By playing, you agree to uListen's Terms and Privacy Policy and YouTube's Terms of Service.
My First MillionThe Story Of Death Row Records Co-Founder Harry-O (#421)
Summaries, chapters, transcripts, and FAQs on this page are made by uListen, not YouTube.
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:48
How Sam Met Harry-O and His Early Businesses
Sam Parr sets up the conversation, explaining that a mutual friend from The Last Mile connected them, and asks about the 11 businesses Harry-O had by 26. Harry-O lists a limousine service, construction, production and music companies, salons and real estate.
- •Sam and Harry-O were connected through Chris of The Last Mile
- •Harry-O is from the east side of Los Angeles
- •His businesses included limousines, construction, production, music, beauty salons and real estate
- •He also produced concerts and plays and worked as a club promoter
- 2:48 – 4:25
Running a 30-Car Limo Company at 23
Harry-O describes his luxury limousine business of about 30 ultra-stretch cars and how he farmed out overflow work for half the fee. He says he was around 23 at the time.
- •About 30 luxury ultra-stretch limousines
- •He advertised heavily and farmed out jobs beyond his capacity to other services
- •Farming out earned him 50% of the service because he initiated the sale
- •He was probably around 23
- 4:25 – 7:23
Childhood Lessons from the Shoeshine Parlor
Asked how he started so young, Harry-O recalls working at a neighborhood shoeshine parlor before junior high. He says he learned about competition, reading people and not judging a book by its cover, and he also watched his mother build her restaurant.
- •Worked at a shoeshine parlor as a kid, where two rival shops competed
- •Listened to customers from all walks of life and learned from them
- •Learned not to judge people by appearance, such as who tips well
- •Watched his mother rise from employee to owner of a restaurant
- 7:23 – 11:09
Empire Size, Real Estate and the Road to Entertainment
Harry-O says he had about 150 employees, made millions, and invested in real estate, owning 30 or 40 buildings. He then explains how The Jingle Factory studio drew him into music and he began working with Motown behind the scenes.
- •About 150 employees and millions in revenue
- •Invested consistently in real estate, including rehabs and luxury properties
- •Opened a studio called The Jingle Factory making commercials for local businesses
- •Started managing groups and working with record labels and production companies
- 11:09 – 14:45
YNOT Productions and Bringing Checkmate to Broadway
Harry-O explains creating YNOT Production and getting into plays, working with actors such as Denzel on the play Checkmate. He took it toward Broadway until his arrest, and he describes his approach of becoming managing partner while learning each business.
- •Created YNOT Production because it was hard for people like him to get a foothold
- •Met Denzel, Vanessa Williams, Ruby Dee and others through the play
- •Worked with director Woody King and author Ron Milner on Checkmate
- •Took the play to Broadway, but the arrest kept him from marketing it
- •As managing partner he insisted on learning everything about each business
- 14:45 – 17:28
Persona Versus Reality
Sam suggests Harry-O could seem intimidating to others in the business world. Harry-O says he always respected others' territory and dealt with people respectfully, and that the Death Row era led people to lump everyone together.
- •Distinguishes the perception of him from the reality of him
- •Says he was always straight up with people
- •Says people conflate everyone involved in Death Row into one attitude
- •Admits he is not proud of things he did in his youth
- 17:28 – 22:50
Arrest, Charges and the Cocaine Business
Harry-O says he was arrested just as the Broadway launch approached, first for attempted murder and later for drug conspiracy. He was eventually exonerated of the attempted murder, admits to the cocaine business, and reflects on its harm to his community.
- •Arrested for attempted murder and later for drug conspiracy
- •Exonerated of the attempted murder after 23 years
- •Admits he was involved in cocaine sales, reported at around two million dollars a day
- •Says he saw the damage the drug did to his own community
- •Describes how it looked like just another step up from selling weed
- 22:50 – 24:21
Sentencing and Warning Others
Harry-O describes his sentence of 25 to life plus 20 federal years, and says the system is real. He says he should be a conduit for talking to people poised to make the same mistakes, stressing patience over quick escapes.
- •Sentenced to 25 to life plus a 20-year federal sentence
- •People see the glitz and glamour but lack patience in unbearable conditions
- •Patience could save a lifetime of misery
- •He wants to talk to people poised to repeat his youthful mistakes
- 24:21 – 29:36
Founding Death Row from Prison
Sam asks how Harry-O started Death Row while in prison. Harry-O says he still had energy and was already bitten by the entertainment bug, and explains how Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, D.O.C. and his attorney David Kenner came together and how the name came about.
- •Refused to let his sentence be the end of him
- •Death Row grew out of the N.W.A. and Ruthless era, as Dr. Dre became disgruntled
- •Suge Knight managed Dre and D.O.C. and was introduced to Harry-O
- •Godfather Entertainment came first, then Death Row
- •The name reflects young people he saw sentenced to death row while housed at San Quentin
- 29:36 – 32:45
Death Row's Roster, Impact and the New Death Row
Harry-O says Death Row had a small but effective roster, including Snoop, Dre and later Pac, and connected dots across the industry. He says Snoop reacquired the label and he is CEO of the new Death Row.
- •The label had a small but effective roster, including Snoop, Dre, Warren G, D.O.C. and Tupac
- •Its relationships increased Universal's distribution and affected Warner Brothers
- •He wants to expand the narrative beyond drama to the label's enterprising nature
- •Snoop reacquired Death Row and Harry-O is CEO of the new Death Row
- 32:45 – 39:12
What Sets Culture Changers Apart
Sam asks what the people who changed culture had in common. Harry-O discusses Denzel's consistency and professionalism, intentionality, and how rap let communities speak about their reality, including police brutality.
- •Denzel stayed consistent in character and work ethic
- •Harry-O says he says what he means after being in sticky situations
- •Hip-hop let communities speak for themselves, like their own news channel
- •His intention was to elevate, but the business took on a life of its own
- 39:12 – 45:21
Hearing the First Hit, Sales and Watching from Prison
Harry-O recalls the Deep Cover single by Snoop and Dre as the moment fellow inmates took notice. Sam and Harry-O then discuss the album sales and cassette pricing, and what it was like to see the money while locked up.
- •Heard the whole Chronic album before release
- •The Deep Cover single made fellow inmates suddenly want to hear the tape
- •Death Row moved from independent music into the majors
- •Cassettes were about $9 and the label got roughly 30 to 40%
- •He was glad to see legitimate success while in prison
- 45:21 – 50:20
Managing Creatives and Suge Knight
Sam asks what he would have done differently and about Suge as a manager. Harry-O praises Suge's early creativity and laments his unraveling, then describes managing wild creative people as putting out fires while accepting where people start.
- •Suge was creative and well placed, and could have been a great entrepreneur had he not imploded
- •Harry-O says he has nothing negative to say about anyone
- •Managing creatives means putting out fires and taking people where they are
- •Many of the artists became philanthropists and mentors
- •He compares the Death Row story to a Shakespearean play
- 50:20 – 56:33
Pride in Death Row, Tupac and Rebellious Energy
Harry-O calls Death Row his most impactful work, and Sam explains why Tupac and the rebellious culture resonated with him. They compare the energy to startups and tech entrepreneurs creating something from nothing.
- •Death Row is recognized worldwide, including by people in high places
- •Sam admired Tupac as a flawed but redemptive and prolific young artist
- •Harry-O says guarding your circle matters because others' actions can fall on you
- •He calls the music's energy infectious beyond its culture
- •They compare hip-hop to tech startups that start small and affect the world
- 56:33 – 1:02:28
Calmness, The Last Mile and Wrap-Up
Sam says Harry-O's calm inspires him, and Harry-O attributes it to a conversation with God in a volatile situation. They close by discussing The Last Mile, his Instagram, upcoming projects and his plan to start a podcast.
- •Harry-O says his calm comes from a conversation with God and viewing each person as a miracle
- •He says he survived early prison dangers without a scar
- •The Last Mile teaches inmates to code and prepares them for tech jobs
- •His Instagram is theofficialharryo
- •Plans a podcast and upcoming projects he can't yet discuss
