A video that had previously never been seen, shows Suge Knight, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, and other artists signed to Death Row Records speaking on the importance of voting, during an appearance at the Brotherhood Crusade Rally on August 15, 1996.
Suge Knight, who was the CEO of Death Row Records at the time the video was recorded, introduced both Tupac and Snoop, referring to both artists as the spokespersons for the label.
“One thing I’d like to say, if it weren’t for the community it would be no Death Row Records,” Suge Knight said. “And more important than all that, if it weren’t for Snoop, Daz, Hammer, Tupac…it would be no me. So, I’m not here to try to get the limelight or be famous, nothing like that. I think my spokesperson for Death Row always will be—The guy who acts, raps. The other guy who raps and now he’s a model. I’d like to bring Tupac and Snoop up.”
Tupac, who was killed less than one month after his appearance at the rally, spoke on how fans who purchase albums from artists at Death Row should also represent voters.
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“We just want y’all to know that at Death Row we appreciate everything y’all doing for us,” Tupac said. “My record sales, we got six million. Snoop got four million. Dogg Pound got three million. And we keep going. That means we represent that many votes. If we can represent that many votes, we gotta let these politicians be scared of us. That means anytime we drop something y’all gotta pick it up. Every time y’all call for us, we gon’ come.”
Following Pac’s speech, Snoop Dogg offered a few words of his own on voting. He spoke on representing one’s community through voting.
“It’s our voice that means something,” Snoop said. “It’s all on us. If we don’t speak ain’t nobody gonna speak for us. They gon’ speak against, so we got to speak up. As a rapper. As a brother from the community. Somebody who is intact with what y’all feel and with what y’all go through. I’m one of the main voices saying that I’m with getting out here, voting. And getting y’all to get out there and vote. And be about what you about cause y’all community is you.”
For additional Tupac coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
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