Where Is Suge Knight Now?
In the ’90s, Death Row Records was a huge deal and the epitome of Black entrepreneurship. Almost every rapper wanted to work with the label after it had essentially packaged the likes of Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre into superstars. At the helm of the highly profitable company was Suge Knight, who was almost like the godfather of rap. However, Knight was no stranger to celebrity scandals, and the music executive fell from grace in the early 2000s. So where is Suge Knight now?
Inside Suge Knight’s career and controversial relationship with Tupac Shakur
Marion Hugh “Suge” Knight Jr. had a brief football career after playing for El Camino College from 1983 to 1985. Following his short stint as an undrafted player in the NFL, he began working as a concert promoter and bodyguard for celebrities such as Bobby Brown.
In 1989, Knight started his own music publishing company, turning his first big profit when Vanilla Ice agreed to sign over his royalties from “Ice Ice Baby.” The agreement also came because it was alleged that one of Knight’s clients, Mario Johnson, had written the song. Knight went on to form a management company, signing artists such as the D.O.C. and DJ Quik.
Through the two, Knight met Dr. Dre, who partnered with him and the D.O.C. in forming Death Row Records. The label became successful after Dre’s solo album The Chronic went triple platinum.
Knight began feuding with Sean “Diddy” Combs in 1995 and openly criticized the fellow entrepreneur’s methods of appearing in his artists’ music videos. That same year, Knight bailed Tupac Shakur out of jail for a whopping $1.4 million on the condition that Shakur sign with Death Row.
Upon his release, Shakur went to the studio and began working on All Eyez on Me. The rapper achieved stardom while at Death Row, releasing hit albums such as The Don and Killuminati: The 7-Day Theory. However, a year after signing to the label, Shakur was shot dead in his car, which Knight was driving. Some of Shakur’s friends view the exec as the rapper’s downfall.
Where is Suge Knight now?
Though Suge Knight had a knack for recognizing talent, he was ruthless in his approach. Knight was imprisoned in the late ’90s for assault, parole, and probation violations. But the music mogul apparently didn’t learn from his time behind bars.
In 2015, Knight ran over businessman Terry Carter with his pickup truck. In the same incident, Knight also seriously injured a former Compton gang member, Cle Sloan, because he believed they were using his likeness in the movie Straight Outta Compton. Knight confronted the crew, and things escalated. Sloan attempted to assault Knight, but the Death Row Records exec crushed Sloan’s ankles with his truck before fatally mowing down Carter, who had tried to flee, NBC News reported.
In 2018, after several health complications delayed the ruling, a judge found Knight guilty of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced him to 28 years in prison. The first 22 years were for running over Carter, and the additional six years were because the crime was the former hip-hop exec’s third strike.
Suge Knight is serving his sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, a California state prison near San Diego, and will be eligible for parole in 2034.
A biopic about the notorious music mogul is in the works
In 2020, rumors swirled that Suge Knight had sold his life rights to reality TV star Ray J, but Knight refuted the claims. However, in 2021, Deadline reported that Knight was working with Steve Whitney, Anthony Thorne, and Nick Cassavetes to make a biopic about him to “tell the truth.”
It’s unknown how much Knight stands to gain from the deal, but it might help his fortune because it’s a shadow of what it once was. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he was worth $100 million in his heyday. However, with his legal troubles and poor financial management, Suge Knight’s net worth is only an estimated $200,000 today.
