Late Night, Did You Know? Death Row Records and Suge Knight Used to Host Annual Mother's Day Luncheons
A day late and a few greenbacks short with this blog- yesterday being Mother's Day and all. Sincerest apologies.
Somebody reached out to me on the twitter today in response to the Mother's Day blog yesterday, and included mention of the Official Death Row Records Mothers Day Luncheon since I referenced Tupac in my blog.
Unbeknownst to me it turns out Suge Knight had a soft spot in his heart for the moms out there.
What if I told you these gentlemen-
Suge, Tupac, Hammer (Yes, people forget MC Hammer was on Death Row for a minute), Snoop
As well as these gentlemen
The Outlawz
And this gentleman of course-
Dre
Used to throw annual Mother's Day Luncheon's to honor their own mom's as well as nearly 1,000 single moms from the Los Angeles community.
Highlights of the luncheon included:
Chauffeured transportation to and from The Regent Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Lots of champagne. Of course.
A candlelit 5 course meal.
Suge Knight: The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Death Row Records - They have in the process often ignored the repeated acts of generosity Suge Knight and Death Row Records have committed through much of the 1990's in the name of community betterment - including annual celebrations sponsored at $75,000 a pop by Knight for single mothers living in the Compton neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles, whom Knight transports to Beverly Hills for a candle-lit, five-course Mother's Day champagne brunch; the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Day champagne brunch; the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner that Death Row sponsors for hundreds of inner city families who could not afford meals of their own…"
A live rap concert with performances by Death Row Records artists
Profound wisdom from a modern-day stoic
"“There’s one thing you gotta realize,” he told the children. “You will always have one mother--just one.” - Suge Knight
As well as his infamous temper. Always on full public display-
LA Weekly - Then the music began with an a cappella rendition of “Our Father” (an odd choice for Mother’s Day) followed by a polished performance by oldster George Duke that was abruptly cut off, Academy Awards–style. It was the first glimpse of Suge’s not-so-subtle stage managing, which became even more blatant moments later when he heckled Michael Blade, the leader of the backup band. Blade had paused to appreciate Duke’s performance and introduce himself and his band, which consisted of several horn players, a drummer and a rhythm guitarist. An unseen, microphoned voice cut in. “Stop talking and start playing.” Blade shut up.
And the real cherry on top. Perhaps the greatest parting gift in the history of parting gifts.
Every mom got her own personal Death Row Records diamond-studded chain to take home.
Yes, one of these baby's.
Got Your Back: Protecting Tupac in the World of Gangsta Rap- At the last Mother's Day party, Suge gave all the mother's Death Row chains, smaller than the ones the guys used to wear, but still pure gold. These very women have been jumped on; chains have been snatched off their necks; they've been slapped in public. All because of that emblem."
What'd you get your mom this year? Tulips and a Paper Source card you pussy?
Your mom can't flex in the streets with tulips. She isn't going to catch a slap in the face for walking around with flowers. Or have them ripped from her body in a staged robbery. She needs a heavy solid gold emblem of a man riding the lightning with a bag over his head, encrusted in diamonds, to really stunt on those bitches at Coopers Hawk. Compare yourself all you want to Suge Knight, just never kid yourself into thinking that you're a better son or daughter to ALL the moms out there than him.
LA Weekly - Maxine Knight, mother of rap mogul Suge Knight, leaned in close, as if to share a treasured secret. “Suge is my baby,” she said, beaming. “I’m very proud of him . . . though he is a little spoiled.”
We were sitting close to the stage at Suge Knight’s (Somewhat) Annual Death Row Records Single Mother’s Day Brunch, held in regal splendor at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Maxine is not single — her longtime husband (and Suge’s daddy), Marion, was by her side — but she never misses the brunch. And her son always gives her a spectacular gift after the show.
“He buys me anything I want,” she said. Sometimes it’s a car. One year it was the Chiclet-size diamonds in her ears. “I said since my son wears a big diamond, I want mine half the size of his. I never take them out, only to clean them.”
Noting that a lot of single mothers often don’t receive the praise they deserve, Suge Knight, co-founder and president of rap label Death Row Records, which hosted the event, said the luncheon is a way to give such mothers a day of celebration, and a chance for them to mingle with other women in their situation.
Knight, who attributed his own success to the constant nurturing of his mother, said mothers--especially single mothers--often struggle to make ends meet and grapple with raising a child alone.
“I feel like a lot of single mothers work hard and have so much daily stress in their lives. . . . " Knight said. “That’s why we are doing this.”
If Wu-Tang is for the children, then Death Row is definitely for the moms.