Death Row Records is all but dead following a court order stating that control of the notorious label is to be stripped from Marion 'Suge' Knight after the oversized MD failed to show up to the latest in a series of hearings.

Knight lost a $107m judgment last year to Lydia Harris, who claimed she helped Knight to establish the label alongside her husband, drug dealer Michael Harris. Mr Harris said he put forward some £1.5m to get the company started, something that Knight denied. However, last month a judge ordered the company the way of receivership, and Knight needed to attend court to avoid his company being taken from him completely.

Now, a court-appointed receiver is likely to take control of the label's catalogue, including records by the likes of Dr Dre, Tupac and Snoop Dogg (pictured). Steve Goldberg, attorney for Michael Harris, said:

"We are going to ask the receiver to take ownership of the music library and auction it off. (This could be) a death sentence for Death Row Records."

Knight's assets have been frozen since December, and he offered no explanation as to his most recent absence in court.