From its first release in 1992, Death Row Records built its reputation on reflecting the streets. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, Tupac, and others maintained that rep through making Rap music without compromise over the next five years. Founded by two Compton, California natives, Dre and Suge Knight, the Black-owned label defied the old guard system for better and worse. However, over the last decade-plus, the Death Row brand had struggled under a series of new owners. Earlier this month, Snoop Dogg announced that he is the latest possessor of a company that once generated hundreds of million dollars through music, touring, films, and merchandise.

Under Snoop’s regime, Death Row may be moving from the streets to the metaverse. Snoop announced plans to run Death Row in a revolutionary way on Clubhouse this week. “Death Row will be an NFT label. We will be putting our artists through the metaverse and through a whole other chain of music,” the 50-year-old mogul said. “Just like how we broke the industry when we were the first independent to be major,” he continued. “I want to be the first major in the metaverse, so Death Row will be an NFT.” During the 1990s, Death Row established distribution deals with Interscope and Priority Records that allowed the label to compete with the well-established majors.

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Snoop has already released three bonus songs from this month’s BODR (Bacc On Death Row) through blockchain gaming platform Gala Games. “If anything is constant, it’s that the music industry will always be changing,” Snoop said in a press release. “Blockchain tech has the power to change everything again and tip the table in favor of the artists and the fans, and we’re going to be right at the front of the pack.”

While available in traditional formats, Snoop also made B.O.D.R. available as 25,000 NFL “stashboxes.” Each one contained a song for the price of $5,000. Trapital‘s Dan Runcie has reported that 9,000 boxes had sold less than 24 hours after Snoop Dogg’s Super Bowl halftime show alongside Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Anderson .Paak. By estimates, that has generated Death Row over $40 million in revenue.

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As Ambrosia For Heads‘ What’s The Headline podcast reported, there were multiple allusions to Death Row and its music in the performance.

Fortune reports that Snoop has been playing in the NFT space for more than a year, “collecting the digital tokens under the alias “Cozomo de’ Medici” and amassing a reported $17 million in NFT holdings.” Snoop has previously unveiled an NFT and released multiple original songs addressing the metaverse. According to The Fader, one of Snoop’s NFTs sold for the equivalent of $750,000 in Etherium coin.

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Daz Dillinger has begun promotion a Death Row reunion tour in support of BODR that involves Snoop, Tha Dogg Pound, Warren G, The Lady Of Rage, RBX, and Tha Eastsidaz. At least one event has been confirmed in Bakersfield, California.

#BonusBeat: Some new music from Death Row Records courtesy of Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg is on the official Ambrosia For Heads playlist, along with tracks featuring Dr. Dre, The D.O.C., and Kxng Crooked: