Snoop Dogg Says Death Row Records “Broke His Spirit” Before Move To No Limit
Snoop Dogg says that his spirit was “broken” by the time he departed Death Row Records in 1997 to sign with Master P’s No Limit Records.
Appearing on the 85 South Show, the 51-year-old touched on the impact that the death and turmoil surrounding Death Row had on him, which led to him seeking refuge elsewhere.
More from VIBE.com
“See that’s what you gotta understand. Ni**as broke my spirit,” Tha Doggfather shared. “They broke me, man. They broke my spirit. Look, Doggystyle, workin’ on Doggfather, win my murder case, Dre leaves, Tupac get killed, Suge going to jail, Death Row want to kill me. That’s all in the same year.”
Snoop also gave insight into his tenure at No Limit and how it differed from his experience with Death Row. He credited Master P with exposing him to a side of the music industry that he’d never seen before, most notably having ownership over his possessions, which was never the case while working under Death Row CEO Suge Knight.
“This was the first time sh*t was in my name,” Snoop says after recalling an instance in which Master P accompanied him to purchase his own home and vehicle after inking his deal. “Everything was in Suge Knight’s name [before].”
He describes his first impression of the tank that P built and the manner in which they operated, from the studio to elsewhere. “They was soldiers, for real. Organized. Structured,” he explained. “Them ni**as didn’t play, and P was serious about his business.”
Snoop Dogg began his rap career on Death Row Records, famously debuting on Dr. Dre’s 1992 single “Deep Cover.” Later that year, he appeared on Dre’s solo debut The Chronic before releasing his own solo album Doggystyle in 1993. Following the release of his sophomore effort Tha Doggfather in 1996, Snoop jettisoned Death Row for No Limit, where he released three albums: Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, No Limit Top Dogg, and Tha Last Meal.
He acquired ownership of Death Row in February 2022 and released his last solo album BODR on the label.
He and Master P have remained business partners and collaborators for over two decades. Their latest venture is Broadus Foods, which recently rebranded their Snoop Loopz product as Snoop Cereal, which is set to hit shelves June 2023.