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12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 A highly impressed reviewer....Nov 03, 2001
By Knyte
"To The Stars"
For me, this film raised a lot of interesting questions -- like for one, in the wake of the damaging press on Death Row's alleged "drug money" funding, why hadn't Interscope heads Jimmy Iovine or Ted Fields ever been questioned? When Death Row received all the bad press during the East Coast/West Coast feud, or when stories of Death Row's alleged brutality in their studios came to light, how and why did Jimmy Iovine and Ted Fields come away unscathed, with not so much as one speculative article? These two guys literally owe their fortunes (about $400 million from Death Row) to Suge Knight and the rest of Death Row records, who only saw about half as much. Interscope Records was going out of business -- the Chronic album saved it... I have never witnessed interviews as candid and intriguing as these, and from such a wide variety of (as far as I can tell) credible sources. For me, the value of this documentary isn't so much in the slandering of anyone's name. Rather, "Welcome To Death Row" provides extremely valuable lessons on the pitfalls of show BUSINESS, because it is a business (Jerry Heller, David Kenner, Ted Fields, and Jimmy Iovine never forgot that!). Snoop Dogg has over 10 minutes of an interview where he discusses his very beginnings. We get to hear from a man named Michael Harris, and I'll leave that at that. Folks at S.O.L.A.R. records, (where Babyface got his start), early Nate Dogg, D.O.C., Death Row's launch party, it's all here. My man Kevin Powell (the only journalist to ever really get close to the late Tupac Shakur) also adds some great insights. Right now you are reading the words of a highly impressed reviewer. Your viewing experience of this film will not be complete without the DVD extras. If you don't have a DVD player, buy a DVD player; Snoop's solo interview (DVD only) is by far one of the best segments on here. Also look out for clips of the Death Row launch party in Beverly Hills, and outtakes (featuring great footage) of the various sources interviewed. I cannot say enough about this film. "Welcome To Death Row" is not a music video -- it wasn't made to "entertain" anyone. If you're serious about the URBAN music industry, then this is required viewing...
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Welcome to Death RowOct 04, 2002
By SID
"Punk"
This documentary surprised me. At first I saw it because I am a rap fan especially of the old Death Row. I was blown away by the style and production of this movie. Two huge things make this documentary worth wild. First off the film is completely impartial. You just get the facts and opinions of those directly involved and few from those outside. The other factor is that other people who aren't rap fans will find this interesting. After my viewing I showed this to many friends and all were deeply interested despite any real interest in rap music. Great topic because of it's controversy and it's impact over the nation. If you give it an honest shot you'll find it interesting and very well done.
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 The WHOLE story...Oct 01, 2001
By D. Johnson
"oasisgnr"
This video is worth getting if you're a fan of the old Death Row. There is so much information and details about the rise and the fall of Death Row. It was interesting to see how Suge Knight went from being a regular bodyguard to being one of the music's worlds must notable names. The DVD traces Suge's history from being Bobby Brown's bodyguard to the infamous Vanilla Ice scandal. Not a single detail is missed on this DVD. There are also additional features aside from the Documentary, including an indepth Snoop Dogg interview. If you are interested in the deep history of Death Row, buy this DVD. If you're not a huge old school Death Row fan, it may be a little dull.
14 of 16 found the following review helpful:
 Death Row is Dr. Dre, Snoop, Daz, Kurupt, Makaveli & OutlawzSep 27, 2001
Every damn Death Row documentary focuses on the same sh_t. Come on, tell me about the early days and how DPG came to be. Tell me how Daz met Kurupt, and how Dre signed all of them. There was only 10 basic members to the first Death Row family. And here they go again focusing on Suge (boring story heard a million times) and Dre leaving. No talk about DPG & Outlawz??? Barely anything interesting on Makaveli & Snoop*. Same East vs. West sh_t we been hearin'. Tell me about how Makaveli created these masterpieces, not what he thought of Biggie. I know that sh_t, its old. Snoop* - there was a side interview in the special features that had Snoop talking about Daz, D.O.C., Above The Law. Stuff I never knew, but it wasn't even in the main feature. That is the reason why I gave it 3 stars. Rent, don't buy it. Go buy some DPG albums instead.
12 of 15 found the following review helpful:
Stranded on Death RowJan 30, 2003
By Michael Crane
Although not being the big rap fan I once was in high school, I have always been fascinated by Death Row Records and all of the controversy that surrounded the notorious record label since day one. "Welcome to Death Row" is a thought-provoking documentary that tells the story of how a dangerous and popular record label changed the music industry, and how it all came falling apart. The documentary is filmed with new interviews with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and other former Death Row artists, as well as interviews with big names in both the music and media industry. They tell their side of the story and reveal just what exactly went on while working for Death Row. I found this documentary to be extremely fascinating and well-done. It seems to stick with the facts for the most part, instead of reverting to a bunch of conspiracy theories. There's enough respected people who appeared on the film, which makes it easier to believe. While it answers some questions, it doesn't answer all of them. We still to this day do not know who shot Tupac and for what reason. And although it reveals most of what went on at Death Row, I am sure there are more untold stories that have yet to see the light of day. The DVD is really impressive for a documentary. It's shot in widescreen, which is something I wasn't expecting. The picture and sound quality is really good. The extra features are also very impressive and make their presence felt. Some of the features are extensive interview outtakes, commentary from the filmmaker, the trailer, and more. "Welcome to Death Row" is an intriguing and interesting documentary. Filled with things we had known all along and things we never knew, this is a documentary worth watching over and over again. You don't even have to be a big rap fan to enjoy it. If you know enough about the record label's history and you are a music fan, I think you'll really find this all interesting. Very well worth the money and very well worth the time.
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