Following his epic performance at the 2022 Super Bowl alongside hip-hop greats Dr Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg has revealed his plans for his newest acquisition, Death Row Records.
In keeping with the way the world seems to be heading these days, Snoop said during a discussion on Clubhouse that the label that launched his career back in the 90s is set to become an NFT label.
“We will be putting out artists through the metaverse. Just like we broke the industry when we was (sic) the first independent [label] to be major, I want to be the first major [label] in the metaverse,” the rapper said.
He continued, “Blockchain tech has the power to change everything again and tip the table in favour of the artists and the fans.”
The direction Snoop intends to take Death Row in makes perfect sense, given the artist’s outspoken passion for cryptocurrencies and the idea of the metaverse. Plus, other major players in the industry are also moving toward these virtual spaces, suggesting a significant shift in how we consume music could be imminent.
Recently Warner Music Group decided to get into the metaverse game, partnering with The Sandbox to create a music-themed online world. The concept will be a hybrid musical theme park and concert venue where Warner can host concerts and musical experiences featuring the company’s biggest artists. Meanwhile, Sony Entertainment have also invested in NFT platforms while artists like Katy Perry and Eminem have backed blockchain-based music platforms.
Following the Super Bowl, Foo Fighters performed a 180-degree VR concert via Horizon Venues, a VR app available on the Meta Quest headsets which allows fans to create their avatars, customise their outfits, interact with other fans and play games in the virtual concert lobby.
When news first broke of Snoop’s new level of involvement in Death Row, he spoke of what it meant to him to take on the label created in 1992 by Dr Dre, Suge Knight, the D.O.C. and Dick Griffey, referring to its “untapped value”.
“I am thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to acquire the iconic and culturally significant Death Row Records brand, which has immense untapped future value,” the rapper said in a statement.
“It feels good to have ownership of the label I was part of at the beginning of my career and as one of the founding members. This is an extremely meaningful moment for me.”
Snoop is due to head to Australia later in 2022 for his ‘I WANNA THANK ME’ tour. The event is slated to kick off at Perth’s RAC Arena in Perth on 26 October 2022, before heading to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on 28 October 2022 and Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on 29 October before wrapping up at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on 1 November 2022.
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