Lydia Harris reignited her legal war over Death Row Records by demanding Snoop Dogg stop using the brand until her $107 million judgment is paid in full.
Lydia Harris is taking her decades-long fight over Death Row Records to federal court, asking a judge to block Snoop Dogg from using the label’s name and assets without settling a $107 million judgment she won nearly 20 years ago.
Harris, the ex-wife of Michael “Harry-O” Harris, filed a motion demanding that Snoop’s company, Death Row Records LLC, be held financially responsible for the unpaid 2005 award.
That judgment, issued by a California state court, found that Death Row Records Inc. and former CEO Suge Knight committed fraud and malicious misconduct. The ruling included $60 million in punitive damages.
Snoop acquired Death Row’s assets in a 2022 bankruptcy sale and relaunched the label under a new LLC.
Harris claims the deal was made without her knowledge or approval, violating her legal rights and enriching Snoop’s company at her expense. She is asking the court to impose a constructive trust on the brand and apply successor liability to the new entity.
The legal battle goes back to the early days of Death Row.
In 1989, Harry-O allegedly invested $1.5 million to help launch the label in exchange for a 50% stake. When the company exploded in the 1990s, Harris filed suit 2002 on his behalf while he was incarcerated.
That lawsuit led to the massive 2005 judgment, but the Harriases never received a dime. Ownership of Death Row changed hands several times before Snoop acquired the brand.
Harris now accuses the current ownership of using bankruptcy and corporate maneuvering to dodge the court’s order. Her latest motion also includes civil RICO allegations, claiming wire fraud and bankruptcy manipulation were used to avoid payment.
She’s seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to stop any further use of the Death Row name until the judgment is resolved.
Adding another layer to the conflict, Harry-O—who was granted clemency by President Donald Trump in 2021 after serving over 30 years in prison—is now working as the chief operating officer of Snoop’s version of Death Row.
Snoop’s legal team has pushed back, arguing the case is too old and accusing Harris of “bad faith litigation and harassment.”
The federal court has not yet ruled on Harris’s motion.
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