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Death Row Records, New Delaware Litigation Exposes Self Dealing

Wilmington, Delaware USA, September 7, 2010 – There has been a surprising change in the weather in the ongoing Death Row Records owner dispute between the company's former CEO/President Lara Lavi (note corrected spelling is Laura Lavi) and Canadian banker, Ron Ovenden who is also the Chairman of New Solutions Capital, the private lending company that loaned part of the money to purchase the Death Row Records and Suge Knight Publishing Assets in a California Bankruptcy Proceeding in January 2009. On August 31, 2010 by electronic filing Laura Lavi filed a lawsuit against Wideawake Deathrow Entertainment LLC ("Deathrow") to "compel inspection of books and records to investigate potential self-dealing and breaches of fiduciary duty by Ronald Ovenden (http://www.newsolcapital.com/), a member and manager of the Death Row LLC." Today, the registered agent for Deathrow was served with the complaint.

This new lawsuit comes after a succession of favorable court results for Ms. Lavi starting with the Canadian Court's ruling on February 17, 2010 where Mr. Ovenden did not win confirmation that he has control of the Delaware LLC and instead Justice Campbell has sent the case to trial at the end of this year to determine if Mr. Ovenden rightfully removed Ms. Lavi. Then in June 2010, Mr. Ovenden lost his onerous sanctions motion against Ms. Lavi when Judge Barbara Kapnick ruled that Ms. Lavi did not lie to the New York court.

What is at stake here is control of one of the worlds greatest urban music catalogs. Death Row Records and Suge Knight Publishing which includes the music of multi platinum artists Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tupac Shakur. Despite being the "David" to Ron Ovenden/New Solutions Capital's "Goliath", Ms. Lavi appears to be tenaciously holding on to what seems to still be her desire to keep her promise to all the former Death Row artists when she publically stated last January 2009 that acquiring the Death Row Assets from bankruptcy would bring a "new day" for the artists and producers that made Death Row great. These artists are all still waiting for that "new day."

Death Row is distributed by E-1 Entertainment in North America and the lawsuit references E-1 as another possible source of the company's books and records.

Explains Ms. Lavi's Delaware Counsel David L. Finger of Finger & Slanina, "The Delaware lawsuit is the first step towards getting to the truth about what Mr. Ovenden and his company New Solutions Capital did with the $5million in advances Ms. Lavi raised to capitalize the Death Row LLC. Only the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware has jurisdiction over a complaint to compel inspection of a Delaware LLC's books and records. Ms. Lavi has every right to these documents as she is an owner and a managing member."

Death Row's President John Payne and New Solutions' Managing Director, Robert Thompson-So continue to run the day to day operations for Death Row but neither could be reached for this story. Ms. Lavi was not available for comment either.

Finally WA will release Sam sneed album
An unsung hero of the Death Row mid-'90s sound, and a Pittsburgh Rap pioneer will see his album released 14 years later.

One of the more anticipated albums of the 1990s was Street Scholars by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania producer/emcee Sam Sneed. As a Death Row Records artist, Sneed released 1994 hit single "U Betta Recognize" featuring Dr. Dre from the Murder Was The Case soundtrack. However, after co-production and writing credits on label hits between 1994 and 1996, Sneed's album has remained shelved.

Death Row Records, now owned by Toronto, Canada's WIDE Awake Entertainment, announced that is going to change. In the last two years, the new regime at the label founded by Dr. Dre, Marion "Suge" Knight and attorney David Kenner in 1991 has released shelved material from Snoop Dogg, Danny Boy and Kurupt. Sneed's Street Scholars, according to E1 Enterainment, Death Row's present distributor, will be released on January 25, 2011.

Prior to working with Dr. Dre in 1994, Sneed was known as a member of PMD's Hit Squad, producing for Long Island, New York emcee K-Solo (who would also later sign with Death Row). In addition to "U Better Recognize," Sneed worked alongside Dr. Dre on hits such as "Natural Born Killaz" and "California Love." After Dr. Dre left the label he co-founded in 1996, Sneed soon followed after a fight with Suge Knight and Tupac Shakur that has been profiled in several books, most notably Ronin Ro's Have Gun Will Travel.

In the years since Death Row, after surviving a reported brain tumor, Sam Sneed has produced for Busta Rhymes, Capone-N-Noreaga, Beanie Sigel and former Posion Clan emcee JT Money.

Street Scholars is believed to feature Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Dayton, Ohio emcee J-Flexx.

ja das ist aber sams schuld er will es unbedingt in die hand nehmen das release und neuen scheiß reinmachen lol

ach scheiss doch drauf 90% von dem alten zeug das bisher ans tageslicht kam war doch eh kacke und würd keinen interessieren wenns ned death row wär.

Death Row is bringing the Doggystyle Records original 1996 group's album to the masses in early 2011.

At the height of Death Row Records' success, Snoop Dogg was given his Doggystyle Records imprint. On his 1996 hit, "Snoop's Upside Ya Head," the Long Beach rapper confirmed this with "Doggystyle Records is now official." Although he would revive the imprint several years later, the rapper had initially signed an impressive would-be roster of Tray Deee, Soopafly and The LBC Crew. The last outfit, consisting of Bad Azz, Techniec and Lil C-Style would release an album that would never be released, as Snoop Dogg departed the imprint in 1997.

Bad Azz would go on to find a successful solo career with 19th Street and subsequently Priority Records. Techniec later signed with Mack 10's Hoo Bangin' Records, also a Priority affiliate. Lil C-Style, younger brother of 19th Street Records founder Big C Style, would later release material through Daz Dillinger's DPG Records.

Fifteen years after its recording, Death Row Records is releasing The LBC Crew's Haven't You Heard? (We Givin' Somethin' Bacc To The Street) on February 8, 2011 - this, according to E1 Entertainment, the label's latest distributor.

13. Blueberry
(Tha Dogg Pound, Bad Azz, Prince Ital Joe)
(produced by : Sam Sneed)