Editing Death Row Records (section)

=== 1995–1996: Signing 2Pac, Bad Boy Records feud, Dr. Dre's departure ===
After an August visit to see 2Pac at [[Clinton Correctional Facility]] in northern New York state, Suge traveled southward to New York City to join Death Row's entourage to the 2nd Annual Source Awards ceremony.<ref name=":6">{{cite web|last=Westhoff|first=Ben|date=September 12, 2016|title=How Tupac and Biggie went from friends to deadly rivals|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/tupac-biggie-friends-to-foes/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814121519/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/gqkqz3/tupac-biggie-friends-to-foes|archive-date=August 14, 2020|access-date=May 16, 2020|work=[[Vice.com]]}}</ref> Already reputed for strongarm tactics on the Los Angeles rap scene, after giving a brief comment of support for Shakur,<ref name=":11">{{cite web | first = Nadirah | last = Simmons | url = https://thesource.com/2016/08/03/today-in-1995-the-2nd-annual-source-awards-makes-hip-hop-history | title = Today in 1995: The 2nd Annual Source Awards makes hip hop history | work = [[The Source (magazine)|The Source]] | date = August 3, 2016 | access-date = May 17, 2020 | archive-date = July 1, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200701034838/https://thesource.com/2016/08/03/today-in-1995-the-2nd-annual-source-awards-makes-hip-hop-history/ | url-status = live }}</ref>  Suge used his brief stage time mainly to disparage [[Sean Combs|Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs]], CEO of [[Bad Boy Records]], the label then leading New York rap scene. Knight criticized Combs for his habit of ad-libbing on his artists' music as well as making numerous cameo appearances in his artists' music videos.<ref name=":4">{{cite book | first1 = Derrick | last1 = Parker | first2 = Matt | last2 = Diehl | title = Notorious C.O.P.: The Inside Story of the Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay Investigations from the NYPD's First "Hip-Hop Cop" | location = New York | publisher = St. Martin's Griffin | year = 2007 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=aW1CdaYjwDgC&pg=PA113 | pages = 113–116 | isbn = 9781429907781 | access-date = May 20, 2020 | archive-date = September 15, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200915032409/https://books.google.com/books?id=aW1CdaYjwDgC&pg=PA113 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=":10" /> Suge then invited artists seeking the spotlight for themselves to join Death Row.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":10">{{cite web | first = Erika | last = Ramirez | url = https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6363520/throwback-thursday-suge-knight-diddy-1995-source-awards | title = Throwback Thursday: Suge Knight Disses Diddy at 1995 Source Awards | work = Billboard.com | date = December 4, 2014 | access-date = May 17, 2020 | archive-date = May 2, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200502072146/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6363520/throwback-thursday-suge-knight-diddy-1995-source-awards | url-status = live }}</ref> Eventually, Puff recalled that to preempt severe retaliation from his Bad Boy crew, he had promptly confronted Suge, whose reply—that he had meant [[Jermaine Dupri]], of [[So So Def Recordings]], in Atlanta—was politic enough to deescalate the conflict.<ref name=":8">{{cite magazine | first = Peter A. | last = Barry | url = https://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/11/diddy-claims-confronted-suge-source-awards/ | title = Diddy claims he confronted Suge Knight after infamous 1995 Source Awards speech | magazine = [[XXL (magazine)|XXL]] Magazine | date = November 30, 2016 | access-date = May 17, 2020 | archive-date = January 26, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190126200037/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/11/diddy-claims-confronted-suge-source-awards/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

Still, among the fans, the previously diffuse [[East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry|rivalry between America's two mainstream rap scenes]] had instantly flared already.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":11" /><ref name=":10" /> And while in New York, Suge visited [[Uptown Records]], where Puff, under its founder [[Andre Harrell]], had started in the music business through an [[internship]].<ref name=":14">Sullivan 2003, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wq7SDwAAQBAJ&q=Newsweek noting ''Newsweek'' report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915033507/https://books.google.com/books?id=wq7SDwAAQBAJ&q=Newsweek |date=September 15, 2020 }}</ref> Apparently without paying Uptown, Suge obtained the releases of Puff's prime Uptown recruits [[Jodeci]], its producer [[DeVante Swing]], and [[Mary J. Blige]], all then signing with Suge's management company.<ref name=":14" />

On September 24, 1995, at Jermaine Dupri's birthday party at the Platinum House nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia, Bad Boy's entourage entered a heated dispute with Suge and Suge's friend Jai Hassan-Jamal "Big Jake" Robles, a Campanella Park [[Pirus|Piru]] [[Bloods]] gang member and Death Row bodyguard.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite news|last=Egbert|first=Bill|date=February 27, 2001|title=Hip Hype & Rival Rap, by Bill Egbert|work=Daily News|location=New York|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2001/02/27/2001-02-27__hip_hype___rival_rap.html|url-status=dead|access-date=July 24, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704173248/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/2001/02/27/2001-02-27__hip_hype___rival_rap.html|archive-date=July 4, 2010}}</ref> According to eyewitnesses, including a Fulton County sheriff working there as a nightclub bouncer, Puff had heatedly disputed with Suge inside the club.<ref name=":4" /> Several minutes later, outside the club, Puff's childhood friend and own bodyguard, Anthony "Wolf" Jones was involved in a heated altercation with others that ultimately led to Robles being fatally shot while entering a Limousine.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite news | first = Chuck | last = Philips | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-17-fi-13290-story.html | title = Possible link of 'Puffy' Combs to fatal shooting being probed | work = Los Angeles Times | date = January 17, 2001 | access-date = May 17, 2020 | archive-date = April 5, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200405012539/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-17-fi-13290-story.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first = Peter | last = Noel | url = https://www.villagevoice.com/2001/02/13/big-bad-wolf | title = Big bad Wolf | work = [[The Village Voice]] | date = February 13, 2001 | access-date = May 17, 2020 | archive-date = June 27, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200627233639/https://www.villagevoice.com/2001/02/13/big-bad-wolf/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

The attorneys of Puff and Jones both denied any involvement by their clients, while Puff's lawyer added that Puff had not even been with his bodyguard that night.<ref>{{cite web | first = Andrew | last = Dansby | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/report-infuriates-puffy-camp-61608 | title = Report infuriates Puffy camp | work = RollingStone.com | date = January 18, 2001 | publisher = Penske Business Media, LLC | access-date = May 17, 2020 | archive-date = June 27, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200627233641/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/report-infuriates-puffy-camp-61608/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Over 20 years later, the case remains officially unresolved, and Jones himself was fatally shot in Atlanta in November 2003 during an altercation with the [[Black Mafia Family]].<ref name="BMFBook">{{cite book|last=Shalhoup|first=Mara|title=BMF: The Rise and Fall of Big Meech and the Black Mafia Family|year=2010|publisher=St. Martin's Press}}</ref> Yet immediately and persistently, Suge blamed Puff, cementing the enmity between the two bosses, whose two record labels dominated the rap genre's two mainstream centers.<ref name=":4" /><ref>During the 1995 Source Awards, the rap genre's bicoastal paradigm was still so entrenched that when rap duo [[Outkast]], from Atlanta, won as best new group, the audience booed, setting up Outkast member Andre's momentous response, ultimately, "The South got something to say" [N Simmons, [https://thesource.com/2016/08/03/today-in-1995-the-2nd-annual-source-awards-makes-hip-hop-history "Today in 1995: The 2nd Annual"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701034838/https://thesource.com/2016/08/03/today-in-1995-the-2nd-annual-source-awards-makes-hip-hop-history/ |date=July 1, 2020 }}, ''The Source'', August 3, 2016].</ref>

In October 1995, Knight visited 2Pac in prison again and posted $1.4&nbsp;million bond. 2Pac began work on his Death Row album, kicking off his tenure by insulting [[the Notorious B.I.G.]], [[Junior M.A.F.I.A.]] and Puff Daddy (the founder of [[Bad Boy Records]]), whom he accused of setting him up to be robbed and shot at Quad Studios on November 30, 1994, as well as [[Mobb Deep]], [[Jay-Z]], [[A Tribe Called Quest]], [[De La Soul]], [[Jimmy Henchman]], [[the Fugees]] and [[Nas]]. [[Tha Dogg Pound]]'s debut album, ''Dogg Food'', continued the label's streak of commercial successes; its members – rappers [[Kurupt]] and [[Daz Dillinger]] – then joined Snoop in ridiculing New York rappers with their single "[[New York, New York (Tha Dogg Pound song)|New York, New York]]", featuring Snoop Dogg. The video, set in [[New York City]], New York, was also heightened when the set was fired upon in a drive-by. After the shooting, Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound filmed scenes kicking down a building in New York. The single provoked a response called '"[[L.A., L.A.]]" by East Coast rappers [[Capone-N-Noreaga]], [[Tragedy Khadafi]], and Mobb Deep.

Another report was that [[Sam Sneed]] was beaten in one of the label's meetings by a group of Death Row affiliates, led by Suge Knight and 2Pac. According to [[Daz Dillinger]], the reason this happened was that Sam Sneed had too many East Coast rappers in his "Lady Heroin" music video.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rapresearcharchive.blogspot.com/2011/01/daz-speaks-on-sam-sneed-beatdowntumor.html|title=Rap Research Archive|website=Rapresearcharchive.blogspot.com|date=January 3, 2011|access-date=September 22, 2018|archive-date=September 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921153155/http://rapresearcharchive.blogspot.com/2011/01/daz-speaks-on-sam-sneed-beatdowntumor.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Disillusioned with the direction of Death Row, artists [[RBX]] and the D.O.C. chose to leave, after which Suge Knight exercised tighter control over the rest of the roster.<ref name="imdb.com"/> ''Dogg Food'' was not produced by Dr. Dre but was mixed by Dr. Dre, a further testament to Dre's dwindling involvement with Death Row. Dr. Dre also grew tired of Knight's violence within the label, although he contributed toward two tracks on 2Pac's ''All Eyez on Me''. The rest of the tracks on the album, however, were mostly produced by Daz Dillinger and [[Johnny J]], despite Dr. Dre being nominally titled as Executive Producer. 2Pac's behavior reportedly became erratic as he continued his verbal wars with the Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy Records, Puff Daddy, Mobb Deep, and Prodigy, including many violent confrontations with many of those rappers at some points. On March 22, 1996, due to the infighting, Dr. Dre officially left Death Row Records to found [[Aftermath Entertainment|Aftermath]], which provoked 2Pac to turn against Dr. Dre.

Suge Knight's relationship with [[MC Hammer]] dates back to 1988. With the success of Hammer's 1994 album, ''[[The Funky Headhunter]]'', Hammer signed with Death Row in 1995, along with his close friend, Tupac.<ref name="daveyd1">{{cite web|url= http://www.daveyd.com/hammer.html|title= MC Hammer Interview - part 1|access-date= March 20, 2009|date= June 1997|publisher= daveyd.com|archive-date= November 15, 2008|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081115125402/http://www.daveyd.com/hammer.html|url-status= live}}</ref> The label did not release the album of M.C. Hammer's music (titled ''[[MC Hammer#Inside Out, Death Row Records and Too Tight (1995–1996)|Too Tight]]''), although he did release versions of some tracks on his next album.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429907/19990805/mc_hammer.jhtml|title = MC Hammer|publisher = MTV|access-date = August 25, 2012|archive-date = April 26, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100426060450/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429907/19990805/mc_hammer.jhtml|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429908/19990421/mc_hammer.jhtml|title = MC Hammer|publisher = MTV|access-date = August 25, 2012|archive-date = April 26, 2010|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100426060446/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429908/19990421/mc_hammer.jhtml|url-status = dead}}</ref> However, Hammer did record tracks with Shakur and others, most notably the song "[[MC Hammer discography#Singles|Too Late Playa]]" (along with [[Big Daddy Kane]] and [[Danny Boy (rapper)|Danny Boy]]).<ref>{{cite web |last=Burgess |first=Omar |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1320/title.death-row-records-the-pardon |title=Death Row Records: The Pardon &#124; Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop |publisher=HipHop DX |date=March 18, 2009 |access-date=May 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526170048/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1320/title.death-row-records-the-pardon |archive-date=May 26, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After the death of Tupac in 1996, MC Hammer left the label.<ref name="daveyd2">{{cite web|url= http://www.daveyd.com/hammerpt2.html|title= MC Hammer Interview - part 2|access-date= March 20, 2009|date= June 1997|publisher= daveyd.com|archive-date= June 14, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090614084339/http://www.daveyd.com/hammerpt2.html|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/03/what_had_happened_was_mc_hammer/ |title=What had happened was MC Hammer |website=Vibe.com |date=March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106032958/http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/03/what_had_happened_was_mc_hammer |archive-date=January 6, 2010  }}</ref>