Snoop Dogg's Death Row Records chain on The Voice Explained

There are a few pretty obvious reasons to compete The voice. The winner receives a cash prize of $100,000 and a recording contract with Universal Music Group. Runners-up get the chance to expand their audience week after week on one of the world's largest stages while being mentored by industry professionals.

These are just the table stakes, but sometimes participants receive bonus benefits from their chosen trainer, a piece of jewelry or a memento that symbolizes their shared goal (capturing the crown) and their time together. In the past, John Legend gave out Team Legend jackets, Chance the Rapper hats, Dan + Shay gave out custom baseball jerseys, and Reba McEntire always entices performers with tater tots, chicken strips, and other treats.

In season 27, Snoop Dogg has joined the coaching ranks and is handing out what is probably the coolest artifact in the history of The voice: Death Row Records chains.

A Brief History of the Death Row Files

Death Row Records was founded in 1991 by Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, The DOC and Dick Griffey formed. The label was instrumental in defining West Coast hip-hop and putting several big names on the map. Early on, the label secured a deal to contribute music to the 1992 film's soundtrack Deep coverage. The theme song was Dr. Dre's first release after leaving NWA and featured a young Snoop Dogg.

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Shortly thereafter, the label released Dre's first solo album, The ChronicleSnoop Dogg's Doggy styleand 2Pacs All eyes are on meAlbums that are still relevant today. By the end of the decade, the label was struggling with the burden of Tupac's murder, various legal battles, and the departure of its key artists, including Snoop Dogg. Death Row filed for bankruptcy in 2006 and was acquired by WIDEawake Entertainment three years later. It spread to several different corporate entities until Snoop purchased the label from MNRK Music Group in 2022.

That same year, Snoop released his third album on Death Row Records, 26 years after the release of his second album in 1996. This time he was not only the darling of the label, but also its owner. A few decades ago, Snoop received a Death Row necklace from Suge Knight, and now, 30 years later, he's the one handing it out.

The unspoken meaning of bling

Jewelry and other aesthetic adornments have been part of human culture for hundreds of thousands of years, ever since we became humans. Through hip hop, we can clearly see the meaning and cultural symbolism of jewelry.

Early hip hop artists were known for wearing simpler jewelry, often purchased from local stores, to show off their success. An artist might pick up a ring or necklace to celebrate an achievement or to symbolize reaching a new level. Over time, the role of jewelry in hip hop culture evolved, with each new artist upping the ante until they reached the many different forms we see in contemporary “bling” today. Artists wear their successes not on their sleeves, but on their wrists and fingers, on grills and around their necks.

Bling not only demonstrates wealth and success, but also symbolizes connection and the creation of a family. In 2002, Kanye West was a relative unknown when he signed with Roc-A-Fella Records and received a Roc-A-Fella necklace in front of a crowd in his hometown. Roc-A-Fellas co-founder Dame Dash, who presented the necklace to a young Ye, said: “I just wanted to empower him. And that's why I gave him the necklace in front of everyone in his hometown,” said Time.

In the right circles, the right necklace (or other jewelry) actually conveys power and respect. They cannot be bought or requested, they must be given and the criteria for acquiring them are variable and nebulous. Rapper and radio host Roxanne Shanté was part of the Juice Crew, an '80s hip-hop collective from Queensbridge, New York. She is the only rapper to receive a gold Juice Crew ring with the letter R set in diamonds.

“It used to be that a person who had Juice had respect and had control over their neighborhoods and situations. So when you saw someone with the Juice Crew ring, you knew they were a person you could trust. You knew that was one person “The person you could go to with your problems never had to buy you the Juice ring,” Shanté told NPR.

Shanté's Juice Crew ring is one of the more subtle pieces featured in “Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry,” on view at the American Museum of Natural History through January 5, 2025. From the '80s to today, it's run-DMC's Adidas pendant, Nicki Minaj's bejeweled Barbie necklace, a grill for Lil Nas, among others

Now, half a century after hip-hop's birth, collectors are eager to snap up yesterday's bling. In 2023, a pair of Death Row Records trailers were auctioned off along with artifacts from Tupac's 1996 Saturday Night Live Performance and other hip hop memorabilia. The chains were commissioned by music mogul Suge Knight and were intended to be loaned to artists. There were a few different types, including a diamond-encrusted gold “Fully Iced” pendant worn by top artists like Snoop Dogg and Tupac. That same year, one of Tupac's rings was auctioned off for over a million dollars.

Pendants, rings, grids and other jewelry are more than just fashion accessories, they are a means of communication. They allow the wearer to communicate their affiliation, philosophy and achievements. And they provide a visual overview, an ever-evolving but culturally regulated collection of artifacts that tell the story of an art form. For context, Snoop's chains are in season 27 of The voice are more than just necklaces, more than just souvenirs, they are very special gifts that only Snoop can give.