One of the strangest stories of 2019 was a report the toy company Hasbro had bought Death Row Records:
Death Row Records went bankrupt in 2006. However, Suge Knight's label's very lucrative catalog is still functional and yesterday it was purchased by a very surprising buyer: Hasbro.
As a result of their deal to buy Entertainment One for $4 billion, the toy company which owns the Mr. Potato Head, Monopoly, G.I. Joe, Furby, Transformers, Nerf, My Little Pony, Twister, and Power Rangers franchises, now also owns Death Row.
Entertainment One was a Canadian entertainment company primarily involved in the acquisition, distribution, and production of music, films, and television series. They had purchased Death Row's catalog for $280 million in 2013.
After a few months of negotiations, Hasbro has announced this week the deal has been finalized.
“We are excited about what we can do together and see tremendous opportunity for shareholder value creation through this acquisition. Our businesses are highly complementary with substantial synergies and a great cultural fit. The addition of eOne accelerates our blueprint strategy by expanding our brand portfolio with eOne’s beloved global preschool brands, adding proven TV and film expertise, and creating additional opportunities for long-term profitable growth. We are pleased to welcome the incredibly talented eOne team to our Company," Hasbro chairman Brian Goldner said.
No word on if Ray J, who is handling Death Row when Suge Knight is locked up, had anything to do with the negotiations.