1996-2015 THROWBACK: "SUGE KNIGHT'S LAST DAY'S OF FREEDOM"

In the 2000s, Marion "Suge" Knight's life and career were marked by legal troubles, financial struggles, and a decline in the influence of his once-dominant Death Row Records.:

Early 2000s: Legal Issues and Prison

Post-Prison Release (2001): Knight was released from prison in August 2001 after serving roughly four years of a nine-year sentence for violating probation related to a 1996 assault case. His time in prison stemmed from incidents tied to his aggressive management style and conflicts, including the 1996 Las Vegas brawl involving Tupac Shakur.

Death Row Records' Decline: By the early 2000s, Death Row Records, which Knight co-founded in 1991, was a shadow of its 1990s peak. Key artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac (who was killed in 1996) were gone, and the label struggled to produce new hits. Knight attempted to rebuild with artists like Crooked I and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, but the label faced financial woes and legal battles.

Mid-2000s: Bankruptcy and Legal Battles

Financial Troubles: By 2006, Death Row Records was drowning in debt. Knight filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2006, listing debts of over $100 million, including a $107 million judgment owed to Lydia Harris, a former partner who claimed she was cheated out of her share of the label. The bankruptcy filing revealed Knight’s personal and business assets were heavily entangled.

Label Auction: In 2008, Death Row’s assets, including its music catalog, were sold at auction for $18 million to Global Music Group after a court-ordered liquidation. Knight lost control of the label he had built into a hip-hop powerhouse.

Legal Skirmishes: Knight faced multiple arrests and lawsuits throughout the decade for charges like assault, drug possession, and domestic violence. For example, in 2005, he was arrested in Barstow, California, for marijuana possession and violating parole. These incidents kept him in constant legal jeopardy.

Late 2000s: Attempts at a Comeback

New Ventures: Knight tried to revive his career with a new label, Tha Row, and plans for reality TV shows and a clothing line, but these efforts gained little traction. He also made public appearances, such as on VH1’s Suge Knight’s Prison Party (a proposed show that never materialized), and attempted to sign new talent, but his reputation and legal issues hindered progress.

High-Profile Conflicts: Knight remained a controversial figure, often linked to feuds and violent incidents. In 2008, he was knocked out during a fight at a Hollywood nightclub, further tarnishing his image as a feared music mogul.

The 2000s saw Knight grappling with the fallout of his 1990s dominance, where he was a central figure in the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalry and the success of Death Row’s roster.

His aggressive tactics, alleged ties to gang activity, and the unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. continued to cast a shadow over his reputation. By the end of the decade, Knight was no longer a major player in the music industry, overshadowed by new labels and executives.

Marion "Suge" Knight's last days of freedom before his current 28-year prison sentence were in late January 2015, when he was involved in a fatal hit-and-run incident in Compton, California. On January 29, 2015, Knight was at the set of the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, where he got into a confrontation with Cle "Bone" Sloan, a consultant on the film, over Knight's portrayal in the movie.

After an argument, Knight drove to Tam's Burgers, where he encountered Sloan and Terry Carter, a local businessman and friend. Surveillance footage captured Knight’s Ford Raptor truck pulling into the parking lot, where Sloan approached and began a physical altercation through the driver’s side window.

Knight reversed his truck, knocking Sloan down, then accelerated forward, striking Sloan again and fatally running over Carter, who died from his injuries. Knight fled the scene and turnedme off his truck, seriously injuring Sloan and killing Carter. Knight turned himself in to authorities the following day, January 30, 2015, marking the end of his freedom.

He has been incarcerated since, initially facing murder and attempted murder charges, which were later reduced to voluntary manslaughter in a 2018 plea deal, resulting in his 28-year sentence at RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

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