Hip Hop/ Rap
Suge Knight Claims Drake’s Tupac Death Row Chain Is Fake
The buzz surrounding Drake’s purchase of Tupac Shakur’s Death Row Records chain just took a sharp turn. Former Death Row CEO Suge Knight is calling the claim “cap”—insisting that the piece the rapper allegedly bought isn’t authentic. Speaking from prison in a phone interview with Art of Dialogue, Knight asserted that he was the only person authorized to distribute Death Row chains, and that the one Tupac famously wore was his personal chain, not a duplicate.
“I gave one to Snoop [Dogg] at first, but he thought it would cause too much controversy, so I made him a dog paw chain instead,” Suge Knight explained.
The Real Story Behind Tupac’s Chain
According to Suge Knight, the original Death Row chain was unlike anything else produced at the time. It was covered in diamonds—from the pendant to the bezel of the chain—and had no engravings on the back.
Suge Knight recalled the exact moment Tupac took an interest in it: “When I picked Pac up from jail in 1995, he admired the pendant. I told him he could have his own, but he said, ‘Nah, you my big bro. Let me wear yours—that’s more important.’”
From then on, Suge Knight claims, Tupac wore his chain, making the piece unique and historically significant. That exclusivity, Knight argues, makes the chain Drake recently purchased inauthentic.
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Drake Not to Blame, Says Knight
Despite the controversy, Suge Knight stopped short of criticizing Drake personally. “I don’t go hard about it because I know it ain’t Drake’s fault. I believe Drake really admired Tupac and liked Tupac,” Knight said.
Instead, Suge Knight pointed fingers at those selling memorabilia, urging Drake to verify authenticity with people truly connected to Tupac’s legacy rather than relying on collectors or auction houses.
Drake Buys 2Pac’s Iconic Death Row Chain
Hip-Hop History Meets Modern Controversy
The debate highlights an ongoing issue in hip-hop: the authenticity of cultural artifacts tied to legends like Tupac. From handwritten lyrics to jewelry and clothing, items linked to Shakur are often contested, with millions of dollars at stake.
For Drake, who has long expressed admiration for Tupac, the purchase was likely meant as a tribute. But with Knight—the man who was at Tupac’s side during some of his most pivotal moments—declaring the chain “fake,” the rapper now finds himself at the center of a heated discussion about hip-hop history, authenticity, and legacy.
