It’s official. Hasbro is now the owner of Death Row Records.
On Monday (Dec. 30), Brian Goldner, Hasbro chairman and chief executive officer, announced the purchase of Entertainment One (eOne), which owns Death Row Records. The deal was made over the summer, but now it’s officially done. The transaction is valued at approximately $3.8 billion.
In a press statement, Goldner said, “We are excited about what we can do together and see tremendous opportunity for shareholder value creation through this acquisition. Our businesses are highly complementary with substantial synergies and a great cultural fit. The addition of eOne accelerates our blueprint strategy by expanding our brand portfolio with eOne’s beloved global preschool brands, adding proven TV and film expertise, and creating additional opportunities for long-term profitable growth. We are pleased to welcome the incredibly talented eOne team to our Company.”
eOne is one of the largest independent labels in the music industry. Rolling Stone reports that the label earned more than $30 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2019.
In the 1990s Death Row was founded by Knight and Dr. Dre. The label helped launch the careers of Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg and The Dogg Pound. Tupac Shakur was also a member of the label before he was tragically killed.
Knight has entrusted Nick Cannon to write a biographical book about his life. Cannon will be responsible for writing and publishing the book. He called Cannon “one of the most credible and most realest guys in this business. I know he has all the potential to be a great writer. He is a great writer,” Knight said.
Knight cleared up some details over the previously reported news of signing over his life rights to Ray J. The former mogul is looking to create income while he’s in prison, but Ray J isn’t solely in charge. Knight clarified that Ray will be handling the music side of things, including the revival of Death Row Records and a forthcoming album.
There’s no word on whether or not the new deal with Hasbro will affect the upcoming Death Row album.