Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight has been sentenced to nearly three decades in prison for running a man over during a fight in Los Angeles.

The rap mogul, whose label once listed Dr Dre, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg among its stars, was charged with murder, attempted murder and hit-and-run after fleeing the scene of the altercation outside a burger stand in Compton in January 2015.

He will serve 28 years in jail over the fatal 2015 confrontation.

Knight and Cle "Bone" Sloan, a consultant on the N.W.A biopic "Straight Outta Compton", were involved in a fistfight that ended up with Knight hitting Mr Sloan with his pickup truck.

Image: Knight ran over Terry Carter, who later died from his injuries

He then ran over another man, businessman Terry Carter, who died from his injuries.


Knight listened without reaction as members of the dead man's family addressed the court, describing 55-year-old Mr Carter as a deeply devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend during the hearing.

The victim's daughter Crystal called Knight "a disgusting, selfish disgrace to the human species".

His lawyers said Knight was acting in self-defence as he fled armed attackers when he ran over Mr Carter and Mr Sloan.

Image: Tupac Shakur was on Knight's music label

Nonetheless, the Death Row Records co-founder pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter last month, averting a trial on murder and attempted murder charges.

The incident in Compton came some six years after Death Row Records went into bankruptcy, which saw Knight lose control of the once prestigious company.

Knight was convicted of armed robbery and assault with a gun during his time with the label, which is widely seen as having contributed to its decline.

Image: Snoop Dogg was another of the rap stars once associated with the label

He pleaded no contest in 1995 and was sentenced to five years' probation for assaulting two rap entertainers at a Hollywood recording studio in 1992.

In February 1997, he was jailed for violating terms of the probation by taking part in a fight at a Las Vegas hotel hours before Shakur was fatally wounded in a drive-by attack as he rode in Knight's car just east of the Las Vegas Strip.

Shakur's killing remains unsolved.

Knight had faced life in prison if convicted of murder for killing Mr Carter.