Snoop Dogg's Death Row Records Catalogue Lives Exclusively On TikTok This Week

Snoop Dogg has partnered with TikTok in a new musical partnership. 

The rap superstar has brought the Death Row Records catalogue that he acquired in early 2022 - which includes a current roster of Snoop, Mount Westmore and Merkules, as well as former artists including 2Pac, Dr Dre, Nate Dogg, and more - exclusively to TikTok this week via the video sharing platform's independent music distribution program, SoundOn.

The collaboration "marks the label’s first official online release since its removal from streaming services in early 2022, and the first-ever catalog reissue to release exclusively through SoundOn," a representative for Death Row Records said, per Music Business Worldwide.

Snoop Dogg commented yesterday, "Since I took Death Row off streaming almost a year ago, not a day goes by without people asking me to put it back up. 

"As the Super Bowl rolled around, I knew fans would be looking for the music from our iconic performance in 2022, so I wanted to reintroduce the most historic catalog to the people. I reached out to the folks at TikTok to make more history…enjoy ya’ll."

And, to the relief of Spotify users, the "Death Row Records catalog will be back on streaming services real soon."

TikTok launched the Australian leg of SoundOn at Laneway Festival in Sydney last week. The launch happened a few days after Aussie artists, including Kota Banks, revealed that she is one of the artists experiencing limited access to music from major labels on TikTok. This includes even her own songs.  

A few weeks ago, Dr Dre's debut album, The Chronic, which features the hit singles Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang and Let Me Ride, returned to streaming services after a year away, just in time for its 30th anniversary.

In April 2020, the record was distributed to all streaming services after being an Apple Music exclusive since 2015. In March 2022, The Chronic - as well as other albums released on Death Row Records, of which Dr Dre was a co-founder before departing - was removed from streaming services. 

Speculation led to Snoop Dogg wanting to turn albums into NFTs. Last month, Universal Music Group and Shamrock Holdings confirmed a deal with Dr Dre to transfer the masters (from Death Row) to Dr Dre. Now, the album has returned to Dre and his original distributor, Interscope Records.

"I am thrilled to bring The Chronic home to its original distribution partner, Interscope Records," Dr Dre commented about the news (via The Line Of Best Fit). "Working alongside my long-time colleagues, Steve Berman and John Janick, to re-release the album and make it available to fans all over the world is a full circle moment for me."

Snoop Dogg returns to Australia later this month for the first time in nine years.

Kicking off in Perth at RAC Arena on 27 February, Snoop Dogg will then head to Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena for two huge shows before performing two shows at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, a massive show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre before wrapping up the tour with a brand new show in Adelaide on 8 March. Find more tour details here.