Chris Goossens
Death Row Records is now the property of one of the most popular children's toy companies ever. Production company Hasbro is now the proud owner of the historic gangsta rap label.
According to reports, Hasbro made things officially earlier this week with a formal announcement.
Hasbro, a massive toy company that is the source of countless hours of childhood joy — thanks to Mr. Potato Head, Monopoly, G.I. Joe, Transformers, My Little Pony, Power Rangers, and much, much more — announced on Thursday that it will join forces with Death Row Records, a label synonymous with West Coast gangster rap thanks to artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac. (Rolling Stone)
The company technically owns Death Row Records following a purchase of its parent company.
More precisely, Hasbro purchased Entertainment One, a multimedia company that owns the children’s franchises Peppa Pig and PJ Masks (these are apparently popular among the youth, though they surely pale in comparison with Mr. Potato Head). Entertainment One also has a music division, which happens to be one of the biggest independent labels in the industry — it took in more than $30 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2019. And back in 2013, eOne spent around $280 million to buy the catalog of Death Row, which had previously been forced to declare bankruptcy in 2006. (Rolling Stone)
Over 10 years ago, Death Row filed for bankruptcy before having multiple former owners.
Death Row has changed ownership several times since filing for bankruptcy in 2006. The first company to pick up the record label was WIDEawake Entertainment, who later sold the label to Entertainment One for 15 times the price. The Game, Joe Budden, and DJ Khaled have all released music with Entertainment One, but their masters now belong with the toy company Hasbro. (UPROXX)
In addition to Death Row Records, Hasbro will now enter the TV and film biz.
Hasbro and Entertainment One have made a deal to for the toy giant to acquire the independent studio in an all-cash transaction valued at $4 billion. The combination will blend eOne preschool brands like Peppa Pig and PJ Masks with Hasbro’s TV and film expertise, which has taken a leap over the past decade through franchises like Transformers. Under the deal, eOne shareholders will receive $6.86 in cash for each common share of eOne, which is a 31% premium to eOne’s 30-day volume weighted average price as of today. (Deadline)
