Dr. Dre thinks Death Row Records owes him some money, and he’s heading back to court to get the record company’s documents in order to find out if he's right. Dre, under the name Andre Young, has filed suit asking for permission to obtain this information under Rule 2004 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which allows judges to order companies to turn over documents related to their assets, liabilities, and financial affairs.
The dispute deals mainly with The Chronic, an album produced when Dre was a 50 percent owner of Death Row. Because of his close association, Young granted the company the right to distribute the album in exchange for royalties. When the relationship soured in 1996, Young gave up his ownership interest in the label but retained the royalty rights for all the music he produced at Death Row.
Dre claims Death Row broke this agreement by failing to deliver the agreed upon money. He also has an issue with the label’s court-appointed bankruptcy administrator asking to sell the company’s catalog to Warner Music Group for $25 million. Young contends this would result in another company distributing his music, further violating the original agreement. Death Row filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2006. [Billboard]
