Editing Suge Knight

{{Short description|American music executive (born 1965)}}
{{Redirect|Suge|the 2019 song by DaBaby|Suge (song)}}
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{{Use American English|date=December 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name              = Suge Knight
| image             = Suge Knight in 2007 (6904212374).jpg
| caption           = Knight in 2007
| birth_name        = Marion Hugh Knight Jr.
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1965|4|19}}
| birth_place       = [[Compton, California]], U.S.
| occupation        = {{hlist|Record producer|music executive|businessman}}
| education         = [[El Camino College]]<br>[[University of Nevada, Las Vegas]]
| years_active      = {{hlist|1987–1996|2001–2015}}
| charge            = [[Murder (United States law)|First-degree murder]], [[Attempted murder|attempted first-degree murder]], [[hit and run]]
| conviction        = [[Voluntary manslaughter]]
| conviction_penalty = 28 years in prison
| conviction_status = Incarcerated
| children          = Suge Jacob Knight, Bailei Knight, Posh Knight, Taj Knight, Andrew Knight<ref>{{cite web |title=Suge Knight |url=https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/a45875880/suge-knight |website=Biography |access-date=26 February 2025}}</ref>

| imprisoned        = [[Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility]] (2018)
| allegiance        = [[Mob Piru|Mob Piru Bloods]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-01-fi-suge1-story.html|title=As Associates Fall, Is 'Suge' Next?|last=Philips|first=Chuck|website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 1, 2003|access-date=March 30, 2023|quote=Knight began to flaunt his connection to an obscure street gang called the Mob Piru Bloods.}}</ref>
 | module            = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
 | background = person
 | genre = {{hlist|[[West Coast hip hop]]|[[gangsta rap]]|[[G-funk]]}}
 | label = {{hlist|[[Black Kapital Records|Black Kapital]]|[[Death Row Records|Death Row]]
}}
 | module={{Infobox NFL biography
 | embed         = yes
 | image         =
 | position      = [[Defensive end]]
 | number        = 79
 | height_ft     = 6
 | height_in     = 2
 | weight_lbs    = 265
 | birth_date    = 
 | birth_place   = 
 | undraftedyear = 1987
 | high_school   = [[Lynwood High School|Lynwood]]<br>([[Lynwood, California]])
 | college       = [[UNLV Rebels football|UNLV]]
 | teams         = * [[Los Angeles Rams]] ({{NFL Year|1987}})
 | pfr           = {{#property:P3561}} 
}}
}}
| other_names       = Sugar Bear
}}

'''Marion Hugh''' "'''Suge'''" '''Knight Jr.''' ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|ʊ|ɡ}} {{respell|SHUUG}}; born April 19, 1965)<ref name="encyclopedia.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Suge_Knight.aspx|title=Suge Knight|website=Encyclopedia.com|access-date=September 24, 2016}}</ref> is an American former record executive, former [[National Football League|NFL]] player, and convicted felon, who is the co-founder and former CEO of [[Death Row Records]]. Knight was a central figure in [[gangsta rap]]'s commercial success in the 1990s.<ref name=":0">Travis L. Gosa, "The fifth element: Knowledge", in Justin A. Williams, ed., ''The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop'' (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2015), [https://books.google.com/books?id=Ha0PBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA56 p 56].</ref> This feat is attributed to the record label's first two album releases: [[Dr. Dre]]'s ''[[The Chronic]]'' in 1992 and [[Snoop Dogg]]'s ''[[Doggystyle]]'' in 1993.<ref name=":0" /> Knight is currently serving a 28-year sentence in prison for a fatal hit-and-run in 2015.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Coscarelli |first=Joe |date=2018-09-21 |title=Suge Knight Gets 28 Years in Prison in Hit-and-Run Plea Deal |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/arts/music/suge-knight-plea-deal-prison.html |access-date=2022-09-13 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Before founding Death Row Records, Knight played college football at [[UNLV Rebels football|UNLV]] as a defensive end. He briefly played in the [[National Football League|NFL]] for the [[Los Angeles Rams]] as a replacement player during the [[National Football League Players Association#1987 strike|1987 NFL players strike]]. In 1995, [[Tupac Shakur]] began serving a prison sentence of up to {{frac|4|1|2}} years for a sexual abuse conviction. Knight struck a deal with Shakur that October, posting his $1.4 million bail and freeing him from prison pending an appeal of his conviction, while signing him to Death Row Records. In 1996, the label released Shakur's greatest commercial success, ''[[All Eyez on Me]]''. That September, after departing a [[Mike Tyson]] boxing match in [[Las Vegas]], a group that included Knight and Shakur assaulted [[Orlando Anderson]], a Southside Compton [[Crips]] gang member. Three hours later, someone shot into the car Knight was driving, injuring Knight and [[Murder of Tupac Shakur|fatally wounding Shakur]].

Dr. Dre left Death Row Records shortly before Shakur's death, followed by Snoop Dogg two years later. The label rapidly declined. Meanwhile, allegations mounted that Knight, beyond employing gang members, often used intimidation and violence in his business dealings. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, Knight spent a few years incarcerated for assault convictions and associated violations of [[probation]] and [[parole]].

In September 2018, Knight pled [[Nolo contendere|no contest]] to [[voluntary manslaughter]] in a fatal 2015 [[Hit and run|hit-and-run]].<ref name="thewrap92018">{{cite news |last= Kenneally |first=Tim |title= Suge Knight to Serve 28 Years Over 2015 Hit-and-Run Death |url= https://www.thewrap.com/suge-knight-to-serve-28-years-2015-hit-run-death/ |access-date = September 20, 2018|work=[[TheWrap]] |date= September 20, 2018}}</ref><ref name="latimesfeb2015">{{cite news |last1=Gerber |first1=Marisa |title='Suge' Knight charged with murder; could face life in prison |url= http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-suge-knights-bail-revoked-20150202-story.html |access-date=February 3, 2015 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 2, 2015}}</ref> Knight's conviction, along with his previous felonies, triggered California's [[three-strikes law]]. He was sentenced to 28 years in prison, and is eligible for parole in October 2034, when he will be 69 years old.<ref>{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Knight, Marion Hugh |url=https://ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov/details?cdcrNumber=BH6458 |access-date=2025-02-28 |website=California Incarcerated Records and Information Search |publisher=[[California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation]]}}</ref>

==Early life==
Knight was born in [[Compton, California]], the son of Maxine (née Dikemen) and Marion Knight Sr.<ref name="Chosen by Fate">{{cite book |last1=Lee |first1=McKinley |last2=Williams |first2=Frank |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gp-fAAAAMAAJ&q=Maxine+Chatman |title=Chosen by Fate: My Life Inside Death Row Records |location=West Hollywood, CA |publisher=Dove Books |year=1997 |isbn=9780787114329 |access-date=January 31, 2015 }}</ref> His name Suge (pronounced ''/ʃʊɡ/'') derives from "Sugar Bear", a childhood nickname.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E3D91039F937A25752C0A960958260 |title=Does a Sugar Bear Bite? |last=Hirschberg |first=Lynn |work=The New York Times |date=February 2, 1997 |access-date=January 15, 2008}}</ref> He attended [[Lynwood High School]] in nearby [[Lynwood, California|Lynwood]], where he was a [[American football|football]] and [[Track and field|track]] star. He graduated in 1983.

Knight is affiliated with the [[Mob Piru|Mob Piru Bloods]], a set of the [[Bloods]] gang.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2000-01-09 |title=Life and death in South Central LA |language=en-GB |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/jan/09/life1.lifemagazine4 |access-date=2023-03-30 |issn=0029-7712 |quote=Then came Marion 'Sugar Bear' Knight - a one-time gang banger with the North Side's MOB Piru Bloods.}}</ref>

==Football career==
From 1983 to 1985, Knight attended and played football at [[El Camino College]].<ref name="SKbio">{{cite web |url=http://hiphop.sh/suge |title=hiphop.sh |access-date=January 30, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150207185816/http://hiphop.sh/suge |archive-date=February 7, 2015 }}</ref> In 1985, he transferred to the [[University of Nevada, Las Vegas]], and played [[college football|football]] there for two years.<ref name=LVS091096>Rachael Levy, [http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/1996/sep/10/former-coaches-portray-knight-in-positive-light/ Former coaches portray Knight in positive light], ''[[Las Vegas Sun]]'', September 10, 1996. Retrieved November 3, 2008.</ref>

Knight went undrafted in the [[1987 NFL draft]], but was invited to the [[Los Angeles Rams]] [[Training camp (NFL)|training camp]]. He was cut by the Rams during camp, but became a replacement player during the [[1987 NFL Players Strike]], and played two games for the Rams.<ref>{{cite web |title=Suge Knight Profile |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KnigSu20.htm |website=ProFootballReference.com}}</ref>

==Career ==
After his brief NFL career, Knight found work as a [[concert promoter]] and a [[bodyguard]] for celebrities including [[Bobby Brown]]. In 1989, Knight formed his own music publishing company. His first big profit in the business came when [[Vanilla Ice]] agreed to sign over royalties from his smash hit "[[Ice Ice Baby]]", because the song included material allegedly written by Knight's client Mario Johnson. Knight and his bodyguards confronted Vanilla Ice several times. There was a rumor that Knight entered Vanilla Ice's hotel room and allegedly dangled him by his ankles off the balcony. However, Vanilla Ice has said that never happened, only that Knight threatened to throw him off the balcony; the claim was resolved in court.<ref name="SKbio" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Westhoff |first=Ben |title=Did Suge Knight Really Dangle Vanilla Ice Off of a Balcony? |url=https://www.laweekly.com/did-suge-knight-really-dangle-vanilla-ice-off-of-a-balcony/ |website=LA Weekly |access-date=November 12, 2012 |date=20 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Douglas|first=Daniel|title=Knight, Suge|date=2009-02-09|work=African American Studies Center|publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.45814|isbn=978-0-19-530173-1}}</ref>

Knight next formed an artist management company and signed [[West Coast hip hop]] artists [[DJ Quik]] and [[The D.O.C.]] Through the latter, he met several members of the seminal [[gangsta rap]] group [[N.W.A]].

===Death Row Records===
Dr. Dre and The D.O.C. wanted to leave both N.W.A and their label, [[Ruthless Records]], run by [[Eazy-E]], another member of N.W.A. According to N.W.A's manager [[Jerry Heller]], Knight and his henchmen threatened Heller and Eazy-E with lead pipes and baseball bats to make them release Dre, [[The D.O.C.]], and [[Michel'le]] from their contracts in April 1991.<ref>{{cite web |author=Suge Knight gets knocked out |url=http://www.hiphopn.com/suge-knight-gets-knocked-out/ |title=Suge Knight gets knocked out |website=Hiphopn.com |date=May 21, 2008 |access-date=August 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904051532/http://www.hiphopn.com/suge-knight-gets-knocked-out/ |archive-date=September 4, 2012 }}</ref> Ultimately, Dre and D.O.C. co-founded [[Death Row Records]] in 1991 with Knight, who vowed to make it "the [[Motown]] of the '90s".

Initially, Knight fulfilled his ambitions: he secured a distribution deal with Interscope, and Dre's 1992 solo debut album, ''[[The Chronic]]'', earned triple platinum status in the United States by the end of 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=The%20Chronic&artist=Dr.%20Dre&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2007&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |title=Gold & Platinum - February 12, 2010 |publisher=RIAA |date=March 18, 1993 |access-date=February 12, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017045232/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=The%20Chronic&artist=Dr.%20Dre&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2007&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |archive-date=October 17, 2015 }}</ref> It also made a career for Dre's protégé, [[Snoop Dogg]], whose own debut album ''[[Doggystyle]]'' obtained a quadruple platinum certification in the United States in 1994.<ref>''Rollin' With Dre: The Unauthorized Account: An Insider's Tale of the Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of West Coast Hip Hop'' (Williams/Alexander, 2008) {{ISBN|0-345-49822-4}}</ref>

Meanwhile, Death Row had begun a public feud with [[2 Live Crew|2 Live Crew's]] [[Luther Campbell]]. The following year, he opened a private, by-appointment-only nightclub in Las Vegas called Club 662, so named because the numbers spelled out ''MOB'' on telephone keypads, ''MOB'' standing for Member of [[Bloods]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Devin |date=2018-09-21 |title=Former Las Vegas Club 662 Owner Suge Knight Faces 28 Years in Prison After Plea Deal Made Days Before Jury Trial to Begin in L.A. |url=https://www.casino.org/news/suge-knight-faces-28-years-in-prison-after-pleading-no-contest/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Casino.org |language=en-US |quote=Club 662 in Las Vegas, named for the numbers on a telephone keypad spelling “MOB,” which stands for “Members of Blood” for the street gang in L.A.}}</ref> In 1995, he ran afoul of civil rights activist [[C. Delores Tucker]]'s campaign against [[gangsta rap]], whose criticism of Death Row's glamorization of the "gangsta" lifestyle may have helped scuttle a lucrative deal with [[Time Warner]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Anderson|first=Joel|date=2019-11-20|title=How C. Delores Tucker's Crusade Against Offensive Rap Lyrics Upended the Music Industry|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s3/biggie-and-tupac/e4/c-delores-tucker-against-hip-hop|access-date=2020-06-17|website=Slate Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

===Tupac Shakur, MC Hammer, Dr. Dre, and the Death Row Label===
Knight's feud with East Coast entrepreneur [[Sean Combs]] ("Puff Daddy") progressed when Knight insulted the [[Bad Boy Records|Bad Boy]] label founder on air at the [[The Source (magazine)|Source Awards]] in August 1995. Openly critical of Combs's tendency of ad-libbing on his artists' songs and dancing in their videos, Knight announced to the audience, "Anyone out there who wanna be a recording artist and wanna stay a star, and don't have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos, all on the records, dancing, come to Death Row."

[[Conrad Tillard]], then the Nation of Islam minister known as Conrad Muhammad, the Hip Hop Minister, counseled Combs during his ensuing feud with Knight, and also asked Knight to stop terrorizing Combs.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jackson |first=Gerald G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MdNuxVOQ7YUC&dq=%22conrad+muhammad%22+%22Combs%22+%22Suge+Knight%22&pg=PA127 |title=We're Not Going to Take it Anymore |date=2005 |publisher=Beckham Publications Group, Inc. |isbn=978-0-931761-84-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="hiphopwired.com">{{Cite web|url=https://hiphopwired.com/236173/former-hip-hop-minister-running-for-nyc-council-seat-photos/|title=Former "Hip-Hop Minister" Running For NYC Council Seat|work=HipHopWired |author=D.L. Chandler|date=May 23, 2013}}</ref><ref name="nypress.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nypress.com/news/will-hiphop-minister-conrad-muhammad-go-from-noi-to-gop-GANP1020020723307239999|title=Will "Hiphop Minister" Conrad Muhammad Go from N.O.I. to G.O.P.?|website=New York Press|date=February 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>Mark Curry (2009). [https://books.google.com/books?id=bqz8X2HFcP0C&dq=%22conrad+muhammad%22&pg=PA155 ''Dancing with the Devil; How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hip-hop'']</ref> Tillard also protected Combs, sending elite guards from his [[Mosque No. 7]] to guard Combs, who was receiving death threats from gangsters connected to Knight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2001/01/09/taking-the-rap-2/|title=Taking the Rap|first=Peter|last=Noel|date=January 9, 2001|website=The Village Voice}}</ref>

The same year, Knight offered to post bail ({{US$|1.4{{nbsp}}million|link=yes}}) for Tupac Shakur if the rapper agreed to sign with Death Row. Shakur agreed, setting the stage for his 1996 double album ''[[All Eyez on Me]]'' and ''[[The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory]]''.

[[MC Hammer|M.C. Hammer's]] relationship with Suge Knight dates back to 1988. With the success of Hammer's 1994 album ''[[The Funky Headhunter]]'' (featuring [[Tha Dogg Pound]]), Hammer signed with Death Row Records by 1995, along with [[Snoop Dogg]] and his close friend, Tupac.<ref name="daveyd1">{{cite web|url= http://www.daveyd.com/hammer.html|title= MC Hammer Interview - part 1|access-date=March 20, 2009|date=June 1997|publisher = daveyd.com}}</ref> The label did not release the album of Hammer's music (entitled ''[[MC Hammer#Inside Out, Death Row Records and Too Tight (1995–1996)|Too Tight]]'') while he had a career with them, although he did release versions of some tracks on his next album.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429907/19990805/mc_hammer.jhtml|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041024231055/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429907/19990805/mc_hammer.jhtml|url-status = dead|archive-date = October 24, 2004|title = MC Hammer|publisher = MTV}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429908/19990421/mc_hammer.jhtml|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20010822002914/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1429908/19990421/mc_hammer.jhtml|url-status = dead|archive-date = August 22, 2001|title = MC Hammer|publisher = MTV}}</ref> However, Hammer did record tracks with Shakur and others, most notably the song "[[MC Hammer discography#Singles|Too Late Playa]]" (along with [[Big Daddy Kane]] and [[Danny Boy (rapper)|Danny Boy]]).<ref>{{cite web |last=Burgess |first=Omar |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1320/title.death-row-records-the-pardon |title=Death Row Records: The Pardon {{pipe}} Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop |publisher=HipHop DX |date=March 18, 2009 |access-date=May 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526170048/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1320/title.death-row-records-the-pardon |archive-date=May 26, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After the death of Shakur in 1996, Hammer left the record company.<ref name="daveyd2">{{cite web|url= http://www.daveyd.com/hammerpt2.html|title= MC Hammer Interview - part 2|access-date=March 20, 2009|date=June 1997|publisher = daveyd.com}}</ref> He later explained his concern about this circumstance in an interview on [[Trinity Broadcasting Network]] (TBN) since he was in Las Vegas with Tupac the night of his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/03/what_had_happened_was_mc_hammer/ |title=What had happened was MC Hammer |website=Vibe.com |date=March 2009 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090315154442/http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/03/what_had_happened_was_mc_hammer/ |archive-date=March 15, 2009 }}</ref> Hammer released 2Pac's "[[Unconditional Love (Tupac Shakur song)|Unconditional Love]]", on his ''[[Family Affair(MC Hammer album)|Family Affair]]'' album, in 1998. The friendships between Hammer (played by [[Romany Malco]]), Tupac (played by [[Lamont Bentley]]) and Suge (played by [[Ahmed Johnson|Anthony Norris]]) were depicted in the television film, ''Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story'' (airing on [[VH1]] in 2001).

[[Dr. Dre]], frustrated with the company's increasingly thuggish reputation and Knight's violent inclinations, left and formed his own label, [[Aftermath Entertainment]], in March 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Philips |first=Chuck |date=1996-10-13 |title=The Doctor, Unmasked |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-10-13-ca-53256-story.html |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lynskey |first=Dorian |date=2014-05-10 |title=Dr Dre: the hip-hop head with a business brain |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/10/dr-dre-beats-headphones-apple-profile |access-date=2024-10-13 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

===Murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls: theories accusing Knight===
{{see also|Murder of Tupac Shakur|Murder of the Notorious B.I.G.}}
Though never charged by any prosecutor for any involvement, Suge Knight has been the subject of theories in popular culture about the murder of two well-known rap artists. [[Tupac Shakur]] was shot four times in a [[drive-by shooting]] in [[Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]] on September 7, 1996, and died six days later on September 13. When Shakur's [[Gangsta rap#East Coast hardcore hip hop and the East Coast–West Coast feud|East Coast rival]], [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] ([[Pseudonym|aka]] Biggie Smalls or Biggie), was murdered in a similar drive-by shooting in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]] on March 9, 1997, speculation arose that Knight was involved and that Biggie's death was a revenge killing.<ref name="Kading1">[http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/10/tupac_biggie_murder_video.php Video: Greg Kading's Book Says Sean Combs, Suge Knight Ordered Tupac and Biggie Killings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604011335/http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/10/tupac_biggie_murder_video.php |date=June 4, 2013 }} By LA Weekly Mon., October 3, 2011</ref> Former Death Row artists, including Snoop Dogg, also later accused Knight of being involved in Tupac's murder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rapcentral.co.uk/snoopBeefs.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329040342/http://www.rapcentral.co.uk/snoopBeefs.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 29, 2007|title=RapCentral.co.uk - Snoop Dogg Beef Info for All His Beefs with Suge Knight, the Eastsidaz and More|date=March 29, 2007|access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref>

Ex-detective [[Russell Poole]] conjectured that Knight had Tupac killed before he could part ways with Knight's label and then conspired to kill Biggie to divert attention from himself in the Tupac case.<ref name="Broomfield's Biggie and Tupac reviewed by the Courant">{{cite news|last=Danton|first=Eric|title=Biggie (rip) Vs. Tupac (rip)|url=http://articles.courant.com/2002-11-09/features/0211090122_1_tupac-shakur-jam-master-jay-death-row-records|access-date=November 8, 2013|newspaper=The Courant|date=November 9, 2003|archive-date=November 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109010932/http://articles.courant.com/2002-11-09/features/0211090122_1_tupac-shakur-jam-master-jay-death-row-records|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Biggie murder theory implicated Knight, a rogue cop, and a mortgage broker named Amir Muhammad (who was never a police suspect) along with the chief of police and the LAPD in a conspiracy to murder and cover up the murder of Biggie. The Biggie theory formed the basis of a {{US$|500{{nbsp}}million}} lawsuit by his family, the Wallaces, against the city of Los Angeles. A key source for Poole's theory was Kevin Hackie. Hackie had implicated Knight and [[David Mack (police officer)|David Mack]]. Hackie, a former Death Row associate, said that he had knowledge of involvement between Knight and Mack and other LAPD officers. His information was used by the Wallace family in their suit against the city of L.A. for Biggie's death. But Hackie later told ''Los Angeles Times'' reporter [[Chuck Philips]] that the Wallace attorneys had altered his declarations.<ref name="Lawsuit witness admits to false declaration">{{cite news|last=Philips|first=Chuck|title=Witness in B.I.G. case says his memory's bad|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-biggie20jun20,0,1053108.story|access-date=October 3, 2013|newspaper=LA Times|date=June 20, 2005}}</ref> The suit brought by the Wallace family against the city of L.A. based on the [[Russell Poole]] theory was dismissed in 2010.

In 2005, Chuck Philips of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reported that another source for the theory of Biggie's murder implicating Muhammad, Mack, Knight and the LAPD was a schizophrenic man known as "Psycho Mike" who later confessed to hearsay and memory lapses and falsely identifying Muhammad.<ref name="Chuck Philips on Biggie murder">{{cite news|last=Philips|first=Chuck|title=Informant in Rap Star's Slaying Admits Hearsay|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-03-me-biggie3-story.html|access-date=September 15, 2013|newspaper=LA Times|date=June 3, 2005}}</ref> John Cook of ''[[Brill's Content]]'' noted that Philips's article "demolished" the Poole-Sullivan theory of Biggie's murder.<ref name="Notorious LAT; by original Brill's content author of eponymous article John Cook">{{cite web|last=Cook|first=John|title=Notorious LAT|url=http://www.referencetone.com/2005/06/notorious-lat.html|website=Referencetone.com|date=June 2005|access-date=October 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002123203/http://www.referencetone.com/2005/06/notorious-lat.html|archive-date=October 2, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Around the same time, Philips wrote an ''L.A. Times'' two-part series titled "Who Killed Tupac Shakur?" about the murder of Shakur and events surrounding it based on police affidavits, court documents and interviews.<ref name="who-killed-1">{{cite news|last=Philips|first=Chuck|title=Who Killed Tupac Shakur?|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-sep-06-fi-tupac6-story.html|access-date=July 15, 2012|newspaper=LA Times|date=September 6, 2002}}</ref><ref name="who-killed-2">{{cite news|last=Philips|first=Chuck|title=How Vegas police probe floundered in Tupac Shakur case|url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fi-tupac7sep07-story.html|access-date=July 23, 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 7, 2002}}</ref>

The ''L.A. Times'' story indicated that "the shooting was carried out by a Compton gang called the Southside [[Crips]] to avenge the beating of one of its members by Shakur a few hours earlier. [[Orlando Anderson]], the Crip whom Shakur had attacked, fired the fatal shots. Las Vegas police discounted Anderson as a suspect after questioning him once briefly. He was later killed in what police said was an unrelated gang shooting."<ref name="who-killed-1" /> The article implicated East Coast music figures, including Biggie, Shakur's nemesis at the time, alleging that he paid for the gun.<ref name="who-killed-1" /> Before their own deaths, Biggie, his family and Anderson denied any role in Shakur's murder. Biggie's family<ref name="B.I.G. Family Denies Tupac Murder Claim">{{cite news|last=Silveran|first=Stephen M.|title=B.I.G. Family Denies Tupac Murder Claim|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,624628,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321222244/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,624628,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 21, 2008|access-date=July 23, 2012|newspaper=People|date=September 9, 2002}}</ref> produced documents purporting to show that the rapper was in New York and New Jersey at the time. ''The New York Times'' called the documents inconclusive, stating:

<blockquote>The pages purport to be three computer printouts from Daddy's House, indicating that Wallace was in the studio recording a song called ''Nasty Boy'' on the afternoon Shakur was shot. They indicate that Wallace ''wrote half the session'', was ''In and out/sat around'' and ''laid down a ref'', shorthand for a reference vocal, the equivalent of a first take. But nothing indicates when the documents were created. And Louis Alfred, the recording engineer listed on the sheets, said in an interview that he remembered recording the song with Wallace in a late-night session, not during the day. He could not recall the date of the session but said it was likely not the night Shakur was shot. ''We would have heard about it,'' Mr. Alfred said.<ref name="New York Times on Philips 2002 2-part series">{{cite news|last=Leland|first=John|title=New Theories Stir Speculation On Rap Deaths|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/07/arts/new-theories-stir-speculation-on-rap-deaths.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|access-date=September 29, 2013|newspaper=New York Times|date=October 7, 2002}}</ref></blockquote>

Mark Duvoisin, an editor at the ''L.A. Times'', wrote in an opinion piece in ''Rolling Stone'' that Philips's account had withstood attacks to its credibility.<ref>{{cite news|last=Duvoisin|first=Mark|title=L.A. Times Responds to Biggie Story|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/l-a-times-responds-to-biggie-story-20060112|access-date=September 19, 2013|newspaper=Rolling Stone|date=January 12, 2006}}</ref>

However, the ''L.A. Times'' printed a full retraction of the two-part series and released Philips shortly thereafter during a wave of layoffs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.laweekly.com/informer/2011/06/22/tupac-shakur-notorious-big-murders-and-ex-la-times-reporter-chuck-philips-a-timeline |date=June 22, 2011 |last=Wilson |first=Simone |title=Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G. Murders and ex-LA Times Reporter Chuck Philips: A Timeline |newspaper=[[LA Weekly]]}}</ref>

In ''Tupac Shakur: Before I Wake'', a documentary by Tupac Shakur's bodyguard, he and [[Cathy Scott]], author of ''[[The Killing of Tupac Shakur]]'' and ''[[The Murder of Biggie Smalls]]'', said that Knight would not have placed himself in the path of bullets he knew were coming. On her website [https://web.archive.org/web/20120505065948/http://www.cathyscott.com/askarch.htm ''Archived Letters''] Scott responds to a reader of her book stating that she felt there was never evidence to link Knight to Tupac's murder. Scott also told ''CNN'', "That theory doesn't even add up. 'Open fire on my car, but try not to hit me?'"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/04/08/biggie.smalls.files/|title=FBI reveals documents in Biggie Smalls death probe|work=cnn.com}}</ref>

A 2006 law-enforcement task force probe into Biggie's murder, which included then-LAPD Detective [[Greg Kading]], included the murder of Shakur. In his 2011 self-published book, ''Murder Rap'',<ref name="Murder Rap 2011">''Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations by the Detective Who Solved Both Cases'', Greg Kading, One Time Publishing, 2011. {{ISBN|0-9839554-8-4}} Retrieved January 8, 2012.</ref> Kading wrote that Duane "Keefe D" Davis, a member of the "Crips" street gang, gave a confession years later saying he rode in the car used in the Las Vegas shooting of Shakur.<ref name="Kading1" /><ref name="Kading2">{{cite web|url=https://www.laweekly.com/search|title=Los Angeles News and Events - Articles & Archives|website=Laweekly.com|date=July 16, 2009|access-date=September 22, 2018}}</ref> The Crips said they had been offered a million dollars by associates of Bad Boy Records to kill Shakur. Kading, who named Sean Combs as having been involved in the conspiracy, also wrote that a bounty was offered for Suge Knight's murder.<ref name="Kading1" />

While in Las Vegas, Kading's book stated, Davis and fellow Crips members crossed paths with a BMW carrying Knight and Shakur.<ref name="who-killed-1" /> The fatal shots were fired by Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, who sat on the side of the car closest to the BMW.

Kading alleged that Knight hired [[Wardell Fouse|Wardell "Poochie" Fouse]] to kill Biggie, Sean Combs' most valuable star, whose murder was done following a party at the Peterson Automotive Museum. Poochie later survived a murder attempt in 2000, but was killed in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wardell Fouse, 43 - The Homicide Report |url=https://homicide.latimes.com/post/wardell-fouse/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=homicide.latimes.com |date=July 24, 2003 |language=en}}</ref> Charges were never brought against Fouse or Knight and the task force disbanded for reasons of "internal affairs".<ref name="Murder Rap 2011" />

After Shakur's death and the release of ''[[Tha Doggfather]]'', Snoop Dogg openly criticized Knight for the murder of Shakur and left the label in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nostro|first1=Lauren|title=16 Label Changes That Shocked The Rap Game - Snoop Dogg Leaves Death Row|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2013/04/16-label-changes-that-shocked-the-rap-game/snoop-dogg-leaves-death-row|website=Complex.com|access-date=July 23, 2016|date=April 5, 2013}}</ref> He signed with [[Master P|Master P's]] [[No Limit Records]] and then formed his own record label, [[Doggystyle Records]]. In 2002, Snoop released the song "Pimp Slapp'd", in which he repudiated Knight and Death Row. In 2006, Snoop again attacked Knight verbally.<ref name="rollingstone2006" /> Knight responded, stating that Snoop was a "police informer" who "never goes to jail".<ref>{{cite book|last=Hombach|first=Jean|title=Tupac Amaru Shakur|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ueYgX5CN0rsC&pg=PT307|access-date=November 15, 2015}}</ref>

=== Gang violence associated with Death Row Records ===
{{Main|Mob Piru}}
Knight, who was affiliated with the [[Mob Piru|Mob Piru Bloods]], hired members from this gang to work for Death Row Records. Knight also hired members of two other Blood sets, [[Fruit Town Piru]] and [[Lueders Park Piru]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Philips |first=Chuck |date=2003-07-31 |title=As Associates Fall, Is 'Suge' Knight Next? |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-fi-suge1aug01-story.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> By the early 2000s, a rivalry developed between the Mob Piru and the Fruit Town Piru, which resulted in the deaths of several people from Knight's inner circle.<ref name=":1" />

===End of Death Row Records===
On April 4, 2006, Knight filed [[bankruptcy]] due to civil litigation against him in which Lydia Harris was said to have been cheated out of a 50% stake in Death Row Records. Under questioning by creditors, he denied having money tucked away in foreign countries or in an [[Africa]]n company that deals in diamonds and gold. Bankruptcy documents filed showed Knight had no income from employment or operation of a business. According to financial records, his bank account contained just $11, and he owned clothing worth $1,000, furniture and appliances valued at $2,000, and jewelry worth $25,000. He also testified that the last time he had checked the label's financial records was at least 10 years prior. Knight's lawyer said that his client was still "at the helm" of Death Row and had been working on securing distribution deals for the label's catalog. Harris told reporters she had received a $1 million payment but had not agreed to settle the matter. "I'm telling you, I didn't do a settlement for $1 million. That's ridiculous. Let's keep it real," she said.<ref>[[Linda Deutsch|Deutsch, Linda]]. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/05/AR2006050501109.html Rap Mogul Knight Details Business Woes], ''The Washington Post'', May 5, 2006. Retrieved December 18, 2009.</ref>

On July 7, 2006, the federal judge, Ellen Carroll, ordered a bankruptcy trustee takeover of Suge Knight's Death Row Records, saying the record label had undergone a gross amount of mismanagement.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/57885/judge-orders-bankruptcy-takeover-of-death-row|title=Judge Orders Bankruptcy Takeover Of Death Row|date=July 10, 2006|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

He filed for [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11]] [[Bankruptcy in the United States|bankruptcy]] protection,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/58866/suge-knight-files-for-bankruptcy|title='Suge' Knight Files For Bankruptcy|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> which allows a company to continue business operations while restructuring. Death Row was being operated by Neilson during the bankruptcy proceedings, while Knight oversaw his bankruptcy estate as a debtor in possession.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://publish.illinois.edu/illinoisblj/2006/09/12/no-one-at-the-helm-trustee-appointed-to-manage-death-row-records/|title=No One at the Helm: Trustee Appointed to Manage Death Row Records – Illinois Business Law Journal|date=September 12, 2006 }}</ref>

In June 2007, he placed his 7 bedroom, {{frac|9|1|2}} bathroom home in [[Malibu, California]], on the market for $6.2 million as part of his "financial makeover". The mansion was finally sold in December 2008 in bankruptcy court for $4.56 million.<ref>[http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.8193 HipHopDX.com - Suge Knight's Mansion Sold In Bankruptcy Court]. ''HipHopDX.com''. Retrieved December 3, 2008.</ref>

In June 2008, Death Row Records was put up for auction in Bankruptcy Court. The winning bid went to New York-based company [[Global Music Group]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7506883.stm Death Row label is sold for $24m], ''BBC News'', July 15, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2009.</ref> Global Music Group failed to secure funding and the Death Row Records catalog eventually went to Wideawake Entertainment.

On January 25, 2009, an auction was held for everything found in the Death Row Records office after the company filed for bankruptcy, including some of Knight's personal items. Of note was the Death Row Records electric chair which sold for $2,500. Some of Knight's personal items appeared in an auction during the debut episode of A&E's ''[[Storage Wars]]'', and a vault full of items (including a coat) was purchased by featured buyer Barry Weiss.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/death-row-auction-2290871-records-chair |title=Electric chair is hot item at Death Row Records auction |newspaper=The Orange County Register |access-date=August 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628021054/http://www.ocregister.com/articles/death-row-auction-2290871-records-chair |archive-date=June 28, 2009 }}</ref>

==Personal life==
On November 3, 1989, Knight married Sharitha Lee Golden in Las Vegas.<ref>{{cite web|author=Cathy Scott|url=https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/1997/sep/06/the-death-of-tupac-shakur-one-year-later/|title=The death of Tupac Shakur one year later|work=Las Vegas Sun |publisher=[[Las Vegas Sun]]|date=September 6, 1997|accessdate=August 1, 2023}}</ref>

In October 2023, Suge Knight co-founded a podcast with Breakbeat Media.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Price |first1=Joe |title=Suge Knight Launching 'Collect Call' Podcast From Prison, Trailer Promises He'll Address Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Iovine, and More |url=https://www.complex.com/music/a/backwoodsaltar/suge-knight-launching-collect-calls-podcast-from-prison |website=[[Complex Networks|Complex]] |access-date=April 22, 2024 |language=en-us |date=October 20, 2023}}</ref>

==Personal and legal troubles==
===1995 convictions===
In a 1995 federal case, Knight pleaded [[Nolo contendere|no contest]] and was sentenced to five years' probation for assaulting two rappers in the summer of 1992 at a [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] recording studio.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2-lawyers-for-suge-knight-accused-of-plotting-to-bribe-potential-murder-witnesses/|title=2 lawyers for Suge Knight accused of plotting to bribe potential murder witnesses|publisher=[[CBS News]]|date=2018-03-06|access-date=2019-11-28}}</ref>

===1996 probation violation leading to incarceration===
On October 22, 1996, Knight was sent to jail pending a hearing on the probation violation that happened on September 7, 1996, when Suge Knight and his Death Row entourage including [[Tupac Shakur]] attacked [[Orlando Anderson]], a [[Crips]] gang member. Knight was then sentenced to nine years in prison on February 28, 1997, for the probation violation<ref name="Mogul">{{cite web|last1=Abrahamson|first1=Alan|last2=Philips|first2=Chuck|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-01-me-33733-story.html|title=Rap Mogul "Suge" Knight Sent to Prison for 9 Years|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=1997-03-01|access-date=2019-11-27}}</ref> but was granted early release and was let out of [[Federal Correctional Institution, Sheridan|FCI Sheridan]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=SUGE KNIGHT ARRIVES AT LAST STOP BEFORE FREEDOM|website=[[MTV]]|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/1444000/suge-knight-arrives-at-last-stop-before-freedom/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624040133/http://www.mtv.com/news/1444000/suge-knight-arrives-at-last-stop-before-freedom/|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 24, 2016}}</ref> on August 6, 2001.<ref name="Stone">{{cite web|author=Christina Saraceno|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/suge-knight-leaves-prison-244596/|title=Suge Knight Leaves Prison|publisher=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=2001-08-08|access-date=2019-11-27}}</ref><ref name="legal timeline">{{cite magazine|last1=Ramirez|first1=Erika|title=Suge Knight: A Timeline of His Legal Troubles|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/6458098/suge-knight-legal-timeline|access-date=July 23, 2016|magazine=Billboard |date=January 30, 2015}}</ref>

===2003 conviction and incarceration===
In 2003, Knight was sent to prison again (for ten months) for violating parole when he struck a parking lot attendant,<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/15/AR2007061500505.html | title = Like Knight and Day? Gangsta Rap Brought "Suge" Knight Wealth -- and Lots of Trouble. Now He's Singing a Different Tune. | date = June 17, 2007 | author = Teresa Wiltz | newspaper = The Washington Post }}</ref> and reoccurring gang affiliation in 2002.<ref name="m735">{{cite web | last=Boucher | first=Geoff | title=With a rap rep on the line | website=Los Angeles Times | date=2003-02-01 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-01-et-boucher01-story.html | access-date=2025-02-27}}</ref> Death Row's income rapidly declined during Knight's recurrent incarceration.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

===2006 dispute with Snoop===
In 2006, Knight was engaged in another dispute with former friend and ex-associate [[Snoop Dogg]] after Snoop insulted him in an interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine.<ref name="rollingstone2006">{{cite magazine|last1=Toure|title=Snoop Dogg: America's Most Lovable Pimp|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/americas-most-lovable-pimp-20061214|access-date=July 23, 2016|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=December 14, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tupac Amaru Shakur|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ueYgX5CN0rsC&q=Knight%20was%20engaged%20in%20another%20dispute%20with%20former%20friend%20and%20ex-associate%20Snoop%20Dogg%20after%20Snoop%20insulted%20him%20in%20Rolling%20Stone&pg=PT308|website=Books.google.com|publisher=epubli|access-date=July 23, 2016|language=en}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===2008 altercation and gang accusations ===
In January 2008, it was stated by police that Knight was one of the members of the Mob Piru street gang in a crackdown by authorities in the city of Compton.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2008-01-24|title=Rap mogul "Suge" Knight named in gang crackdown|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-rapper-crackdown-idUSN2426142220080124|access-date=2020-07-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title='Suge' Knight named in gang injunction|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/suge-knight-named-gang-injunction-103387|access-date=2020-07-14|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=January 25, 2008|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-01-25|title=Rap mogul Suge Knight named in gang crackdown {{!}} NME|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/nme-1131-1309031|access-date=2020-07-14|website=NME Music News, Reviews, Videos, Galleries, Tickets and Blogs {{!}} NME.COM|language=en-GB}}</ref> On May 10, 2008, Knight was involved in an altercation involving a monetary dispute outside of a nightclub ("Shag") in Hollywood. He was unconscious for three minutes. At the hospital, he did not cooperate with the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] ([[LAPD]]).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Janice aka Miss Mad|title=SUGE KNIGHT KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS IN LA NIGHT CLUB|url=https://madnewsuk.com/2008/05/11/suge-knight-knocked-unconscious-in-la-night-club/|access-date=July 23, 2016|work=MAD NEWS|date=May 11, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Park|first1=Dave|title=Suge Knight knocked out (Photos)|url=http://www.prefixmag.com/news/suge-knight-knocked-out-photos/18695/|access-date=July 23, 2016|publisher=Prefix Magazine|date=May 12, 2008}}</ref>

===2008 bankruptcy===
As part of an October 30, 2008 bankruptcy claim, Knight also filed a lawsuit against [[Kanye West]] and his associates. The lawsuit concerns an August 2005 shooting at West's pre-Video Music Awards party, where Knight was wounded by a gunshot to the upper leg.<ref>{{cite web|author=MTV News staff report |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1508497/20050828/knight_marion_suge_.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061026150545/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1508497/20050828/knight_marion_suge_.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 26, 2006 |title=Suge Knight Recovering After Being Shot At Kanye West Party In Miami - News Story {{pipe}} Music, Celebrity, Artist News {{pipe}} MTV News |website=Mtv.com |date=August 28, 2005 |access-date=February 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/who-shot-suge-knight-wbna9135148 |title=Who shot Suge Knight? - Access Hollywood - Today.com |publisher=Today.com |date=August 30, 2005 |access-date=February 12, 2010}}</ref>

===2009 altercation===
In February 2009, Knight was taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn to be treated for facial injuries he received during an altercation at a private party in the W Scottsdale Hotel, where Knight was punched.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/02/17/20090217fight0217.html|newspaper=The Arizona Republic|date=February 17, 2009|first=Jahna|last=Berry|title='Suge' Knight goes to hospital after fight in Scottsdale}}</ref>

===2012 arrest===
On February 8, 2012, Knight was arrested in Las Vegas, after police found cannabis in his car and several warrants for prior traffic violations.<ref name="legal timeline" />

===2014 shooting===
On August 24, 2014, Knight was shot at a pre-Video Music Awards party hosted by [[Chris Brown]] at a West Hollywood Sunset Strip nightclub ("1OAK"). Although shot six times, he was able to walk from the venue to an ambulance. His injuries required surgery.<ref>{{cite news|title=Suge Knight -- Shot Multiple Times After VMA Party Turns Violent|url=http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/24/suge-knight-shot-stabbed-one-oak-outside-club-ambulance-hospital/|access-date=August 24, 2014|website=Tmz.com|date=August 24, 2014}}</ref> Evidence from closed circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that Knight was the intended target of the shooting.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dillon|first1=Nancy|title=Investigators believe Suge Knight, not Chris Brown, was intended target in shooting at Pre-VMAs Party|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/suge-knight-chris-brown-intended-target-shooting-article-1.1916671|access-date=August 27, 2014|website=Nydailynews.com|date=August 25, 2014}}</ref> Knight was released from the hospital on August 27. Friend Keith Middlebrook told the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' that Knight returned home with the intention to "heal up in a few days and be stronger than ever".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/doubt-suge-knight-shooter-target-cops-article-1.1919414?ref=|title=Suge Knight released from hospital as police seek several "people of interest" in nightclub shooting|newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]|date=August 27, 2014|first=Nancy|last=Dillon}}</ref>

Knight refused to cooperate with law enforcement on the matter.<ref>{{cite news|title=Suge Knight -- I Ain't No Snitch ... Not Talking To Cops|url=http://www.tmz.com/2014/08/26/suge-knight-shooting-vma-party-investigation-1oak-not-snitching-cops-interview/|access-date=August 27, 2014|website=Tmz.com|date=August 26, 2014}}</ref> Party attendee [[Jeezy]] later said on ''[[The Breakfast Club (radio show)|The Breakfast Club]]'' that he would have been shot had he not been pushed out of the way just prior to the shooting.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bet.com/article/rezjwt/jeezy-i-was-nearly-hit-when-suge-knight-was-shot|title=Jeezy: I Was Nearly Hit When Suge Knight Was Shot|date=November 13, 2015|work=BET.com}}</ref>

===Prosecution on charges of robbery (2014–2016)===
On October 29, 2014, Knight and comedian [[Katt Williams]] were both arrested and charged with second-degree robbery in connection with an alleged theft of a camera from a [[paparazzi]] photographer the previous month in [[Beverly Hills, California]].<ref name="DillonPushed">Nancy Dillon, [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/suge-knight-robbery-trial-postponed-murder-case-article-1.2771730 Suge Knight's robbery trial with comedian Katt Williams pushed till after jury weighs his murder case], ''New York Daily News'' (August 30, 2016).</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Almasy |first=Steve |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/29/showbiz/suge-knight-katt-williams-arrested/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 |title=Suge Knight, Katt Williams arrested in paparazzi camera theft case |work=[[CNN]] |date=October 29, 2014 |access-date=October 30, 2014 }}</ref> While in jail, doctors found a blood clot in Knight's lung.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/celebrity/suge-knight-hospitalized-blood-clot-after-passing-out-vegas-jail-n240216|title='Suge' Knight Hospitalized With "Blood Clot" After Passing Out in Vegas Jail|date=November 3, 2014|publisher=NBC News.com|first=Elisha|last=Fieldstadt}}</ref> Both Knight and Williams pleaded not guilty to robbery. In 2016, the robbery trial was delayed until the resolution of the unrelated murder trial.<ref name="DillonPushed" />

===Prosecution on charges of voluntary manslaughter (2015–2017)===
[[File:Suge Knight Arrested 2015.jpg|thumb|Knight after his 2015 arrest]]
On January 29, 2015, Knight crashed his car into two men, killing Terry Carter (his friend and co-founder of Heavyweight Records), and fled the scene in [[Compton, California]].<ref name="CSMonitor">{{cite news|last=Dillon|first=Raquel Maria|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2015/0130/Ex-rap-mogul-Suge-Knight-arrested-on-suspicion-of-murder|title=Ex-rap mogul Suge Knight arrested on suspicion of murder|work=[[Christian Science Monitor]]|date=January 30, 2015|access-date=February 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=McGeehan|first=Patrick|title=Suge Knight, Music Executive, Is Questioned by Police in Hit-and-Run|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 30, 2015|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/us/police-seek-suge-knight-after-a-fatal-hit-and-run.html|access-date=January 30, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Rocha|first=Veronica|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-suge-knight-victim-father-figure-20150130-story.html|title=Man allegedly killed by Suge Knight was father figure in South L.A.|newspaper=[[LA Times]]|date=January 30, 2015|access-date=February 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onamrecords.com/Heavyweight_Records.html|title=Heavyweight Records On A&M Records|work=onamrecords.com}}</ref> The second victim, filmmaker [[Cle Shaheed Sloan|Cle Sloan]], suffered multiple fractures in his ankles and head injuries.<ref>{{cite news|last=McCartney|first=Anthony|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/rap-mogul-suge-knight-court-murder-charge-28680730|title=Suge Knight Taken to Hospital After Court Appearance|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=February 3, 2015|access-date=February 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/01/29/suge-knight-hit-and-run-terry-carter|title=Suge Knight kills "close friend" in Hit and Run|last=Kalilea|first=Vivian|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=January 29, 2015|access-date=January 29, 2015}}</ref> Witnesses said Knight followed the men to a burger stand parking lot after an argument on the ''[[Straight Outta Compton (film)|Straight Outta Compton]]'' film set, and that the collision looked intentional.<ref>[https://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/30/entertainment/suge-knight-hit-and-run/index.html Suge Knight arrested in fatal hit-and-run], Saeed Ahmed, CNN, January 30, 2015</ref> Security footage video showed Knight running over both men. Knight said he acted in self-defense.<ref>{{cite news|title='Suge' Knight's Lawyer: Video of Deadly Wreck Helps Defense |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/suge-knight-due-back-court-murder-case-29492227|access-date=February 9, 2015|author=Anthony McCartney|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|agency=[[Associated Press|AP]]|date=February 9, 2015}}</ref>

In March 2015, Knight was hospitalized after he told a judge that he was suffering from [[blindness]] and other complications. Knight fired attorneys handling his murder case and said he was receiving inadequate medical treatment while in custody.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/2015/03/04/suge-knight-hospitalized/24370649/|title=Suge Knight hospitalized after firing lawyers|first=Anthony|last=McCartney|newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=March 3, 2015}}</ref> The same month, a court set bail for his release for {{US$|25{{nbsp}}million}}. Knight collapsed in court shortly after the bail setting was announced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/31995074|title=Rap mogul Suge Knight collapses in court after judge sets $25 million bail|date=March 20, 2015|publisher=BBC Newsbeat}}</ref> On April 16, 2015, Knight's bail was reduced to {{US$|10{{nbsp}}million}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/647081/suge-knight-murder-case-going-to-trial-rapper-s-bail-reduced-to-10-million|title=Suge Knight Murder Case Going to Trial, Rapper's Bail Reduced to $10 Million|work=E! Online|date=April 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vibe.com/2015/04/suge-knight-bail-lowered-to-ten-million/|title=Judge Lowers Bail to $10 Million In Suge Knight Case - Vibe|work=Vibe}}</ref> In July 2015, Knight's lawyer said that Knight might have a brain tumor<ref>[http://www.tmz.com/2015/07/17/suge-knight-brain-tumor-toilet-jail-cell-bail/ "Suge Knight -- My Toilet Is Possessed ... Oh Yeah, I May Have a Brain Tumor"], TMZ, July 17, 2015.</ref> on the same day that Knight's request for lower bail was refused.<ref>Anthony McCartney, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/07/17/judge-refuses-to-lower-suge-knights-bail-in-murder-case/30299137/ "Judge refuses to lower Suge Knight's bail"], ''USA Today'', July 17, 2015.</ref> In January 2016, Knight changed counsel in his murder trial for a fourth time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6851631/suge-knight-new-lawyer-murder-case |title=Suge Knight Gets Fifth Lawyer in Murder Case |magazine=Billboard |agency=Associated Press |date=January 22, 2016 |access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Erin Staley |url=http://www.inquisitr.com/2731151/suge-knight-gets-new-lawyer-in-last-ditch-effort-to-avoid-life-sentence/ |title=Suge Knight Gets New Lawyer In Last-Ditch-Effort To Avoid Life Sentence |website=Inquisitr.com |date=January 23, 2016 |access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> In May 2016, three attorneys replaced the two hired earlier in the year.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hassahn Liggins |url=http://www.radiofacts.com/suge-knight-selects-defense-team-murder-trial/ |title=Suge Knight Selects New Defense Team for Murder Trial |website=Radiofacts.com |date=April 27, 2016 |access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> In July 2016, the judge denied Knight's motion to reveal the identities of several key prosecution witnesses, citing Knight's long history of violence.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/suge-knight-breaks-down-court-172300676.html |title=Suge Knight Breaks Down in Court as Judge Denies Key Witness Info |work=Yahoo |date=July 24, 2016 |access-date=September 25, 2016 |archive-date=September 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921202749/https://www.yahoo.com/celebrity/suge-knight-breaks-down-court-172300676.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Knight became emotional after the ruling, stating that because of his health problems, he will die in jail.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dillon |first=Nancy |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/judge-denies-rap-mogul-suge-knight-murder-trial-witness-info-article-1.2722024 |title=Judge denies rap mogul Suge Knight murder-trial witness info |work=NY Daily News |date=July 22, 2016 |access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref> In March 2017, Knight was hospitalized after [[suffering]] from [[blood clots]], a condition that had been affecting him for two and a half years by that time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tmz.com/2017/03/22/suge-knight-hospitalized-blood-clots/|title=Suge Knight Back in Hospital for Blood Clots|website=Tmz.com|date=March 22, 2017 }}</ref> Knight's hospitalization delayed the trial<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/suge-knight-misses-court-hearing-due-illness-article-1.3010522|title=Suge Knight misses court hearing due to illness|website=Nydailynews.com|date=March 27, 2017 }}</ref> to September 2018.<ref>{{cite news|access-date=June 20, 2018|title=Suge Knight Finally Gets a Date for Murder Trial|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8383590/suge-knight-murder-trial-date|newspaper=Billboard}}</ref>

When September arrived, Knight pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/20/entertainment/suge-knight-manslaughter-plea-deal/index.html|title=Suge Knight pleads no contest to manslaughter in 2015 hit-and-run|last1=Almasy|first1=Steve|last2=Mossburg|first2=Cheri|date=September 20, 2018|publisher=CNN|access-date=September 21, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/suge-knight-pleads-to-manslaughter-over-fatal-confrontation/ar-AAAoShK?li=BBnbfcL|title=Suge Knight pleads to manslaughter over fatal confrontation|last=Dalton|first=Andrew|date=September 17, 2018|publisher=MSN|access-date=September 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921034846/https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/suge-knight-pleads-to-manslaughter-over-fatal-confrontation/ar-AAAoShK?li=BBnbfcL|archive-date=September 21, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> The judge sentenced Knight to 28 years in prison: 22 years for running over the victim and 6 years because it was Knight's third strike under [[California's]] [[three-strikes law]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/suge-knight-sentenced-today-to-28-years-in-prison-for-fatally-running-over-man-in-2015/|title=Suge Knight sentenced to 28 years in prison|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=October 4, 2018 }}</ref> As of March 2023, Knight is incarcerated at [[RJ Donovan Correctional Facility]] in San Diego, and will not be eligible for parole until October 2034.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/default.aspx|title=State of California Inmate Locator|website=inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov}}</ref>

===Prosecution on charges of threatening death (2017)===
In February 2017, a [[grand jury]] indicted Knight on charges of "threatening death or bodily injury" for sending threatening [[Text messaging|text messages]] to [[F. Gary Gray]], the director of [[Straight Outta Compton (film)|''Straight Outta Compton'']],  c. August 8, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2017/08/02/suge-knight-indicted-death-threats-straight-outta-compton-f-gary-gray/|title=SUGE KNIGHT INDICTED FOR MAKING DEATH THREATS Against 'Compton' Director F. Gary Gray|website=TMZ|date=August 2, 2017|access-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref> Knight pleaded not guilty to the charge,<ref>Marisa Gerber, [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/suge-knight-pleads-not-guilty-threatening-f-gary-gray-article-1.3381543 Marion "Suge" Knight charged with threatening director of the film 'Straight Outta Compton'], ''New York Daily News'' (August 3, 2017).</ref> and the charge was dropped as part of Knight's plea agreement in the death of Terry Carter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/suge-knight-sentenced-today-to-28-years-in-prison-for-fatally-running-over-man-in-2015/|title=Suge Knight sentenced to 28 years in prison for fatally running over man in 2015|website=www.cbsnews.com|date=October 4, 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-20}}</ref>

==Biographical portrayals in film==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Portrayed by !! Notes
|-
| | 2001 || ''Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story'' || [[Ahmed Johnson|Anthony Norris]] || Biographical film about [[MC Hammer]]
|-
| | 2009 || ''[[Notorious (2009 film)|Notorious]]'' || [[Sean Ringgold]] || Biographical film about [[The Notorious B.I.G.]]
|-
| | 2015 || ''[[Straight Outta Compton (2015 film)|Straight Outta Compton]]'' || R. Marcos Taylor || Biographical film about [[N.W.A]]
|-
| | 2016 || ''[[Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le]]'' || R. Marcos Taylor || Biographical film about [[Michel'le]]
|-
| | 2017 || ''[[All Eyez on Me (film)|All Eyez on Me]]'' || {{nowrap|Dominic L.}} Santana || Biographical film about [[Tupac Shakur]]
|-
| | 2018 || ''[[Unsolved (U.S. TV series)|Unsolved]]'' || Dominic L. Santana ||American [[true crime]] [[Anthology series|anthology]] television series based on the murders of rappers [[Murder of Tupac Shakur|Tupac]] and [[Murder of The Notorious B.I.G.|Notorious B.I.G.]]
|}

== Documentary films ==
* Knight was interviewed for ''Rap Sheet: Hip-Hop and the Cops'' (2006), a documentary that delved into the NYPD's surveillance of hip-hop artists and executives.<ref>{{cite web | last=Kaufman |first=Gil | title=Kanye, Cam'ron, Game, Suge Knight Speak Out About "Hip-Hop Cops" in New Doc | url=https://www.mtv.com/news/1526809/kanye-camron-game-suge-knight-speak-out-about-hip-hop-cops-in-new-doc/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009223853/http://www.mtv.com/news/1526809/kanye-camron-game-suge-knight-speak-out-about-hip-hop-cops-in-new-doc/| url-status=dead| archive-date=October 9, 2014|website=MTV|date=March 22, 2006|access-date=11 July 2022}}</ref>
* ''[[American Dream/American Knightmare]]'', a documentary by [[Antoine Fuqua]] featuring interviews conducted with Knight in 2011 and 2012, was broadcast on [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] on December 21, 2018.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|40em}}
* ''Biggie & Tupac''. Dir. Nick Broomfield. Lafayette Films, 2002.
* Brown, Jake. ''Suge Knight: The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Death Row Records: The Story of Marion "Suge" Knight, a Hard Hitting Study of One Man, One Company That Changed the Course of American Music Forever''. Amber Books, October 1, 2001, 218 pp. {{ISBN|0-9702224-7-5}}
* Kading, Greg. ''Murder Rap: The Untold Story of the Biggie Smalls & Tupac Shakur Murder Investigations by the Detective Who Solved Both Cases''. One Time Publishing, 2011. {{ISBN|0-9839554-8-4}}
* "Suge Knight Sentenced to 10 Months for Parole Violation." MTV.com. July 31, 2003.
* Philips, Chuck. "Who Killed Tupac Shakur? How Vegas Police Probe Foundered". ''Los Angeles Times'', September 7, 2002, p.&nbsp;1.
* Raftery, Brian M. "A B.I.G. Mystery." ''Entertainment Weekly''. September 27, 2002, p.&nbsp;19.
* Ro, Ronin. ''Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise and Violent Fall of Death Row Records''. Doubleday, 1998, 384 pp. {{ISBN|0-385-49134-4}}
* [[Russell Poole|Poole, Russell]]. "Chaos Merchants" {{ISBN|9781310940200}}
* [http://www.cathyscott.com/ Scott, Cathy]. ''[[The Killing of Tupac Shakur]]''. Huntington Press, October 1, 2002, 235 pp. {{ISBN|0-929712-20-X}}
* Scott, Cathy. ''[[The Murder of Biggie Smalls]]''. St. Martin's Press, 210 pp.&nbsp;2000. {{ISBN|978-0312266202}}
* Scott, Cathy. "The Unsolved Murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls." [http://crimemagazine.com/unsolved-murders-tupac-shakur-and-biggie-smalls ''Crime Magazine'']. July 23, 2012, p.&nbsp;1.
* Sullivan, Randall. ''LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.'' New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. 2002.
* Sullivan, Randall. ''Labyrinth: Corruption and Vice in the L.A.P.D.: The truth behind the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls''. Atlantic Monthly Press, April 2, 2002, 384 pp. {{ISBN|0-87113-838-7}}
* ''Welcome to Death Row''. Dir. S. Leigh Savidge & Jeff Scheftel, 2001
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|collapsible=true|wikt=no|v=no|b=no}}
{{Footballstats |pfr=K/KnigSu20}}

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