eOne purchased the rights to the Death Row Records catalogue

[donfathaimmortal]

During the year,
Entertainment One purchased the rights to the Death Row Records catalogue,
representing one of the most successful urban genre catalogues in the music industry.

The Group invested £175.0 million in content rights and television programmes in
the year (2012: £135.8 million) and £4.2 million (6 million $) to purchase the iconic music library
assets of Death Row Records.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Some Court files about Death Row situation over tha last months


NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Approval of the Sale Agreement 10. As previously described by the Monitor in prior reports to Court, and as will be set out in the Fifth Report, NSFC has been engaged in a process to sell its interest and/or the assets of Deathrow. The Sale Agreement is in the process of being finalized and is the result of such process and represents the highest and best offer received for NSFC’s interest in and/or the assets of Deathrow. 11. The Sale Transaction is structured as an asset sale from Deathrow, which is not subject to these proceedings and is a Delaware company. The proceeds of the Sale Transaction will be used to repay amounts owing to the DIP Lender in full with the remainder of the net proceeds used to repay amounts owing by Deathrow to NSFC in NSFC’s capacity as secured creditor of Deathrow

OCTOBER 1, 2012

WIDEAWAKE DEATHROW ENTERTAINMENT LLC - Secured loans 0f $31 million - As set out in the Second Report, Deathrow is a wholly owned subsidiary of NSFC and is inthe entertainment business. Deathrow’s primary asset is a hip hop and r&b music library located in Los Angeles, California. Notwithstanding there has been no meaningfulinvestment in Deathrow’s music catalogue and operations in recent years, Deathrow has a self-sustaining cash flow from licensing and publishing royalties and worldwide brand reco gnition. - As set out in the Third Report NSFC, through the CRO, with the approval of the Monitorand in consultation with Proforma and Argyle, corresponded with several parties thatpreviously expressed an interest in purchasing Deathrow and/or certain other assets of theNSFC Group with a View to obtaining LOls from them by August l0, 2012. NSFC extended the deadline for submission of LOIs to August 17, 2012. - Through discussions with the various interested parties, NSFC narrowed down prospectivepurchasers for Deathrow to a limited number of parties with the apparent resources andability to complete such a transaction. In addition, the Monitor and counsel have beenactively engaged with the CR0 and Companies’ counsel in the negotiation of the final terms and 00nditions associated with the LOi’s submitted for Deathrow (the “BER LOI’s”)

DECEMBER 3, 2012

"the Monitor’s recommendation with respect to the proposed sale of the business and substantially all of the assets of Wideawake-Deathrow Entertainment, LLC (“Deathrow”), which is NSFC’s most valuable asset"

MARCH 1, 2013

"Wideawake Entertainment Group Inc./Wideawake Deathrow LLC (a Delaware corporation) — Wideawake Deathrow LLC owns the Deathrow Records catalogue (which is currently being marketed for sale). Wideawake Entertainment Group Inc. owns a music recording studio located in Liberty Village, Toronto"(...) The purpose of this report (the “Eighth Report”) is limited to provide the Court with (...) information regarding the sale process for and assignment in bankruptcy of Wideawake Entertainment Group Inc. (“WEG”); and the Monitor’s recommendation with respect to NSFC’s proposed sale of the assets of WEG"

MAY 7, 2013

"due to a $174,000 payment to Kaufman Entertainment Law Group for outstanding legal fees related to the sale of the assets of Wideawake-Deathrow Entertainment LLC"

[Jimmy H.]

I'd imagine it will just result in a re-distribution of catalog titles.

[Fonky Fresh]

loosers aha it's worth 30 mil at best

[KURUPTION-81]

I'd imagine it will just result in a re-distribution of catalog titles.

[EFFeX]

It's good news to know that they will continue to make the catalog available for the future.

[Okka]

Didn't WideAwake have the rights to release one album of unreleased Pac songs? I wonder if these dudes will be doin' that now.

[DeeezNuuuts83]

Didn't WideAwake have the rights to release one album of unreleased Pac songs? I wonder if these dudes will be doin' that now.

Hypothetically yes, but I thought I remembered reading something about the deal for a Pac album not being valid forever, so those rights may no longer be valid.  I posted about it on some other forum -- it's kind of like the deal that Fox had with the Fantastic Four franchise, if I'm not mistaken.  They were required to release a new movie by a certain point, otherwise they give up the rights to making movies of that franchise, so they're pushing forward with a reboot.  But in this case, WIDEawake didn't do shit except release albums that didn't have much hype to begin with while not promoting them properly or even releasing them on a wide scale.  Personally, I don't buy albums on iTunes, unless it has exclusive content that I just won't get from the physical CD.

[donfathaimmortal]

I'd imagine it will just result in a re-distribution of catalog titles.

Didn't WideAwake have the rights to release one album of unreleased Pac songs? I wonder if these dudes will be doin' that now.

For sure, they have the (already released music library) catalgoue from Death Row classics to Ron Winter compilations, WA albums.
But, it's true that (today) Wideawake still own the Death Row trademark. We don't have more information.

[Mietek23]

Let's see what they do with it, but I don't have any high hopes regarding Death Row material... they should do better than Wide Awake tho.

[123imagee]

So Is It The New Company Who Bought Death Row?
Hope They Do It Right And Release Some (Underground) DR Stuff, I Dont Give A Fuck Dre-Snoop-DPG (If There Are Some Dope Features Then YES)

[Mietek23]

So Is It The New Company Who Bought Death Row?
Hope They Do It Right And Release Some (Underground) DR Stuff, I Dont Give A Fuck Dre-Snoop-DPG (If There Are Some Dope Features Then YES)

Well, it's E1 aka Koch, so I assume they will release something

[Will_B]

So Is It The New Company Who Bought Death Row?
Hope They Do It Right And Release Some (Underground) DR Stuff, I Dont Give A Fuck Dre-Snoop-DPG (If There Are Some Dope Features Then YES)

Well, it's E1 aka Koch, so I assume they will release something

Didn't E1 distribute for Wideawake anyway?

[donfathaimmortal]

So Is It The New Company Who Bought Death Row?
Hope They Do It Right And Release Some (Underground) DR Stuff, I Dont Give A Fuck Dre-Snoop-DPG (If There Are Some Dope Features Then YES)

Well, it's E1 aka Koch, so I assume they will release something

Didn't E1 distribute for Wideawake anyway?

Yes, there was a distribution venture with eOne / Wideawake Death Row

[3rd Coast]

Didn't WideAwake have the rights to release one album of unreleased Pac songs? I wonder if these dudes will be doin' that now.

Hypothetically yes, but I thought I remembered reading something about the deal for a Pac album not being valid forever, so those rights may no longer be valid.  I posted about it on some other forum -- it's kind of like the deal that Fox had with the Fantastic Four franchise, if I'm not mistaken.  They were required to release a new movie by a certain point, otherwise they give up the rights to making movies of that franchise, so they're pushing forward with a reboot.  But in this case, WIDEawake didn't do shit except release albums that didn't have much hype to begin with while not promoting them properly or even releasing them on a wide scale.  Personally, I don't buy albums on iTunes, unless it has exclusive content that I just won't get from the physical CD.

its not really like the fox vs marvel situation...wideawake n eone acquired the bullshit death row had durin the bankruptcy

wideawake didnt do shit because they didnt have shit...eone dont have shit either..

they will make the claim to get fans who still holdin on to that era hope...when its all said n done...same ol shit n bankrupt...

if it was anything left in the vault...why let ya self go bankrupt..if u got it make deals with his moms...take a small percentage...n keep itmovin...

 fox and all the other companies vs marvel is way different..marvel aint holdin to one character...they let a bunch of characters go to other studios because they had not developed their lane yet...

slowly but surely since they with disney now...they comin for whats theirs...they already got thor...iron man n hulk back...

pac last release was 06..

everything else was remixes n compilations...suge well is dry....thats how u know he aint got shit...if hedid death row wouldstill be his

[Mick a/k/a Mickaveli_#1]

Not true. Death Row have a lot of material. What is shown on the records isn't even the full amount. Some masters weren't labelled. This was to prevent theft, deliberately tarnishing work and so on - Not from artists, but from some producers and other staff on the label, so only those who done the work knew of the work.

Remember that urban myth about someone getting beat down for rewinding a tape too far? That was really for recording over a track out of spite. 

[3rd Coast]

if they had it why did interscope wash their hands with the label...n let it go from the top sellin label ..to irrelevant...


once interscope got amaru...they didnt have to deal with death row bullshit...


wasnt anybody tryin 2 listen to the shit wideawake put out...

all these ol niggas can sell stories...but aint shit out there...u can remodel a rim...but u cant reinvent...


u see what puffy does with biggie...n he jus stopped...kuz it aint nomore to bedone...thats what hhappen to pac

[dubsmith_nz]

So they got it for 4 million? Id say they're just gonna recoup off reissues and tv/movie rights for the songs. Cats need to give up on this Death Row pipe dream, there's so much.good music out there why wait for some half assed bullshit that likely wasn't good enough to be released in the first place.

Wideawake tried, but the fans didn't support, ain't no.company gonna waste resources on that again.

[Jimmy H.]

Wideawake tried, but the fans didn't support, ain't no.company gonna waste resources on that again.

I wouldn't say they tried.  There were quality control issues that were noticeable from that first Snoop Dogg release.  I don't think they could have gotten by, just on unreleased music alone anyway and it seemed silly to try when they own the rights to a very profitable catalog of already-established music.

[dubsmith_nz]

Wideawake tried, but the fans didn't support, ain't no.company gonna waste resources on that again.

I wouldn't say they tried.  There were quality control issues that were noticeable from that first Snoop Dogg release.  I don't think they could have gotten by, just on unreleased music alone anyway and it seemed silly to try when they own the rights to a very profitable catalog of already-established music.

How did they not try? Released a lot of unreleased material including albums from Crooked, Danny Boy, OFTB, Jewell, Sam Sneed. Unreleased songs from Snoop and Tha Dogg Pound, reissued Chronic with a bonus DVD and disc. Quality aside (we don't know what they were working with or how much capital they had to invest) the demand simply wasn't their.

Apart from releasing bullshit compilations of previously released material (which Suge had already done multiple times) there is really nothing they could have done. The damand was never higher enough to make their investment profitable, and using web forums as a barometer for demand is never going to work.

[Will_B]

E1 make a shit load of cash from merch. I can see them doing it with the DR brand

[GangstaBoogy]

I'd imagine it will just result in a re-distribution of catalog titles.

Exactly what I'm thinking. Another retelease of The Chronic or a Death Row's greatest hits.

[Jimmy H.]

How did they not try? Released a lot of unreleased material including albums from Crooked, Danny Boy, OFTB, Jewell, Sam Sneed. Unreleased songs from Snoop and Tha Dogg Pound, reissued Chronic with a bonus DVD and disc. Quality aside (we don't know what they were working with or how much capital they had to invest) the demand simply wasn't their.

Apart from releasing bullshit compilations of previously released material (which Suge had already done multiple times) there is really nothing they could have done. The damand was never higher enough to make their investment profitable, and using web forums as a barometer for demand is never going to work.

They didn't put the proper attention into making the product they were putting out reach the expectations of the market place. The music on Lost Sessions, LBC Crew, and a number of unreleased tracks on their boxed sets did not sound good. There was a backlash from the people who bought the albums and they made no effort to deal with it.

I would agree that the demand for unreleased music would not have generated the profit to keep that company going but plenty of labels survive on re-issuing old catalog. The initial "Chronic Re-Lit" was probably a step in the right direction but I think every release following just did them in with the fans.

[donfathaimmortal]

I'd imagine it will just result in a re-distribution of catalog titles.

Exactly what I'm thinking. Another retelease of The Chronic or a Death Row's greatest hits.

[V2DHeart]

Had they reissued the existing catalogue in chronological order - 1 release every month or 2, then they'd have had enough time (up to 2 years) in order to generate steady money and to have time to establish a proper plan.

I thought this direction they were going to take when Chronic Re-lit was announced. Same release = steady revenue + new bonus songs = pleasing existing fanbase. All my old DR catalog is scratched and done. Adding bonus songs would have been the excuse for me to re-purchase.

But even Chronic re-lit had it's issue... You could only play the bonus songs on a PC? WTF. is this 1995? They messed up, then continued to mess up. Releasing terrible sound quality releases. Releasing a version of Doggy Style that is worst than the bootleg version I had previously    They even had incomplete credits, and produced by "unknowns" The entire lot was a joke. They released far too many and solidified their position as a professional bootlegging company rather than the holders of a valuable catalog

[donfathaimmortal]

Death Row Records - e1 - Koch RecoRDs 2013 catalog contains all the Death Row releases by Death Row, Ron Winter & Wideawake minus some RWP compilations like "Death Row Dayz" and The Chronic Re-Lit.