Welcome to Death Row (2001) (V)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Directors:

S. Leigh Savidge
Jeff Scheftel

Writer:

Jeff Scheftel (writer)

Release Date:

25 September 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

It Started in Compton. It Ended in Infamy.

Plot Keywords:

Music Industry

Cast

Frank Alexander	...	Himself (Tupac Shakur's bodyguard)
Sam Gideon Anson	...	Himself (Investigative reporter, L.A. Weekly)
William J. Bennett	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lamont Blumfield	...	Himself (artist manager, Kurupt)
John 'B.J.' Bryant	...	Himself (former security officer, Death Row Records) (as BJ)
Hank Caldwell	...	Himself (former president, Death Row Records)
Jonathan Clark	...	Himself (former executive, Motown Records)
Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs	...	Himself (CEO, Bad Boy Records) (archive footage)
Ton Def	...	Himself (rap artist)
The D.O.C.	...	Himself, The D.O.C.
Nate Dogg	...	Himself (rap artist)
Snoop Dogg	...	Himself (rap artist)
Bob Dole	...	Himself (U.S, Senator) (archive footage)
Dr. Dre	...	Himself (rap artist / producer)
Eazy-E	...	Himself (rap artist, member of NWA) (archive footage) (as Eazy E)
Flipside	...	Himself (rap artist)
Michael Fuchs	...	Himself (former chairman, Warner Music Group) (archive footage)
Allen Gordon	...	Himself (former editor, Rap Pages magazine)
Simone Green	...	Herself (former staff photographer, Death Row Records)
Greedy Greg	...	Himself (rap artist)
Atron Gregory	...	Himself (former manager, Tupac Shakur)
Dick Griffey	...	Himself (CEO, Solar Records)
Lydia Harris	...	Herself (wife, Michael Harris)
Michael Harris	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jerry Heller	...	Himself (former president, Ruthless Records) (archive footage)
Heroin	...	Himself (former employee, Death Row Records)
Vanilla Ice	...	Himself (rap artist)
Joseph Isgro	...	Himself (CEO, Private Eye Records)
Gary Jackson	...	Himself (music journalist)
Rick 'Pretty Ricky' James	...	Himself (rap artist)
Jewell	...	Herself (rap artist)
Mario 'Chocolate' Johnson	...	Himself (songwriter)
Jeffrey Jolson-Colburn	...	Himself (former music editor, Hollywood Reporter)
David Kenner	...	Himself (attorney) (archive footage)
Sardar Khan	...	Rapper - Candyman 187
Jay King	...	Himself (record producer)
Marion 'Suge' Knight	...	Himself (CEO, Death Row Records)
Komacauzy	...	Himself (rap artist)
Karen Lee	...	Herself (publicist, Tupac Shakur) (archive footage)
Joseph Lieberman	...	Himself (U.S. Senator) (archive footage)
Kurt Loder	...	Himself (music journalist, MTV) (archive footage)
Miller London	...	Himself (former executive, Motown Records)
Matt McDaniel	...	Himself (videographer)
Billy Moss	...	Himself (record producer)
Dan O'Dowd	...	Himself
Dan O'Down	...	Himself (video director)
Paul Palladino	...	Himself (private investigator)
Rudy Pardee	...	Himself (artist manager)
John Payne	...	Himself (former studio engijneer, Death Row Records)
Master P	...	Himself (CEO, No Limit Records)
Kevin Powell	...	Himself (hip-hop journalist)
George Pryce	...	Himself (former Director of Communications, Death Row Records)
Dan Quayle	...	Himself (archive footage)
Gobi M. Rahimi	...	Himself (as Gobi)
Lionel Randolph	...	Himself (record producer)
The Rated R	...	Himself (hip hop artist) (as Rated R)
RBX	...	Himself (rap artist)
M.C. Ren	...	Himself (rap artist, founding member NWA)
Virgil Roberts	...	Himself (attorney / former president, SOLAR Records)
Tupac Shakur	...	Himself (archive footage)
Studio Tone	...	Himself (record producer)
C. Delores Tucker	...	Herself (head, National Political Congress of Black Women) (archive footage)
Angela Wallace	...	Herself (attorney)
Michael Warren	...	Himself (defense attorney, Tupac Shakur) (archive footage)
Alonzo Williams	...	Himself (record producer)
Norman Winter	...	HImself (former publicist, Death Row Records)
Doug Young	...	Himself (record promoter)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:M

Company:

KDA Productions

Movie Connections:

References Murder Was the Case: The Movie (1995) (V)

Soundtrack:

Vesti La Giubbia

They don't mince words or hide the truth in this one

This is a true documentary (no frills, no filler) depicting the reasons behind the rise and fall of one of the most influential record labels in music history. Death Row Records started out as the brainchild of a few players in the local LA Rap Scene, and at its peak, it was a legitimate force in business, politics, media and entertainment on a national scale. The documentary is captivating because it only focuses on the footage, accounts, memories and thoughts of those who were central figures in the company and industry at the time. In the early and mid-90's, gangsta rap, east coast/west coast feuds, Biggie and 2Pac, drugs, rap music videos, and multi-platinum hip-hop records became extremely profitable and recognizable byproducts of pop culture -- and Death Row Records was at the center of it all. Kudos to the director and producers for never getting sidetracked as they allow those who were involved (from Dre to Snoop to 2Pac to Suge to writers to security guards) to tell it like it was.