Kat MacLean Daley has been appointed by Snoop Dogg to be the first VP & Head of Publishing at his revitalized Death Row Records, which he acquired in 2022.
MacLean Daley reports directly to Snoop Dogg and is responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations in music, with her primary focus on the company’s newly established publishing business.
According to the announcement from Death Row, the new role sees MacLean expand Death Row’s existing catalog and roster, as well as building on Death Row’s existing relationships with writers, producers, and estates.
Prior to joining Death Row, MacLean Daley had been at Universal Music Group, starting as a college marketing rep in 2016 during her time at Berklee College of Music.
After graduating summa cum laude with a double major in Music Business Management and Professional Music, she was hired by Universal Music Publishing Group full-time, eventually working her way up to Director, Music Sampling & Business Development.
In her time at UMPG, she created and implemented processes and data tracking standards, clearing samples for over 1,300 released songs for artists including Drake, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Beyoncé, Cole Swindell, songs for the Barbie soundtrack, and more.
Death Row notes that Kat MacLean Daley was also “instrumental in setting sampling standards outside of the US and in new genres including country music”.
“Kat’s already a legend in the world of clearances and publishing, and her drive and discipline was what I wanted to bring to Death Row,” said Snoop Dogg on Monday (December 11).
Last year, Snoop Dogg acquired the Death Row brand from MNRK Music Group and subsequently completed a deal to buy the label’s recordings catalog.
He then removed the Death Row catalog from streaming services.
In February, TikTok partnered with Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records to bring the record label’s catalog to the ByteDance-owned app through its independent distribution platform, SoundOn, making the catalog available to stream exclusively on TikTok for a week.
In March, the Death Row Records catalog officially returned to music streaming services.
The return of the catalog to streaming services arrived in the same week it emerged that, amongst a slate of deals struck by gamma – the new $1 billion-backed company from former Apple Music Global Creative Director Larry Jackson – was a partnership with Snoop Dogg and the Death Row catalog.
“I am working closely with Snoop to modernize the already existing deals, find new and exciting ways to leverage and license the legendary catalog, and bring Death Row to the top of people’s minds and playlists.”
Kat MacLean Daley
“I am beyond hyped to be joining Death Row! I’m extremely grateful for my time at UMPG – I felt like I completed what I set out to do there, so it was time for the next challenge, the next mission,” said Kat MacLean Daley.
“Deborah Mannis-Gardner connected me with Snoop and his team and after hearing his plans for the company, it was a no brainer.
“I am working closely with Snoop to modernize the already existing deals, find new and exciting ways to leverage and license the legendary catalog, and bring Death Row to the top of people’s minds and playlists.”
“I know that Kat is the right person to take care of our history, while also helping us write the story for the chapters to come.”
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg said: “Kat’s already a legend in the world of clearances and publishing, and her drive and discipline was what I wanted to bring to Death Row.
“The talent that has been a part of Death Row for over 30 years deserves to have their songs heard, but also to be properly licensed and paid as songwriters and producers.
“I know that Kat is the right person to take care of our history, while also helping us write the story for the chapters to come. There’s a Kat in the Dogg house now.”Music Business Worldwide
