The long-running fascination with hip-hop memorabilia has taken a sharp turn, as former Death Row Records CEO Marion “Suge” Knight claims the chain recently purchased by Drake is not the authentic piece once worn by Tupac Shakur.
Speaking in a phone interview with Art of Dialogue, Knight dismissed the chain’s authenticity outright, stressing that he alone handed out official Death Row pieces during the label’s peak. “I gave one to Snoop at first, and Snoop felt that the Death Row chain would cause too much controversy. He said he ain’t trying to be squabbling up, so I made him a dog paw chain instead,” Knight explained.
Tupac’s Chain Was Unique
Knight went on to clarify that Tupac never received a newly issued Death Row chain. Instead, the rapper chose to wear Knight’s personal piece, which was fully encrusted in diamonds—both the chain and the bezel—with no engraving on the back.
According to Knight, this was the chain he wore when picking Tupac up from prison in 1995. Pac admired the bold pendant, which depicted a man strapped into an electric chair, but declined a fresh version. “He like, ‘Sht, you my big bro. Let me wear yours, that’s more important. I don’t want a first one, I want to wear the one you got,’”* Knight recalled.
Knight stressed that this made Tupac’s chain a one-of-one, never duplicated and never distributed to anyone else. By contrast, the piece Drake allegedly purchased does not match that description, which Knight says makes it inauthentic.
“It Ain’t Drake’s Fault”
Despite questioning the chain’s legitimacy, Knight was careful not to target 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.
Still, he urged the Canadian rapper to connect with people who genuinely represent Tupac’s legacy in order to clear the air. For Knight, the chain is more than a piece of jewelry—it’s a symbol of authenticity tied directly to one of hip-hop’s most enduring icons.
As debates over the value and authenticity of hip-hop artifacts continue, this latest revelation raises questions about who controls the narrative around Tupac’s legacy—and what that legacy is really worth.
