' with Dre: The Unauthorized Account: An Insider's Tale of the Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of West Coast Hip Hop'' (Williams/Alexander, 2008) {{ISBN|0-345-49822-4}}</ref> it outperformed ''The Chronic'' at [[RIAA certification|Quadruple Platinum]],<ref>[https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Doggystyle&artist=Snoop%20Dogg&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=Death%20Row&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25 Recording Industry Association of America] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017192034/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Doggystyle&artist=Snoop%20Dogg&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=Death%20Row&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |date=October 17, 2015 }}. RIAA. Retrieved on July 11, 2011.</ref> and garnered similarly glowing reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/doggystyle-mw0000106179|title=Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=September 22, 2018|archive-date=November 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107023434/https://www.allmusic.com/album/doggystyle-mw0000106179|url-status=live}}</ref> Soon after the release of the album, Snoop Dogg was charged with [[murder]],{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} fueling the debate that politicians [[C. Delores Tucker]] and vice presidential candidate [[Dan Quayle]] sparked {{citation needed|date=June 2018}} by criticizing [[gangsta rap]] for being against American values, degrading to black women, and encouraging violence towards police officers. Throughout 1994, Death Row Records released the soundtracks ''[[Above the Rim (soundtrack)|Above the Rim]]'' and ''[[Murder Was the Case]]''.

On November 22, 1994, at the offices of The Brotherhood Crusade in [[Los Angeles]], Suge Knight and several artists from Death Row such as [[Tha Dogg Pound]] as well as [[DJ Quik]] distributed nearly 2,000 turkeys to the public.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA90|title=Good Works|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=December 10, 1994|access-date=November 27, 2019|archive-date=April 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426183826/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA90|url-status=live}}</ref> Death Row also donated turkeys the following year as well.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2paclegacy.net/tupac-death-row-records-members-at-the-brotherhood-crusade-headquarters/|title=1995-11-21 / Tupac & Death Row Records Members At The Brotherhood Crusade Headquarters|date=May 22, 2016|publisher=2PacLegacy|access-date=November 27, 2019|archive-date=November 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128064755/https://2paclegacy.net/tupac-death-row-records-members-at-the-brotherhood-crusade-headquarters/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On March 13, 1995, Death Row Records hosted a private party at the [[El Rey Theatre (Los Angeles)|El Rey Theatre]], where [[Murder of Kelly Jamerson|Kelly Jamerson]], a [[Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips|Rolling 60's Crip]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Race & Policing - Live From Death Row {{!}} PBS - L.a.p.d. Blues {{!}} FRONTLINE {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/lapd/race/deathrow.html |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=www.pbs.org |quote=In 1995 a Rolling 60s Crip, Kelly Jamerson, was stomped to death at a Death Row party}}</ref> was severely beaten by several [[Bloods]], who were allegedly from Suge Knight's inner circle.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interview: Former L.A.P.D. Detective Says He Knows Who Killed The Notorious B.I.G. |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2012/03/interview-former-lapd-detective-says-he-knows-who-killed-the-notorious-big |access-date=2023-03-18 |website=Complex |language=en |quote=A fight broke out between this Crip and some of the Bloods that were in Suge’s circle.}}</ref> As a result of his injuries, Jamerson died the next day at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.