Michael Harris (music executive)
Michael R. "Harry-O" Harris | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 20, 1960 |
| Occupation(s) | Music executive, entrepreneur, social activist |
| Known for | Co-founder of Death Row Records, chief operating officer of Death Row Records |
Michael R. "Harry-O" Harris (born September 20, 1960) is a prominent American figure in the hip hop industry, known for his roles as a music executive, entrepreneur, and social activist. In 1987, Harris was sentenced to 28 years in prison for charges including crack cocaine trafficking, kidnapping, and attempted murder. During his incarceration, he played a pivotal role in establishing Death Row Records. In 2021, President Donald Trump granted him clemency, and Harris now serves as the chief operating officer of the revitalized Death Row Records while also founding multiple activist organizations.
Drug dealing and incarceration
Harris initially enrolled at West Los Angeles Community College to study marketing and business but left school before turning 20 to engage in crack cocaine distribution in Los Angeles. Over the next five years, alongside his brother David, he expanded this into a nationwide drug enterprise by collaborating with gangs such as the Bloods, Crips, and the Cali Cartel, reportedly generating close to $2 million each day. He funneled earnings into legitimate ventures including a deli, beauty salon, limousine service, electrical contracting firm, and a theatrical production company that produced the 1988 play Checkmates, notable for being Denzel Washington's Broadway debut. In 1987, Harris received a 28-year sentence for kidnapping and attempted murder involving James Lester, a distant relative connected to the drug operation. While serving time, he took on the role of editor-in-chief for the San Quentin News.
Death Row Records
In the autumn of 1991, Harris introduced his attorney David Kenner to Suge Knight and invested $1.5 million to co-found Godfather Entertainment, which included the Death Row label. Due to legal prohibitions on business ownership by inmates, Harris functioned as a "consultant," with his wife Lydia overseeing daily operations. Suge Knight disputes this version of funding sources, attributing capital instead to Sony, Interscope, and Time Warner. Death Row Records achieved sales reaching hundreds of millions.
The label filed for bankruptcy in April 2006 and was subsequently sold at auction to WIDEawake Entertainment for $18 million in January 2009. After multiple ownership transitions, Snoop Dogg acquired Death Row Records in 2022.
Clemency and activism
Following his renunciation of previous criminal conduct and initiation of educational programs while incarcerated, Harris sought early release. On January 20, 2021, President Donald Trump commuted his sentence. In October 2024, Harris publicly endorsed Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election.
Currently serving as chief operating officer of the reestablished Death Row Records under Snoop Dogg's leadership, Harris is collaborating with Denzel Washington and Snoop Dogg on a documentary about his life produced by Death Row Films as of 2024.
His nonprofit organization Our Community First Action has received commendations from Trump, and he also founded Philanthropy TV to advocate for philanthropic efforts both nationally and internationally.
On May 28, 2025, President Donald Trump granted Harris a full and unconditional pardon.
Personal life
Harris divorced his wife Lydia in 2005. Lydia performed under the name Ms. Lydia and is the mother of their daughter.
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1960 births
- Living people
- American music industry executives
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 21st-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century African-American people
- 21st-century African-American people
- Death Row Records