To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Death Row Records has opened a digital museum, appropriately dubbed The Death Row Experience. The virtual tour is soundtracked by some of the label's biggest hits, offering guests an intimate view of the legendary label and even the opportunity to collect some NFTs by artist TillaVision (seems everyone is dropping one nowadays) that coincide with Death Row's inimitable output.
Despite its immense influence on hip-hop, Death Row's discography is relatively slight compared to some of its peers. Master P's No Limit, for instance, outpaced Death Row with its 1998 output alone and so did the shorter-lived Roc-A-Fella Records, eventually. However, Death Row's impact is inarguable, thanks to heavy-hitting classics like co-founder Dr. Dre's The Chronic, Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, and the final Tupac album issued during his lifetime (All Eyez on Me).
Death Row went defunct in 2008 following a 2006 bankruptcy, but its music remains immeasurably powerful. The groovy bounce of Tupac's "California Love" (available as a remix in the playlist) and "Gin And Juice"s slithering G-Funk synthesizers are as hooky as when they first dominated radio stations in the '90s.
The Death Row Experience lets visitors peruse exhibits like "Row Classics," "The Legends of Death Row," and even a gallery of album covers on their way to the gift shop. The aforementioned tunes, which can be turned off (though they should be blasted loudly), set an appropriately menacing tone.
Take on The Death Row Experience now — even if the merch, NFTs, and collectibles aren't up your alley, the retro memorabilia and playlist make it worth a click-through.
