Death Row Records is easily one of the best record labels of all-time as we saw superstars on their roster such as 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and more. Classic albums came through the label as well such as Pac’s “All Eyez On Me,” Dre’s “The Chronic,” and Snoop’s “Dogggystyle.”
Michael Harris had helped co-found Death Row in the late 80s but wasn’t able to see his label’s success in-person as he was incarcerated for 31 years for attempted murder and kidnapping. He helped fund the label with $1.5 million as he had money coming in as a drug kingpin. As many know, Suge Knight was the co-founder as well and CEO of the label as well. According to The Daily Mail, Harris is set to finally be released in “mid-August.” We’re at that point now so he should be home any day now.
When Harris initially went to prison, his wife Lydia at the time helped fund some of Death Row’s best albums such as The Chronic. When he’s finally free, he seems to already being dedicated to changing his life. He wants to get into activism as he’ll be working with the Texas company, 2nd Chance, where broken communities are healed and prison reform is advocated for. Harris will serve as 2nd Chance’s Co-Owner.
“Giving back to the communities where my help is so desperately needed, it would be an honor and a privilege to have an opportunity to take this implanted wisdom back into the streets so that I can share which I have learned from these 30 years of incarceration to help heal my broken communities,” said Harris on the company’s website.
With Harris’ work in the community, it’ll be interesting to see if he will still want to be involved in the music industry too. He saw so many legends rise from the label he helped turn into a household name. He’s 57-years-old now and being held at a federal correctional facility in Lompoc, California. He’s expected to be transferred to a halfway house in San Antonio, TX.
