Suge Knight - On The Real DVD

A documentary about the life of its proprietor and the works of Death Row record label, Suge Knight On The Real is executively-produced by the man himself and was made in 2001, following his release from prison after a sentence for parole violations. The story of Death Row records is a colourful one to say the least, the unofficial version of which is best told in Ronin Ro's Have Gun Will Travel: The Spectacular Rise And Violent Fall Of Death Row Records. This, however, is a decidedly official version that alludes only obscurely and fleetingly to the stories of corruption,... violence and high-profile murder that have engorged Death Row from its early 90s beginnings. The segments featuring Knight himself are thoroughly dispensable. The sound quality is poor while Knight rambles like a sort of Stateside Terry Major-Ball, going on at some length about why he thought it necessary to bring along tennis shoes to court on the day of sentencing. His one interesting snippet is his bitchy assertion that Death Row star Dr Dre once told him he desperately wished he were white. The musical clips, a potted history of Death Row, are what make this a worthwhile purchase. Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr Dre and Tupac Shakur are all featured here and while the subject matter of both the rappers and the videos is often depressingly boorish to the point of obnoxious--pathetic fixations on jewellery, status, "booty" and so on--the mostly Dre-generated, low-riding P-Funk rhythms are irresistible. Buy, in conjunction with the Ronin Ro tome. --David Stubbs [show more]

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