Early life
Knight was born on April 19, 1965, in Compton, California, to Marion Knight Sr. and Maxine Chatman. His father was a semi-professional boxer, while his mother was a homemaker. Knight has three siblings: a brother, Darrell, and two sisters, Karen and Valencia.
Knight began bodybuilding at the age of 12 and developed a reputation as a tough street fighter. He attended Lynwood High School, where he played football as a running back for the Lynwood Knights. After graduating from high school in 1983, he was offered a scholarship to play football for the University of Southern California (USC). However, he turned down the scholarship and instead signed a contract with the NFL's Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent.
Football career
Knight's football career was cut short after just one season due to a knee injury. He was released by the Rams in 1984 and never played professional football again.
Music career
After his football career ended, Knight worked as a bodyguard for several celebrities, including Bobby Brown and Vanilla Ice. In 1991, he co-founded Death Row Records with Dr. Dre, a renowned hip hop producer.
Under Knight's leadership, Death Row Records quickly became one of the most successful hip hop record labels in the world. The label released a number of classic albums, including Dr. Dre's *The Chronic* (1992), Snoop Dogg's *Doggystyle* (1993), and Tupac Shakur's *All Eyez on Me* (1996).
Knight's success in the music industry was due in part to his aggressive marketing tactics. He was also unafraid to use violence to protect his artists and intimidate his rivals. In 1996, he was involved in a high-profile feud with Sean "Puffy" Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records. The feud culminated in a shooting at a Las Vegas nightclub that left two people dead.
Legal troubles
In addition to his violent altercations, Knight has been involved in a number of legal troubles throughout his career. He was convicted of racketeering and sentenced to nine years in prison in 2003. He was released on bail in 2005, but was sent back to prison in 2006 for violating his parole.
In 2018, Knight was arrested for murder after he ran over and killed a man outside a Los Angeles restaurant. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2019 and sentenced to 28 years in prison.
Knight is currently serving his sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California. He will be eligible for parole in 2037.