Death Row's Chief Engineer Talk About: Suge Knight, Dre Leaving Death Row & More

[LarsVerb]

This interview is with the Chief Engineer from Death Row, Rick Clifford. He worked with artists like Michael Jackson, 2Pac, Daft Punk and many more.
 
In part 1 of the interview we talk about:
-Suge Knight
-Dre Leaving Death Row
-The Makaveli Album
-And Much More

Link:

[TraceOneInfinite]

Holy shit.. after all these years, big time story is released about why Dre left, very interesting.  Dammit, I love Suge, but if he could of just let Dre keep creative control of who was signing to the label.  I've heard Dre mention it before about guys signing to the label and he's like "who are you"... but they've never said who the group actually was.  My guess is that it was Operation From The Bottom.  But no telling who it was.

[DeeezNuuuts83]

That particular story isn't all that new and was mentioned briefly in the book Have Gun Will Travel. I don't think the group was OFTB, since they were already around Death Row well before that time. Plus I have a hard time seeing OFTB on some groupie shit with Dre.

[adi760]

Lol quality of this is terrible. Do this interview via Skype next time.

[TraceOneInfinite]

That particular story isn't all that new and was mentioned briefly in the book Have Gun Will Travel. I don't think the group was OFTB, since they were already around Death Row well before that time. Plus I have a hard time seeing OFTB on some groupie shit with Dre.

Certainly the story of rappers signing to the label and greetin Dre and Dre's like "who the fuck are you", those stories have been around since 96.   But the part that was a little new for me was Dre actually explaining that the agreement was he was supposed to have full creative control over who signed to the label, and how he wanted to uphold a standard of quality and so on...

Certainly these things have been hinted at in previous interviews but I never heard the story detailed as clearly as it was now with the anecdote from the night it actually happened.  Now I'm just curious who the group was and I still think it was OFTB until I hear otherwise...

Also that was a dope story about Dre bringing by the reels for 2pac for "California Love".  It was a generous move by Dre and something Pac should've given him more credit for.  Although "Dear Mama" will be Pac's magnum Opus, the impact the "California Love" video had at the time of it's release was larger than life and really catapulted Pac to the top of the rap game.  Easily his second biggest hit after "Dear Mama" and really at the time of it's release it was more popular than "Dear Mama" when that song was released.

[Jimmy H.]

Although "Dear Mama" will be Pac's magnum Opus, the impact the "California Love" video had at the time of it's release was larger than life and really catapulted Pac to the top of the rap game.  Easily his second biggest hit after "Dear Mama" and really at the time of it's release it was more popular than "Dear Mama" when that song was released.

I believe California Love is actually the bigger hit.

[123imagee]

Dre Wanted To Sign Freestyle Followship To Death Row

[LarsVerb]

That particular story isn't all that new and was mentioned briefly in the book Have Gun Will Travel. I don't think the group was OFTB, since they were already around Death Row well before that time. Plus I have a hard time seeing OFTB on some groupie shit with Dre.

Ofcourse it is a rumour since 1996 that dre left because of creative control. But its about the new details Rick Clifford gives about Dre leaving, the 2pac situation etc. A big rumour is that dre was forced to give California Love to 2pac, but its nice to hear another story now.

[⠀]

Dre was unhappy about Hammer being signed.

[JeremyM]

Dre was unhappy about Hammer being signed.

Was just going to say that. And not only that, but Suge wanted Dre to produce a full Hammer album.

[adi760]

Seriously? Dre didn't like hammer? Or he just didn't like fact that Hammer is signed with no permission from him?

[sms130]

The claims of Dre leaving Death Row due to him feeling that he was losing creative control is nothing new. He mentioned this back in 1996. Dre also claimed that him and Suge had discussed him working with 2Pac and it was Dre, who decided to give 2Pac "California Love". It was gonna be on The Chronic II, that Dre was working on that project (off/on). Jewell even said the same as part of the reason behind Dre leaving, on the Welcome to Death Row documentary. No, the group wasn't OFTB. Flipside (from OFTB, Rest In Peace) pretty much address that in an interview prior to his death. Dre liked OFTB, according to Flipside (RIP).

[Jimmy H.]

Ronin Ro's book mentions Hammer as being one of the artists that Dre was upset about Suge signing but I take a lot of what is written in that book with a grain of salt.  Though it has been mentioned in several stories and Dre has even publicly mentioned that Suge's signing of new artists was one of the things that bothered him.  With the timeline, it is pretty clear that around 1994-95 was where things were starting to change.  The two soundtracks, Murder Was The Case and Above The Rim, showcased a much bigger Suge influence and the departures of DOC and RBX happened around that time. Dre was reportedly beginning to stop working at Can-Am as much and begun using his home studio as his base of operations because many artists claimed he didn't enjoy the environment at the Death Row studios. In 1995, he had no credited songs on "Dogg Food" and his biggest hit he produced before Pac came home and recorded "California Love" at the tail end of the year was done for Priority Records for their Friday soundtrack with "Keep Their Heads Ringin".

[sms130]

Ronin Ro's book mentions Hammer as being one of the artists that Dre was upset about Suge signing but I take a lot of what is written in that book with a grain of salt.  Though it has been mentioned in several stories and Dre has even publicly mentioned that Suge's signing of new artists was one of the things that bothered him.  With the timeline, it is pretty clear that around 1994-95 was where things were starting to change.  The two soundtracks, Murder Was The Case and Above The Rim, showcased a much bigger Suge influence and the departures of DOC and RBX happened around that time. Dre was reportedly beginning to stop working at Can-Am as much and begun using his home studio as his base of operations because many artists claimed he didn't enjoy the environment at the Death Row studios. In 1995, he had no credited songs on "Dogg Food" and his biggest hit he produced before Pac came home and recorded "California Love" at the tail end of the year was done for Priority Records for their Friday soundtrack with "Keep Their Heads Ringin".

Yeah, Dre and Suge didn't see eye to eye on several things in regards to the business side. Dre still was working back in 1994 and 1995. Yeah, 1994 was the start of the change at Death Row Records. As far as Ronin Ro's book, I wouldn't dis-credit the book just yet. The DOC pretty much said that on Dubcnn, years ago. LOL!

[Jimmy H.]

I'm not saying everything in the book is a lie but there are a number of things that have been proven to be incorrect.  As an author, Ro takes certain liberties with artists that he likes and paints kind of one-sided views of those he doesn't.  It's an entertaining book to read but unless the stories in it are validated by eyewitnesses or have been confirmed in other interviews, I tend to remain skeptical on some of them.