Music icon Snoop Dogg is seeking to have a $100 million lawsuit against him and Death Row Records dismissed, amid allegations of unpaid royalties and conspiracy tied to the storied label’s ownership.
The lawsuit was filed by Lydia Harris, the ex-wife of Death Row co-founder Michael “Harry-O” Harris, who claims she was cheated out of a $107 million judgment awarded in 2005. Harris originally sued Death Row Records and Suge Knight in 2002, asserting that she had invested $1.5 million to launch the label in 1989 but never received her fair share of the profits.
Now, she’s accusing Snoop Dogg—who acquired Death Row Records in 2022—along with Knight, Interscope Records, Time Warner, and Universal Music Group, of conspiring to prevent her from collecting her court-ordered payout.
In a legal filing, Snoop and his attorneys argue that Harris’ claims exceed the statute of limitations and accuse her of being a “bad faith litigant” with a history of legal harassment. They claim she has repeatedly filed lawsuits in California and has now moved her litigation efforts to Texas, where the current suit is filed.
The court has not yet ruled on Snoop’s motion to dismiss, and the other defendants have not publicly commented on the case.
Harris is demanding punitive damages, the recovery of assets she says are rightfully hers, and a full audit of Death Row’s finances. Despite her 2005 court victory, the label’s shifting ownership over the years has complicated her efforts to collect.
Meanwhile, Suge Knight, who is currently incarcerated, has publicly criticized Snoop Dogg’s management of the label. In a recent interview, Knight challenged Snoop’s claims of ownership, saying, “Show me the paperwork. Show me what you own.” He accused Snoop of failing to make an impact during his time at Def Jam and called the revival of Death Row under Snoop’s leadership a disappointment.
Knight also alleged that Snoop is attempting to recreate a legacy he did not build, stating, “You trying to create something that Suge Knight created. But instead of going big, you disappointing the world by making everything flops.”
As legal tensions rise and public disputes unfold, the future of Death Row Records—and Harris’ pursuit of compensation—remains uncertain.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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